They're making history for the Caribbean, now they hope to do it for the Carolinas
Jill Aguilera and Kathrynn González look to continue taking teams to new heights!
The newest professional soccer team in the Carolinas began its inaugural campaign over the weekend. Carolina Ascent FC is one of the founding teams of the new Division 1 professional women’s league, The USL Super League (USLS), here in the United States. This is an exciting time in the U.S. for the women’s game as a whole, but especially for the city of Charlotte. The hype and excitement around this team are palpable and it was on full display during the opening game!
Some familiar names appear on the roster for fans following the women’s game in Concacaf. For those who don’t follow the region closely, you’ll want to know about these two players! Both Jill Aguilera and Kathrynn González made history for their nations earlier this year at the Concacaf W Gold Cup and now they have their sights set on helping build this team.
I had the chance to catch up with both of them to hear more about their background, their journeys from college to the pros, how they started playing for their national teams, and what they are looking forward to playing for Carolina Ascent.
Similar paths, opposite coasts, and the importance of the college game
Jill Aguilera grew up in the Bay Area of California and casually picked up soccer during elementary school recess. Like many girls at that age, she mostly played against boys and dealt with the typical comments and attitudes that come with that. None of that stopped her though, she explained, “I didn't necessarily feel like I was pushed out or felt some type of way about it and I'm not necessarily the type of person that would really care either way. So it didn't affect me obviously because I continued to do it.”
Jill comes from an athletic family. Her father, originally from Puerto Rico, played for their water polo team, as did her aunt. She also grew up around predominantly Mexican culture in California and everyone lived and breathed soccer. She continued to develop from playing games at recess to playing at the club level. Her performances there, and at her high school, opened up the door to playing collegiately.
On the east coast in Pennsylvania, Kathrynn González grew up with four other siblings that played soccer so it was something she picked up naturally. She was raised in a Dominican household with her mom, aunt, and grandma all being from there, “I definitely grew up with Latin culture… it was something that was integrated into my life a lot” she explained.
From an early age, she had her eyes set on playing the game professionally, but back then the opportunities weren’t what they are today. She told me, “I always knew I wanted to play professionally… but I didn't know it would come to life until maybe senior year of college I was like, okay, maybe I can do this!” Her play with her high school team led to player of the year and first-team all-state honors and she finished as the program’s all-time leading scorer. This allowed her to take her talents to the next level!
Out west, Jill committed to play collegiately at the University of Arizona in a very tough Pac-12 conference. Unfortunately, she tore her ACL before her freshman season began. Although it was difficult, Jill was able to use this setback to her advantage:
“It was definitely not what I was expecting, but at the same time I did end up building a lot of strength, it helped me gain muscle, gain a little bit more perspective, learn how to lift properly, learn even the game on the sidelines. I think that was probably the biggest help overall… I got to sit and watch, although it's hard, and learn what the level is like at a D1 college program, it taught me a lot about the game, speed of play, just positionally, and helped me develop into the player that I wanted to be off the field. And then when I got that opportunity to get back on the field, to kind of implement the things that I had learned on the sidelines on the field.”
And she made the most of those opportunities back on the field after recovering! Jill would go on to become Arizona’s all-time leading scorer with a brace in her final game:
When I asked her about that game and breaking that school record, she said “That wasn't really in my head. I've always been the type of player that I really don't care who scores as long as we're scoring goals and we're winning games. It could be me, it could be somebody else… I've never really thought of that. And again, I think if I did, I probably wouldn't have broken the record because it would have taken up too much time in my head.”
For Kathrynn, she decided to begin her college career at East Carolina University but it was challenging and ended up not being the best fit for her, so she transferred to Marshall. It was there that she started to hit her stride, including making all-conference teams in her junior and senior seasons. She explained, “I found more success. I've always loved the game, but I really realized at Marshall that I wanted to go further with it, like even more so that it could become a reality.”
While everyone’s pathway to the professional game is different, and there are more opportunities available today, I could tell that playing collegiately had a huge impact for both Jill and Kathrynn. In an age when it is more common to see young men and women jump straight to the pros, the value of the college game is alive and well.
Jill told me, “I think overall it created a better transition from like adolescence to adulthood. In college it's your first time on your own, you're doing things on your own, obviously that's scary. You're dealing with things without your parents. And I really enjoyed my college experience where I was able to meet a lot of different people from all over the world… and although that was the best path for me to get to where I am today, that obviously isn't the case for a lot of other people… it may not work for everybody, but I think that everyone has their own path.”
Kathrynn added, “I think college helped me grow in a lot of areas. It's interesting to be with a team… it's your whole life. You're with the team for school and for soccer. It taught me a lot about how to handle different situations on and off the field, create team bonds, and chemistry.”
