Written By:  Andrew Mosier

Photo By:  Adam Luther

 

STILLWATER, OKLA.—The Charlotte Eagles are the 2023 WPSL champions thanks to a 91^st-minute, stoppage-time goal by Kelly Flanders (Appalachian State).

Flander’s goal broke a scoreless deadlock to give Charlotte a 1-0 win over Salvo SC in the WPSL Championship Final at Neal Patterson Stadium. It was both clubs’ first trip to the WPSL Championship match.
 

“We have overcome adversity all season just to get here,” Sam Hope, Charlotte Eagles head coach, said. “Every game we play seems to be a thriller.”
 

The day before, Charlotte advanced from the Semifinal to play Salvo for the Jerry Zanelli Cup in similar fashion – thanks to an 88^th-minute goal by Taylor Suarez (Florida State commit) in the Eagles’ 1-0 win over the Rhode Island Rogues.
 

Photo By:  Adam Luther

Suarez, along with Salvo forward Khyah Harper (University of Minnesota) shared the game’s Most Outstanding Player award presented after the match. Charlotte defender Kristy Campbell (UNC-Charlotte) was named the game’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
 

It was very much a match of two contrasting halves: Charlotte dictated play in the first 45 scoreless minutes as the Eagan, Minn.-based Salvo seized control in the second—save a hectic final five minutes.
 

“This was a battle of the two best teams in the league,” Greg Wheaton, Salvo SC head coach, said. “They [Charlotte Eagles] had their moments. We had our moments. It came down to one play at the end.”
 

Charlotte’s first opportunity came in the 28th minute when Suarez out-ran her defender to get on the end of a through ball from Faith Adams (Lipscomb University). The resulting shot was saved calmly by Salvo goalkeeper, Ayden Ganger.
 

Ganger, a high school junior, backstopped Salvo throughout its impressive run to the WPSL Championship Final posting six consecutive clean sheets extending 591 minutes without conceding a goal to reach the Final.
 

Throughout the half, Charlotte found success with diagonal balls played from deep to pin Salvo in its own half for long stretches of the first half.
 

“They [Charlotte Eagles] were stretching the game, playing a lot of balls over the top,” Wheaton said. “At halftime we made a couple changes, putting more pressure up top and dropping a little deeper so we’d win the second ball and could play from there. That allowed us to get more possession and create some chances in the second half.”

Photo By:  Adam Luther
 

After constant pressure in the second half, Salvo thought it had finally figured out a way past the resolute Charlotte backline in a controversial turn of events. In the 73rd minute, Harper wrongfooted Charlotte’s Morgan Leyble (UNC-Wilmington) at the top of the penalty area. Leyble fell awkwardly onto the ball to draw a handball call inches outside the penalty area. Salvo’s Jessica Hunt (Northeastern University) quickly poked the ball forward to Harper, who put the ball in the back of the goal before the Charlotte defense realized the ball was in play. After considerable protests by the Charlotte players and the center official conferring with the assistant referee, the goal was disallowed. The re-taken free kick sailed harmlessly well wide.
 

“That goal getting called back was really unfortunate, but that’s life sometimes,” Wheaton said. “We learn from that and grow.”
 

The controversy gave Charlotte a much-needed second wind. Two minutes later, Suarez beat her defender off the dribble at the end line and smacked her shot off the post from a tight angle. From there, the momentum swung in Charlotte’s favor – Salvo defended desperately as the Eagles pushed for a second late-game-winning goal in as many games.
 

The goal was the result of a deliberate build-up down the right side—Charlotte’s first stretch of possession in the second half. The ball started on the left flank and was played around the back line to the right flank from Flanders in her right-back position to center-back Leyble. With time to survey, Leyble played the ball through to Blair Anderes (Appalachian State) on the right side.
 

Anderes’ first touch was less than ideal, however, it popped fortuitously up over the head of the Salvo defender. Anderes ran down her bad touch and played it across from the end line to Carrie Lewis (Xavier) at the near post. Lewis’ first crack on goal was blocked back to her.
 

“Carrie [Lewis] got off a shot. I was screaming, ‘Carrie, do it again! Do it again! The ball popped out,” Flanders said. “I was closest. I just wanted to get a touch on it before they [Salvo] did.”
 

Flanders poked the loose ball just inside the far post from ten yards out and ended Salvo’s shutout run of now-719 minutes. Moments later the referee blew the final whistle.
 

“It came down to grit in the end,” Hope said. “We worked so hard to get here.”

 

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LINEUPS

Salvo SC

99-Ayde Ganger, 20-Jessica Hunt, 14-Lauren Eckerle, 18-Clara Broecker, 17-Katherine Jones, 10-Emily Heslin ©, 3-Meredith Haakenson, 8-Molly Fiedler, 15-Sadie Harper, 28-Katelyn Beulke, 6-Becca Smith.
 

Subs: 2-Celidh Whynott, 5-Riley Lijewski, 7-Maggie Dowling, 13-Gabrielle Hofeld, 16-Elle Wildman, 25-Camryn Rintoul, 29-Bella Meier, 34-Khyah Harper
 

Charlotte Eagles

0-Blair Barefoot, 8-Kelsey Perrell, 9-Kristy Campbell, 30-Morgan Leyble, 16-Emmi Dunn ©, 5-Carrie Lewis, 29-Kelly Flanders, 7-Alex Jennings, 10-Taylor Suarez, 17-JJ Aalbue, 6-Meredith King
 

Subs: 1-Chloe Buehler, 3-Blair Anders, 11-Faith Adams, 14-Tessa Osborne, 19-Rachel Noonan, 25-Ashlyn Serepca, 31-Jackie Weston
 

Goals

91’ Kelly Flanders—CHO
 

Misconduct

Caution 38’ Alex Jennings—CHO
 

Stats

SALVO/CHAR

Shots: 8/13

Shots on Goal: 2/5

Saves: 3/2

Corner Kicks: 2/3

Offside: 4/1

Fouls: 6/13

Cautions: 0/1

Ejections: 0/0