Charlotte Catholic completes unbeaten year, blanks Jacksonville for 6A girls soccer championship

DURHAM, N.C. — It was hard to figure out who Charlotte Catholic's MVP was after Friday's N.C. High School Athletic Association 6A girls soccer championship game.

That's part of what made the Cougars unbeatable this year.

Catholic defeated Jacksonville 1-0 at Durham County Memorial Stadium by dominating the run of play from one end to another and ended the year without a loss.

They end this year without a loss.

Live 2026 NCHSAA girls soccer playoff brackets

• View Photos: Jacksonville vs. Charlotte Catholic (May 28, 2026}. HSOT Insiders can download championship photos for free. Here's how.

Catholic struck first in the 11th minute as Savanna Leckner as Tilly Hahn sprung her free on a through ball from near midfield.

The Cougars spent 70 percent of the first half on the Cardinals' side of the field, but only led 1-0.

But it was enough.

Leckner, the MVP, was one of several forwards who rotated in and out to stay fresh. The back line held firm. The rest was history.

Start times revealed for NCHSAA baseball, softball, lacrosse, & girls soccer state championships

Jacksonville, however, stayed in it thanks to a Herculean effort from goalkeeper Hailey Dufore.

The Cardinals were peppered with chances in the first half and were out-shot 9-1.

The Cougars had a whopping 58 percent possession on the day and had 16 shots to Jacksonville's one.

NCHSAA girls soccer conference standings for the 2026 season

Jacksonville (17-4-2), the East regional champ, was making its third appearance in the girls' final, also finishing runner-up in 2016 and winning it all in 2024.

Charlotte Catholic (24-0-1), the West regional champ was making its eighth appearance, having also won it all in 2002, 2003, and 2011.

Before the game, each team named a Sportsmanship Award winner. For Jacksonville, it was Caidy Nelson, while for Charlotte Catholic it was Ellie Hussey.

Box Score

• Scoring
  • Savanna Leckner (Charlotte Catholic) '11 — assist Tilly Hahn

Want to get your high school sports news faster? Download the new and improved HighSchoolOT app! You'll be able to find the content you want faster and have access to breaking news alerts.

Download the all-new HighSchoolOT App today