CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Charlotte Independence announced on Tuesday the signing of former UNC Charlotte defender Luke Waechter. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

Waechter was an integral part of the 49ers’ Conference USA regular season title in 2016 as he recorded 17 starts, which helped the team retain a national ranking for the entire season. He was also named the Conference USA Defender of the Year, in addition to being named to the Conference USA All-Conference First Team, NSCAA All-Southeast Region First Team, and NCCSIA All-State First Team.

"We knew a little bit about the quality of Luke's play at UNCC before having him in [for preseason]," said Independence Head Coach Mike Jeffries. "For a guy just starting his professional career, he has a very professional mentality in terms of how he approaches each day. Once again, it's nice for us to be able to bring in a strong, local player."