Assistant coach Kim Cardelle enters her seventh year with the Charlotte womens soccer program in 2019. A noted defensive strategist and mastermind, Cardelle has been with the 49ers since they returned to Conference USA in 2013, laying the groundwork for continued success. TEAM SUCCESS During her tenure, Charlotte has advanced to the NCAA Tournament (2016), won the Conference USA Championships crown (2016) and captured the Conference USA East Division title (2013). The Niners have remained an upper-tiered program throughout the league and the Southeast Region each season. INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS Cardelles defensive tactics have helped the 49ers play stout defense year-after-year, including allowing only one combined goal in six C-USA Tournament games in 2016 and 2017. Current junior Meredith Hamby was named to the All-Conference USA Freshman Team in 2016, while current sophomore Sandra Geiselhart collected the honor this past fall after playing primarily as a defensive midfielder and lending support in the back. Senior Riley Orr returned to her all-league level last fall and remained as dominant as ever with her lethal set piece artistry and strong defensive play anchoring the back line. OTHER COACHING EXPERIENCE The Phoenix native joined the Charlotte program after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Catawba, in nearby Salisbury. She was a member of the staff for head coach John Cullens last two years with the Indians prior to him taking over the 49ers in 2009 and then stayed on board for head coach Chad Millers one season, helping lead the squad to a combined 43-14-7 mark during her career and a berth in the 2008 NCAA Division II Region Tournament. Cardelle was involved in all aspects of the Catawba program, including coordinating match information and preparation; planning, organizing and conducting practices; and providing input on player evaluations and team operations. She also held a dual role as the head girls soccer coach at Mount Pleasant High School in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. In addition her coaching duties, she assisted with field preparation, monitored academic performances and worked closely with school and conference officials. She also has had extensive experience on the local club circuit for a number of years, serving as a U15 head coach with the FC Carolina Alliance and as the assistant ECNL director for Charlotte Soccer Academy in April 2015. Currently, she serves as a coach with the Charlotte Soccer Academy North/Cabarrus program. PLAYING CAREER Cardelle completed a highly-successful career for Cullen at Catawba, earning All-South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Second Team honors in 2006. She was a member of the Indians roster that posted a 60-14-9 mark during her four years, including a SAC title as a junior with a 16-4-1 ledger. The teams best record came in 2004, a 16-2-3 mark, as it earned the first of two-straight trips to the NCAA Division II Region Tournament. She then signed with the Carolina RailHawks of the USL W-League for the 2008 campaign after graduation, playing for the semi-pro franchise at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. EDUCATION She graduated from Catawba in May 2007 with a bachelors degree in communication and as a business minor. She completed her masters degree in liberal studies at Charlotte in May 2019. Cardelle owns a US Soccer Federation National D License and earned her NSCAA Advanced National Diploma in Summer 2017. FAMILY The former Kim Crowley, she was married in May 2016 to Frankie Cardelle who is entering his fourth season as the 49ers goalkeepers coach in 2019.