Their college coaches also had huge impacts on their careers. Jill was coached by former NSWL player, Becca Moros, and she explained, “I felt like my soccer IQ had just grown exponentially under Becca. She's an amazing coach and we still talk to this day.” Kathrynn’s coach at Marshall was actually the one that made the connection for her to the Dominican Republic’s national team coach and one of her assistants there, Erika Duncan, is now on the Carolina Ascent staff and connected her to the team. A lot of times we hear about how important networking and connections made in college are for a career… the same can be true in soccer!
Settling in as dual-nats in the Caribbean
Even before Kathrynn was able to get connected to the Dominican team, representing them was top of mind. Growing up, her parents would tell her they wanted her to play for the Dominican team or the Puerto Rican team (she was eligible to represent both). As her career developed, it was something she hoped for, “I always wanted to. Representing your country is the greatest honor. Honestly, I really love doing it and it's my country. So it was definitely something I wanted to do” she says. She made her official debut with the Dominican national team in 2021.
For Jill, playing for a national team wasn’t something she considered growing up. Similar to most young girls playing soccer in the United States, having the chance to play for the USWNT is everyone’s dream - but she viewed that as a motivator versus a specific goal of hers. As her career continued, other national teams started to take notice and recruit her in unorthodox ways. She received DMs on social media from coaches and others researching on Facebook and asking if she had ties to their country. Eventually, she got connected with the Puerto Rican team through a LinkedIn message and after a phone call, she joined Las Boricuas for World Cup qualifying games.
With the incredible honor and responsibility that comes with representing a national teams, both of these women also have to navigate the tensions that all dual-national players have. While the dual-national experience is not a monolith, there are many shared experiences. Some have the ni de aquí, ni de allá feeling of not fitting in either box - the nation they live in versus the nation(s) their family comes from. Some have the frustration of people and society trying to put them in a specific box rather than allowing for a more nuanced reality. We looked at this in detail last year with Keyrol Figueroa’s story:
Tensions can also exist within teams and their fanbases when there are dual-national players competing for spots on a team with players born in that country. Delving deeper into that will be left for another time. Whatever the case may be, being a dual-national player has its unique opportunities and challenges. I wanted to know what their experiences had been.
Jill shared, “Yeah, I've definitely felt where it's like, okay, I don't know a whole lot about the island. So when I joined the team in 2022, I was a little bit nervous about that of like, ‘oh, is she even Puerto Rican? Like she doesn't speak Spanish. She's not really from the island’, things like that.”
Her background and experience is not unique for the team as many of the players were born in the States or have spent most of their lives split between the island and the States. How has the team navigated this dynamic? How have players, like Jill, worked through some of those things? With a culture of humility and welcoming. She shared:
“Honestly, the girls continue to be so welcoming to everybody and they just teach what you need to know. They kind of force you to speak Spanish, which again, gets you out of your comfort zone. But there are a lot of girls who aren't super fluent in Spanish, and then there are people who aren't super fluent in English, and then we do both. We learned about music, the food, and then whenever we do get to spend time in Puerto Rico, it is a really big learning experience, and I truly do love it because we're all just sharing our own experiences and building a really healthy culture as a team together.”
Similar to Puerto Rico, the Dominican national team is a mix of players born in the U.S. and others born and raised on the island. Kathrynn explained feeling that ni de aquí, ni de allá sentiment at the beginning, “I felt it slightly. It's definitely a thing living in America and then going to the DR and the Dominican girls are there” and before I could even ask how they navigate that as a squad, she told me: “Diversity in general is always good for a team so it's been beneficial… they're very inclusive. Everybody loves each other… like we're family. So they invite all of us into the team and it's been really good.”
Making history at the 2024 W Gold Cup
Historically, both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have not had much success in the sport. Puerto Rico’s only major tournament appearance was at the 1998 Concacaf W Championship where they lost all three group games by a combined score of 38-0. For the Dominican team, the only major tournament they had appeared in was the 2012 Olympic Qualifying tournament and the result was three group losses by a combined 27-0.
In the last few years, though, as both Jill and Kathrynn joined their respective nations, that all started to change, culminating with historic performances at the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup! Both teams had a long journey to even qualify for the prestigious tournament.
After navigating a second place finish in their qualifying group (thanks in part to a winning goal against Trinidad & Tobago from Jill), Las Boricuas earned a spot in the play-in games for the W Gold Cup. For their play-in game, they had to face off against Haiti who had just played in the 2023 World Cup and boasted superstar Nérilia Mondésir attack.
Most people, including myself, penciled in Haiti to win and moved on. I asked Jill about their mindset going into the game and she said, “We were going to approach the game like we would have any other game and that is to win and to just make history. We knew that regardless of whether we won or lost that game, we were making history for Puerto Rico. And I think that was honestly motivation enough for us to be able to go out there and perform.”
