Soccer has rapidly gained popularity in the Queen City, with local fans rallying around the sport as a source of pride and excitement. The Carolina Ascent Football Club, a new professional women’s soccer team, gives members of our community something positive to cheer for and offers a much needed sense of belonging and engagement.
In fact, the team’s co-captain Vicky Bruce, an internationally known soccer player, identifies as part of our community. She recently spoke at the the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce “Thrive” gala, discussing her life journey and excitement about being able to play the sport she loves and living out and proud.
The month of March is Women’s Month and as women’s athletics continues to evolve, Carolina Ascent represents a triumph for female athletes and is a reflection of inclusivity in a world where gender equality remains a pressing issue.
The team’s launch serves as a timely reminder of how sports can break down barriers and promote unity. We spoke with Ashley Osiecki, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, about the team’s impact on the community and the future of women’s soccer in Charlotte.
Wendy Lyons: What is the mission of Carolina Ascent Football Club?
Ashley Osiecki: It’s a new division women’s professional soccer league here in the United States. We announced the Carolinas women’s pro soccer team in 2023. We launched the brand in March 2024 and launched its inaugural season in August 2024. The mission of the USL Super League is to provide more opportunities for more women to compete in professional soccer, for more opportunity for women to work in the front office and coach as well. We were really inspired by that mission and then working with a lot of soccer fans across the Carolinas built the brand of the Carolina Ascent to really focus on growing the women’s game here in Charlotte, across the Carolinas, and elevate the community. While we do that, another piece of our mission is also to support a more sustainable future for residences of the Carolinas. We’re really investing in partnerships that help us do that. NuCor Corporation is one of our biggest sponsors along with Catawba River Keepers. They are sustainability partners who are helping us.
WL: What’s your role with Carolina Ascent and how do you support the organization?
AO: I’m the VP of Marketing and Communications overseeing a little bit of everything, but kind of focusing on the marketing, communications, public relations, social media, photography and videography. I work with a very talented group of creators, who have been integral to helping bring the brand in this club to life. Everything you see across our social media, our marketing and advertising is part of my team and what we do. Our goals are to highlight the club, tell the stories within the club, and get people out to the games.
WL: What are some of the challenges that you have encountered as a new sports club and particularly a women’s club setting up here and in the Carolinas?
AO: It’s really exciting to see how passionate the fans are who have come out. How excited they are to have a women’s pro soccer team based in Charlotte. To see people in embrace women’s pro soccer has been really exciting. I think one of the continuing points that we are looking at is educating people because the USO Super League is a new league. and people don’t realize that it is Division I women’s pro soccer, which means it is the highest level of women’s professional soccer in the United States. With it being new, you’re seeing a lot of players who originally were forced to play overseas in Europe or Australia. They’re now able to come home to the US and play at the highest level whether it’s their home state or their home country. So it’s been really exciting to be part of that movement.
WL: How do you promote inclusivity and support diverse communities in the current political climate?
AO: Everyone is always welcome to every Carolina Ascent match. This is a women’s sport team. It’s not just about soccer. We’re seeing a lot of support from everyone in the community from all different backgrounds coming out to enjoy the sport. Soccer really is a uniting sport. Recently, we started working with the Carolinas LGBT+ [Chamber] organization on a partnership. We are working intentionally with partners who are aligned with our mission as well.
WL: Do you have any specific community engagement projects or initiatives that your organization has undertaken to support the LGBTQ+ community?
AO: Our partnership with the Carolinas LGBT+ [Chamber of Commerce] is just getting started. We were welcomed at their gala in December [and] we’re really excited to learn more about how they are impacting the Carolinas. You’ll definitely see more of our work there in the future.
WL: When does your season run?
AO: It’s a little unique. It runs from August to May with playoffs happening in June. There is a Winter break from about the middle of December to the middle of January.
WL: So you’re coming up on your first play-offs as a new team?
AO: Yes, a couple more months and hopefully we will make the playoffs. The team is doing pretty good so we’re excited about playoff chances.
WL: Do you have themed events?
AO: Yes, we do. We have our Pups at the Pitch Night on March 29th so that is our next home game. After that, we are doing a Youth Sports Day on April 12th. We’re doing a green game which is like it’s titled; Keep It Clean, Keep It Fun on April 19th. Then May 17th is our Fan Appreciation and Beach Party night. It’s our last game.
WL: Where is the playing field?
AO: American Legion Memorial Stadium off 7th Street in Charlottetown. (east of Uptown at 1218-38 Armory Dr.)
WL: Looking ahead, what are the organization’s goals for the next few years, in terms of community impact, and even more specifically, supporting the LGBTQ+ community through the sport?
AO: Our goal as an organization is to continue to grow and continue to work through our partnerships to have an impact in the community. We want our club to be a reflection of our fan base and we know that is all encompassing. We are really working to be intentional with our partnerships and to be intentional when we’re out in the community, making sure that what we’re doing is making a difference. It’s year one and we definitely have a long way to go. Step-by-step, working towards our mission every day.
WL: Do you have fan levels or is it too new for that?
AO: Yes, we do have different seat sections and our tickets are tiered. We do have season ticket members who are fans who invest in tickets for every home game. We have partial plans, which we don’t have right now because we’re nearing the end of the season. We are getting ready to launch our 2025-2026 season tickets so that will be coming soon. Season tickets, partial plans and then just single game tickets.
How can we as a community support Carolina Ascent?
The biggest thing is to come out to a match. Our atmosphere is very family friendly. Our prices are extremely affordable and when you come out, you’re going to see world class women’s professional soccer. They are very talented and very skilled players so you’re definitely going to see a great game. Come out to a game and cheer on the women is a really great way to support.We also have some programs if you want to bring groups out like businesses or organizations, we can work with them. A lot of times we even do some kickback offers. If you’re looking to bring your organization out, we can provide a ticket link where you help get tickets and we’ll make a donation back to your organization. I think just coming out to a game and showing support for the team are the biggest ways to help. We just want to create a great community around this club. We have really enjoyed meeting all the fans who have come out so far.
Tickets
https://www.carolinaascent.com/single-game-tickets/
Promotion Schedule (Theme Nights)
https://www.carolinaascent.com/promoschedule/
Follow team co-captain Vicky Bruce on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/trickyvicky64
https://www.tiktok.com/@trickyvicky64
https://www.instagram.com/trickyvicky64/?hl=en