The No. 1 girls soccer team in the nation, for a minute, was from North Carolina

For a short time, the best girls high school soccer team in America was from Charlotte.

This week, Providence Day moved to No. 1 in the MaxPreps national rankings. The Chargers, as of Thursday morning, had dropped to No. 2 behind Vestavia Hills (Al).

Providence Day is ranked No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 1 in the N.C. Independent Schools ranking. Thursday night, Providence Day played arch rival Charlotte Latin, which was 7-0. Latin is ranked No. 10 in MaxPreps national poll.

Providence Day won 4-0 and is now unbeaten in eight games.

“This group of players is arguably one of the most talented and strongest groups to have competed in our girls soccer program,” Providence Day coach Dan Dudley said. “These are the young ambitious student-athletes that helped put this soccer program on the map statewide and recognized nationally....They are such an exciting team to work with each day and watch compete in every game.”

In seven games, Providence Day has allowed four goals while scoring 45. Katerina Peroulas (11 goals, seven assists) and Kennedy Jones (10 goals, five assists) lead the Chargers in scoring. Morgan Hart leads with 14 assists. Junior Ava Hellner has eight goals and three assists and sophomore Cam Sicard has five goals.

On defense, goalies sophomore Chandler Brooks and junior Addy Holgorsen have split time in each game.

Overall, the Chargers have seven seniors who have played since their freshman year. Those players were part of a N.C. runner-up team in 2018 and they won a 2019 state championship. There was no championship played in 2020.

Four of the seniors, along with one junior, have already committed to play in college.

Morgan Hart has committed to Georgia, Kennedy Jones to Elon, Katerina Peroulas to Penn, and Ashlyn Richards to Sewanee, The University of the South. Junior Ava Hellner recently committed to play at Kentucky.