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KENNESAW, Ga. – Wearing No. 00, Charlee Bernal serves as starting goalkeeper for the Kennesaw State women’s soccer team. She recently eclipsed 200 career saves, ranking fourth in program history. The fifth-year team captain earns acclaim for both her achievements on the field and the positivity she embodies.

“She brings a lot of energy to the team, and so she can find the spectrum of ‘Hey, it's time to go to work and hold myself accountable,’ to ‘Let's just have some fun, and this fun will make people energized and enthused about what we're doing,’ head coach Chris Cahill said. “She bridges that gap.”

Bernal’s soccer journey began in childhood when her Colombian father spread his love of the sport to her and her brothers. She tried out for her recreational team in sixth grade, and her father began coaching her. No other hobby fulfilled her quite as much as soccer. “I found something that fed my soul,” Bernal put it. She was MVP for the Roswell Hornets, before being recruited to Kennesaw State. The university’s location was perfect, close to home for this family girl, and KSU offered the programs and facilities she desired, including her current major AI & Cloud Technology.

Her debut as an Owl goalkeeper was humbling one as she saw no game action in her first year. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, she appeared in six games total, starting in three. A self-described goofball, she was not applying herself early on, which reflected in her playing time. In 2024, Bernal shifted her mindset and began to come into her role on the team. She started in 13 games, managing 64 saves with three clean sheets. She shut out FIU, earning herself CUSA Goalkeeper of the Week, the program’s first CUSA award.

Bernal described her personal change this way: “I didn't really take it serious in my first two years. Then when I started realizing that I really could get playing time and I could be good, and I started to put more effort in. I feel like my roles changed from being kind of like the comedian, I still make jokes and I have my quirks, but I'm definitely more serious and focused now when it's time.”

Goalkeeper coach Wezly Barnard offered his perspective on her shifted mindset: “She's extremely coachable, listens to what we have to say to her, takes it in, and tries to apply it as quick as possible. Off the field, she's got this goofy personality about her, and she always brings bright moments to tough situations.”

As a goalkeeper, Bernal is the last line of defense for her team. “You have to be really proactive, and you have to anticipate a lot of the times,” Bernal explained. “You always have to be moving with each touch that somebody takes. If you make a mistake, everybody's looking at you. You're the last person that saw it.”

Despite the pressure, Bernal wouldn’t trade her position for any other. Making a save is a wonderful feeling, especially against challenging shots like penalty kicks. “When you save a PK, nobody's expecting you to save it really,” Bernal said. “You may know where it's going, but people can hit with accuracy and speed, so when you save with a PK, it's really special. You're the hero, everybody's cheering for you.” Her 2024 season was a high point, ending with her being named to the CUSA All-Academic team.

In March 2025, Bernal’s father was diagnosed with cancer. This began an incredibly difficult year for her on all fronts. The team didn’t get the results it wanted, going 2-11-4. Bernal split time as the starter and her stats went down from the previous year. Her father’s illness along with the team’s dipping confidence made it for a less than a successful run. 

One year later, her father passed away. Through the sadness of her loss, Bernal found an enduring connection. She feels her father is still with her, giving her signs. “It almost felt like when he left, he gave me his mentality, he passed it onto me,” Bernal said. “Before, I was very emotional, I was always upset. If I had one bad practice, it would be like the worst day ever. He used to run like 30 miles, he would do the Ironman and all that. He was a very athletic guy and he never had excuses. I feel like this is the first year that I really have held myself to a standard and followed through and done the best of my ability, but also been able to move past things when I need to move past them.”

“She found a new light,” Coach Barnard said. “Her attention to detail last spring shifted in such a positive way. She's gone from just getting training done to really putting in effort into training and evolving; her effort in training has changed extremely in a positive way. She's very much more intense, much more focused, and wants to learn.”

Bernal began the 2026 season in the wake of great adversity, but also drawing guidance from her father’s example. The team voted her, along with Paris McCulloch, as captains for 2026. 

“In the beginning, she was a little unsure of being that leader, but as she's matured and grown with the program, I would say it's just come very naturally for her,” Barnard said.

Coach Cahill praised how her enduring optimism and joy bolster her in the leadership role: “She's a little bit freer and more comfortable in her own skin than she's ever been. For us, just to have that outlet in the team, she knows when to be serious, but she also can crack a joke, and she does a really good job of bringing laughter and enjoyment to the group. That lets her be a leader so people can trust her because they know that she can relate to them.”

Bernal leads by example, taking her goalkeeper role seriously and providing for the team. Before each game, she prays during the national anthem, has a specific warm-up with hops, and her hair has to be perfect.

She has become adept at coping with loss and moving past mistakes. She had this to say on how she handles defeat: “I don't take it lightly, and I know the team, they don't take it lightly, but like I said, you can't harp on every negative thing. Before games when I'm praying, I say that I just want to leave the game, no matter the result, happy with my performance. I think that if you do play to the best of your ability, then you will leave with the result that you wanted.”

Conversely, for victories, the team will go right to the locker room and play some Future or hype music, and then all dance in the locker room. “I love my team, they're all really cool,” Bernal said.

When not training for soccer or doing schoolwork, she likes to hang out with her mom, spend time with her friends, paint, play beach volleyball, and watch American Horror Story. Bernal is thrilled at the rising popularity of soccer in the US. “It seems like everybody's really getting into it [soccer] more, and the World Cup made everybody super involved and super crazy about it, which I thought was awesome,” Bernal said. “It just makes me smile seeing people really realize that soccer's the biggest sport in the world. Everybody thinks it's boring, but it's not boring.”

Reflecting on her journey so far, this moment stuck out to her: “When we beat FIU my junior year, it was a crazy upset, and I got a clean sheet. I just remember the team, everybody just felt so close and united and happy; everybody was jumping around and dancing. Then we all hung out later, and it was just a great feeling to know that we accomplished something like that, because a lot of teams doubt us and they think that they can win against us, but I think this year, we're gonna give everybody a run for their money.”

This season, Bernal has recorded a 1.57 goals-against average and .733 save percentage. Her 200+ saves have solidified her as fourth in program history. When she first arrived at KSU, she never anticipated she would achieve remarkable stats. A journey tempered with adversity led her to become the captain she is today. 

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