They did more than perform - they pulled off a clean sheet against one of the better teams in the region and Jill converted the winning goal from the penalty spot… arguably the biggest goal in the history of Puerto Rican women’s soccer to that point. Check it out below:
On that victory and making history for Puerto Rico, Jill told me: “They [Haiti] are a great team and I have nothing but respect for them. And I think that our motivation to make Puerto Rico proud and to make history for our island was just a little bit more motivation than theirs… and truly that was a team win.”
Kathrynn and the Dominican team had a tougher path to qualify as they needed to top their group. In a must-win game against Bermuda, Las Quisqueyanas claimed a 2-0 victory in front of a home crowd. In their qualifying games Kathrynn scored 3 goals and was crucial to their success in getting to the playoff.
In reflecting on this long road to the playoffs, Kathrynn explained, “It was a journey for sure. It was difficult at times, but really rewarding. We all worked so hard for it. We only have a few camps a year, so bringing people together for each camp has been challenging, but we figured it out.”
In their play-in game, the Dominicans faced off against Guyana. Despite dominating most of the game, they couldn’t find the back of the net in the first half. Early in the second-half, the ball came to Kathrynn outside the box and she stepped up and hit a historic screamer past the keeper. This ended up being the winning goal and sent the team to the 2024 W Gold Cup group stage. Check out the goal below:
On scoring the biggest goal in the country’s history, Kathrynn shared: “That goal, honestly, I think it changed a lot for all of us… I like to stand at the top of the box for corners because I always want that type of shot. And I finally got it. It was just a perfect moment. I think everybody was waiting for that. It was coming and I'm glad I was the one to be able to do it.” And during postgame interviews she said “This is an unreal feeling, making history, putting the DR on the map, it means the world to us and we’re so excited about it.”
Both women led their teams through qualifying and scored goals to put their teams into the 2024 W Gold Cup! After defeating a World Cup team, Puerto Rico found themselves in a group with three other World Cup sides: Brazil, Colombia, and Panama. The Domincan Republic had to face off against the USWNT, Mexico, and Argentina.
Las Quisqueyanas had a tough time in their group, dropping all three games and failing to score a goal. Despite the losses, Kathrynn saw these games as an important step forward for the team, “They were very much learning moments. Each and every game was very different, but it was really good to see where we're at and where we can move towards. They were very difficult opponents, great players, but we knew we were going to face top players and we were ready for it. And we had a game plan. They're amazing players, but we have to play the best to be the best.”
Las Boricuas continued to shock the region as they held Brazil scoreless until the last 10 minutes before giving up a goal and falling 1-0. They followed that up with a 2-1 victory against Panama to earn their first victory at a major tournament. In the group finale, the lost to Colombia 2-0 but were in the game from start to finish. They still had a chance to advance the the quarterfinals as one of the best 3rd place teams… they just needed a bit of luck.
In a extremely unlikely twist of events, they ended up tied with Costa Rica on every single tie-breaker: points, goal difference, goals scored and disciplinary points. What did this mean? In one of the most wild and Concacafy things I have ever seen, they had to draw lots to see who would advance. You can read all about that night here with some great reporting from Theo Lloyd-Hughes at Squad Depth. Unfortunately the plastic ball containing the piece of paper with ‘Puerto Rico’ on it was not chosen and they were out of the tournament.
Even with the heart-breaking exit, this tournament served as a leap for the Puerto Rican women’s program and highlighted the needs to get to the next level. Jill shared:
“Puerto Rico is a small island. We don't have a ton of resources and the Gold Cup put us on the map for sure, but we're still lacking some of the things that prepare teams the best… We're getting to that point now, and I think that that's important, but we weren't necessarily there yet… Overall, that was just a really, really amazing experience and it was great to see the fans feel the same frustration that we felt when we were eliminated because we felt like we deserved to move on and a lot of other people felt that way too. And so it created even more sense of community and an overall gratefulness to have achieved as much as we did.”
Not only are Jill and Kathrynn writing history for their national teams, but they are keys parts of a generation that are trailblazing for the next generation of Boricuas and Dominicanas that have dreams of playing the beautiful game.
Kathrynn shared: “We need more people to be invested in us and believe in us. And that's the only way we're going to move forward… In the DR, there's not enough opportunity for women and young girls. And we need that in order to be better… hopefully in the next year, couple of years, we will get that and keep progressing in the country… We see a lot of young girls come to our games and it's really nice to see. They're all so excited and you can tell they want that opportunity. They want to be where we're at. They just need the steps and the guidance to get there.”
I asked Jill if she felt the responsibility to create pathways for those coming behind her. “Definitely. I don't think I'm doing it as an individual. I think we're doing it as a team for sure. And we already have some of those young girls in our environment, which I think is really important to see the level that we're at and the level that we're striving to get to… You need some help along the way, you can ask me or you can ask any of the girls. We are very, very open and sharing our experiences and praising the culture that we have on the team because it's truly super open, super inclusive, super caring. Everyone's so involved and everything's for the island” she says.
