What to expect in Carolina Ascent's second season
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Carolina Ascent's inaugural match last year drew more than 10,000 people. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Carolina Ascent's second season kicks off this month.
Why it matters: Charlotte's only active professional women's sports team had a tremendously successful inaugural season, winning the Players' Shield as the top team during the regular season, leading the league in attendance and a host of player and coach accolades.
Catch up quick: The Ascent went 13-6-9 before hosting Fort Lauderdale United in the playoffs and losing 2-1 in extra time.
- They led the league in scoring with 46 goals and allowed the fewest goals (26). They kept 12 clean sheets, meaning they didn't allow a goal during those games.
- "We established an identity that we're hard to beat," head coach Philip Poole told reporters Wednesday.
State of play: The Ascent has added nine players and parted with 11 players, Poole says.
- A key returning player is forward Mia Corbin, who led the team with 12 goals last season. Corbin expects that to be her standard, but ultimately, she just wants the team to win.
Between the lines: The team and the league are a startup. Ascent principal owner and former Nucor CEO Dan DiMicco doesn't expect the team to be profitable for the first three to five years.
- His primary goal is to build an organization and program that is sustainable, he says. "The rest will come."
- DiMicco declined to share how much was invested into the team during its first season or what this season's anticipated investment will be. "It was more than we expected [last season], and it'll be more again this year," DiMicco says.
By the numbers: 10,553 people attended the Ascent's inaugural match. Average attendance was a little over 4,000, DiMicco tells Axios.
The intrigue: Team ownership includes a group of women investors called the Empower HER Fund, LLC, which owns roughly 25% of the team and has the opportunity to increase its ownership stake in the future.
What's next: The Ascent's season kicks off at 7:30pm on Aug. 30 at Fort Lauderdale United — the very team that knocked the Ascent out of the playoffs. Peacock will broadcast matches in the United States.
- The Ascent's home opener is Sept. 6 vs. Tampa Bay Sun, reigning Gainbridge Super League champions, at 7pm at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Tickets start at $18.