The top three teams in the 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League campaign all took convincing victories as Week 23 wrapped up this weekend while DC Power FC claimed a key result in its bid to reach the postseason for the first time on the road at Spokane Zephyr FC.
Here are four storylines we took away from the action.
1. Sporting Club Jacksonville Remains One Step Ahead
All things considered, it was shaping up to be a decent half for Dallas Trinity FC. For the most-part the hosts had kept league-leader Sporting Club Jacksonville in check in attack, and even carved out a couple of good chances of their own as the game remained scoreless.
And then, in the space of 151 seconds, Sporting JAX showed why it’s top of the Gainbridge Super League standings. A quick-fire double, the first coming on a sharp finish by Baylee DeSmit of a slick piece of interplay with Ashlyn Puerta and the second a breathtaking strike from Paige Kenton put the visitors up by a pair of goals at the break and on the way to a 4-0 victory that illustrated the gap that exists between the top two and the chasing pack this season.
The key to Jacksonville’s success is speed, both of foot and mind, with Sophia Boman’s goal 12 minutes into the second half an illustration. As soon as Grace Phillpotts’ long ball upfield to find in the left channel Kenton was sent, Boman was on the move as a secondary runner that Trinity failed to pick up as she broke from midfield. A smart pass later from Kenton that found Boman in stride set up a simple finish and at that point the job done.
There’s a chance we could see this game in the playoffs as things stand. If so, Dallas is going to have to find another level to have a chance at advancing.
2. DC Power Sets Up a Potential Playoff Path
Going across country after a deflating midweek defeat was a test for DC Power FC, especially considering the momentum Spokane Zephyr FC had built going into their clash on Saturday night.
Behind a pair of goals by Alyssa Walker and Dasia Torbert inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half, however, the change in dynamic we’ve seen from the Power this spring was on display and could set the side up for a postseason berth a few weeks from now. We noted last week the impact Walker has had on the side since her arrival in the winter break and her finish inside the opening minute of the second half was another example of the dynamism she’s brought to the side. The 28-year-old has now recorded three game-winners for DC since arriving, and a league-leading four overall after bagging one for Carolina in the fall.
Spokane had their moments to grasp the game, but their finishing came up short as Makenna Gottschalk put up a five-save shutout but only faced a 0.47 Expected Goals on Target mark off Spokane’s 1.41xG for the game as Ginger Fontenot and Lena Silano couldn’t retain the scoring touch they’ve shown off of late.
The good news for both clubs is Dallas’ result on Sunday evening kept each within touching distance of the top four, but there’s a clear path for DC to push on from here. Four of the club’s next five games are against the bottom two in the standings in Tampa Bay Sun FC and Fort Lauderdale United FC before a potentially key showdown with Trinity on May 1. With what we’ve seen from the Power overall this spring, that’s an opportunity they can take advantage of.
3. Carolina’s Ascent Continues, but Finishing Still Needs Fixing
Carolina Ascent FC became just the third team to crack 3 Expected Goals in a game this season on Sunday afternoon at Brooklyn FC, but if you’ve been following Ascent this year you may not be surprised to learn it only resulted in a 2-0 victory at Maimonides Park.
Make no mistake, the Ascent’s fourth consecutive victory – tied for the active best in the league alongside Jacksonville – was dominant and may have put paid to Brooklyn’s chances at the postseason, but the visitors were wasteful with their finishes, recording only four shots out of 15 on target overall. It’s been the story of Carolina’s season, where the side’s 33.86 Expected Goals mark has put itself in the same area code as Lexington (36.56xG) and Sporting JAX (34.47xG) but sits well back of the top two with only 26 tallies to show for it.
The good news is Carolina continued to build momentum toward its second consecutive postseason berth. As the games get tighter in the postseason, though, it’s probably going to need to find more efficiency in front of net to avoid a second consecutive Semifinal exit.
4. Lexington Gets the Result, and Performance, it Needed
It’s a sign of how well things had been going for Lexington SC that its recent three-game winless run – during which time it still basically broke even in Expected Goal Differential at -0.01xGD – was such a blip.
On Saturday night the second-placed side in the standings resumed normal service with a 2-0 victory against Fort Lauderdale United FC that had Emina Ekic’s fingerprints all over it, even if she didn’t appear on the scoresheet. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international starred in her first start since returning from international duty, recording six shots and two chances created while completing 28 of 33 passes overall as the hosts swept to victory and extended Fort Lauderdale’s winless run to 11 games.
Truth be told, Lexington’s final margin of victory could have been wider. United goalkeeper Haley Craig was spectacular at times, posting a -1.6 Goals Prevented mark for the game to continue her impressive run of form despite Fort Lauderdale’s overall defensive struggles. For Lexington, though, this needed to be the start of another run that allows it to push Jacksonville to the finish line in the race for the Players’ Shield with eight games to go.