Finding new opportunity with Carolina Ascent FC
Prior to arriving in the Carolinas, both Jill and Kathrynn played for other professional clubs.
Jill spent two seasons playing in the NWSL for the Chicago Red Stars. Making her debut and playing at the highest level was a dream come true for her. She told me that sometimes she would have to remind herself it was reality when she was surrounded with so many players she respected. When she understood she belonged there, she told herself, “I'm gonna keep working to stay in this environment and help people who come along after me and learn from the people that have come before me and just truly be all in whatever experience comes my way.”
During her time in Chicago, Jill played every position on the field except keeper and right-back. While difficult, she explained “I definitely think it polished parts of my game that I may have not touched on a little bit… I think overall it helped me get better. It helped me see the game differently. It helped me understand where people's positioning should be.” While she prefers to play left-forward, she will play wherever the team needs her.
Kathrynn’s first taste of the professional game was European… Danish to be specific. After completing her college career, she signed with FC Thy-Thisted Q in Denmark’s top-flight. Although she only spent a season there, it was a valuable move for her.
“Honestly, the experience was challenging but also very exciting and it was very new for me. It was my first professional opportunity and I just wanted to show I could be a professional player. And it was in a new country, different language. It definitely had its ups and downs, but overall I was very grateful for the experience.”
After Jill was released by Chicago Red Stars and Kathrynn’s time abroad came to an end, they were both looking for a new opportunity. In addition to their club experience, their play at the W Gold Cup put them on the radar of Philip Poole (Carolina Ascent FC manager and former USWNT assistant coach).
When Jill’s signing with the Ascent was announced, coach Poole said “After watching her performances with Puerto Rico in the CONCACAF W Gold cup earlier this year, I was convinced she was a player we needed to bring here to the Carolinas.” Jill remembers connecting with him at that tournament too, “I think it was the day of the W Gold Cup final. Philip texted me ‘Hey, would love to chat with you about joining Carolina, have a game tonight but let's talk tomorrow’ as if the championship game of a major tournament wasn't happening” she says.
While she had other teams interested in her services, the new Carolina Ascent FC project stuck out to her, “I truly felt what Philip was trying to build with Carolina Ascent was something very new and very exciting to be a part of a league that is giving so many women and girls the possibility to play professionally in the US… I'm really excited for that. And it seems a lot of people are excited for it. And I'm just really looking forward to building something new and creating a stepping stone for the next generation of players… I'm really looking forward to this season” she says.
Coach Poole also had the chance to see Kathrynn play in the W Gold Cup when the USWNT faced the Dominican Republic. In her signing announcement, he said “I watched Kathrynn several times for the Dominican Republic and was able to see the passion and energy she is capable of giving to our team. I am really looking forward to seeing Kathrynn represent our group this season.”
As I mentioned earlier, Kathrynn also had a connection from her time at Marshall with assistant coach Erika Duncan - it made this team a great fit. She was also excited to come back to the Carolinas, “I love Charlotte, North Carolina. I went to ECU. I love North Carolina in general. So when I saw this new opportunity, the USL, I was very excited for it” she said.
As I spoke to both of them, it was clear how grateful they are for this new USL Super League and their excitement for the opportunity it presents for other women and girls around the country. “We've only had the NWSL and sometimes it's really hard to get into the NWSL. So I'm glad there's another opportunity for people to show that they can be professionals at this level” Kathrynn shared.
“We have the NWSL, but I mean this year 14 teams to represent one of the best national teams in the world professionally, I just don't think is enough because there's so much talent here obviously with what we have in the national team, so the Super League and Carolina to be able create and represent a lot of those players that haven't had their opportunity to play professionally, to play at a high level and to get paid what they deserve to be paid is really, really great. And I'm really excited for that” says Jill.
I wrapped up my time with Jill and Kathrynn asking if they had a message for Carolina Ascent fans and they shared:
Kathrynn: “Enjoy women's soccer, watch women's soccer. It's exciting, it’s fun. It's a great opportunity to support something more in this state. And I think it's gonna be very fun and nice to watch it. So get on board and watch!”
Jill: “I think the team already feels the love from Charlotte with our jersey reveal, all the social media posts, the tickets, everything. We feel the love and we're so grateful and we just can't wait to play in front of all of them… We already feel the love and we can't wait to see everyone. Honestly it's going to be a really really fun experience.”
They already helped make history during the inaugural game on Saturday in front of the sell out crowd that filled historic American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte. Both started on the wings and helped the club to their first landmark victory (1-0 over DC Power FC). It’s an exciting time for the women’s game here in the U.S. with the arrival of the USL Super League. You can catch Jill, Kathrynn, and Carolina Ascent FC all season long in Charlotte and streaming on Peacock!
