University to host C-USA championship for second time in three years

UNC Charlotte has been named the host institution for the 2016 Conference USA Women’s Soccer Championships. It marks the second time in the last three years that the Charlotte 49ers will welcome fellow league members to Transamerica Field for the annual tournament.

This year’s event will begin with eight teams in quarterfinal round action Nov. 2. The semifinals will be Nov. 4, with the final on Nov. 6. Game times will be announced at a later date.

“We’re truly very excited to hear the announcement that we’ll be hosting the tournament,” head coach John Cullen said. “Once again, our Charlotte 49ers Athletic Department will step up as it has in the past and put on a quality event and a championship week.

“We’re looking forward to playing in front of Niner Nation and the Charlotte soccer community, who all support us very well. And hopefully it will be a memorable week for all of our fans. We look forward to hosting a fantastic week of soccer on our home field.”

Transamerica Field has seen a number of conference tournaments throughout the years since it opened in 1996. The on-campus facility, which seats 4,000, has hosted the Conference USA Championships four previous times (1996, 2002, 2003, 2014) along with the Atlantic 10 Championships twice (2007, 2009). It also has hosted numerous men’s soccer tournaments and other events through the years.

This year’s Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer roster includes nine newcomers joining 15 letter winners and six returning starters for Cullen’s eighth campaign on the sideline. A complete 2016 schedule will be released in the near future.