Hops Dominate But Leave Empty-Handed — While a New Generation Announces Itself
MATCH REPORT: MINT HILL FC 1-0 CHARLOTTETOWNE HOPS FC
NPSL Southeast Conference | Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Away at Mint Hill FC
Charlottetowne Hops FC fell to a third loss in four matches on Tuesday night, losing away at Mint Hill FC in a game that will feel painfully familiar — dominant possession, clear chances, and nothing to show for it. But amid the frustration of a 1-0 defeat, a new chapter quietly began to write itself.
THE MATCH
The scoreline, again, told a story that the run of play emphatically did not.
The Hops controlled the first half from the opening whistle, dominating possession and creating the cleaner of the two sides’ opportunities. The closest Charlottetowne came to breaking the deadlock was a superb free kick from DJ Faye — struck with the score still level at 0-0 — that crashed off the crossbar and stayed out. It was the kind of moment that, on another night, changes everything.
Instead, it was Mint Hill FC who found the net. Tyler Lumwai (#70) converted in the 40th minute against the run of play — barely a glimpse of goal for the home side in the opening 45 — to send the teams into the break with a 1-0 scoreline that bore little resemblance to what had unfolded on the pitch.
It was also, uncomfortably, part of a broader trend.
Across their four matches this season, Charlottetowne have conceded six goals — and the manner of those concessions carries a consistent thread. Not one has come from a period of sustained opposition pressure. Every goal has arrived against the run of play, in moments when the Hops appeared to be in control. Bristol Rhythm’s winner came directly from a missed clearance. Mint Hill’s opener on Tuesday came from barely a sniff of goal in a first half the Hops dominated. The issue is not being outplayed — it is the cost of momentary lapses when controlling games.
There is a secondary pattern within that trend that will concern head coach Morteza Ebrahimi specifically. Both of Greenville United’s goals in the season opener came in the final minutes of a half — the 44th and the 89th. The moments just before the whistle, when concentration can drift and defensive shape can soften, have proven costly. Saturday’s rematch against Greenville presents the first real opportunity to demonstrate that lesson has been learned.
The second half on Tuesday opened with a more unsettled character. Mint Hill found space on the counter in the first ten minutes, catching the Hops in several transition moments that required defensive attention. Ebrahimi’s side regrouped quickly, however, and by the midpoint of the second half the pattern of the first had largely returned — Charlottetowne on the ball, Charlottetowne creating, and ultimately Charlottetowne unable to find the back of the net.
That is what makes the current run particularly frustrating. This is not a team without attacking quality — a dominant 4-2 victory over Burlington United earlier this season proved exactly what this squad is capable of when things click in the final third. Back-to-back 1-0 losses to Bristol Rhythm and now Mint Hill represent a dip in finishing efficiency that the Hops will know is both fixable and urgent.
THE STORY OF THE NIGHT: HOPS YOUTH MOVEMENT
If Tuesday offered any silver lining worth holding onto, it arrived in the form of the players wearing the green who had barely lived long enough to vote.
Eighteen-year-old Ben Horgan started at the base of midfield in a deep-lying role — the position that sets the tempo for everything ahead of it — and delivered a performance that belied every one of his years. Patient in possession, composed under pressure, and consistently making the right decision with the ball at his feet, Horgan was by many measures the standout performer on the pitch for either side. He controlled the game’s rhythm from the center of the park in a way that suggested this will not be the last time people take notice of him in green.
He was not alone. Seventeen-year-old Brady Golden came off the bench in the closing stages to make his mark on the contest, while fellow 17-year-old Braden Mathis was among the names on the bench — part of an increasingly youthful matchday squad that signals something real is developing within the Hops setup.
The absence of experienced contributor James Jenkin required positional adjustments across the squad, meaning several players operated in unfamiliar roles throughout the evening — a factor that added further complexity to an already demanding night.
Yet the response of the younger players to those circumstances spoke volumes. This is a group finding its footing. Keep an eye on the Hops’ youngsters in the weeks ahead — Tuesday night felt like the beginning of something.
THE TABLE
Tuesday’s result leaves Charlottetowne in sixth place in the NPSL Southeast Conference with three points from four matches. Four teams — 865 Alliance, Burlington United, Greenville United, and Mint Hill FC — sit level on six points ahead of the Hops, with only Statesville FC below them in the standings.
The gap to the playoff places is three points. Manageable. The gap to league leaders Bristol Rhythm, who remain unbeaten at 3-0, is six.
The mathematics are straightforward: results need to change, and they need to change now. The encouraging news is that the performances suggest the Hops are more than capable of making that happen. Three points on Saturday would immediately shift the complexion of a season that has so far refused to reflect what this team can do.
LOOKING AHEAD
Charlottetowne return home to OrthoCarolina Sportsplex on Saturday, June 6th for a match that carries both urgency and extra motivation. Greenville United make the trip to Pineville — the same side that opened the Hops’ season with a 2-1 victory back in game one, with both goals arriving in the final minutes of each half.
The performance has been there all season. The result on Saturday needs to follow.
Tickets are available now at charlottetownehops.com — use code REVENGE for 20% off single game tickets.
Up the Hops. ⚽
Report by Charlottetowne Hops FC | Photo Credit: Levi Swartz
OrthoCarolina Sportsplex | Pineville, NC | charlottetownehops.com