The first ticket to the 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League Playoffs was booked on Monday night to cap a weekend that could prove pivotal in the postseason overall, with both Carolina Ascent FC and Dallas Trinity FC creating separation to the teams below the playoff line with victories in Week 25.
Here are four things we took away from the weekend’s action.
1. Sporting Club Jacksonville Earns Postseason Berth in Style
Sporting Club Jacksonville had to wait until Monday night for confirmation of its trip to the 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League Playoffs, but in reality with the cushion the side had built to the teams below the playoff line it was always going to be a question of when and not if that moment arrived. The side’s 2-0 victory against Brooklyn FC on Saturday afternoon drove that point home as Paige Kenton’s first-half finish was supplemented by Sophia Boman’s third goal in as many games after the halftime break.
With a starting lineup featuring eight first-year pros – including Kenton, Boman and Ashlyn Puerta, who moved into a tie with Kenton for the league-lead with seven assists – the manner in which the side has stepped up in the professional ranks wasn’t lost on Head Coach Stacey Balaam.
“It’s been incredible,” said Balaam. “To put a group together that’s never played with each other before. They didn’t know each other. They’ve come from all different cultures, different environments. Two thirds of them haven’t been professionals before, so they’ve had to learn how to transition into the pro environment.”
There are more potential milestones ahead for Sporting JAX, both as a team and individually, and with that remains the side’s game-to-game focus as it looks to claim the Players’ Shield. The first landmark of earning a postseason berth in the club’s inaugural season should remain a special one, though, as the club forges ahead.
2. Fort Lauderdale Regains Front Foot, Ends Winless Streak
The opening half-hour of Fort Lauderdale United FC’s performance on Monday night against DC Power FC were as good as the side has looked since its 3-3 draw against Brooklyn FC in February, but after gaining a deserved lead through Emily Thompson in the 26th minute, the traits that had held the side back during a length winless streak began to reappear. The combination of touches that took the ball backwards and passes into their own defensive third allowed the Power to get back into the game, and it was no surprise when Loza Abera equalized in first-half stoppage time at Beyond Bancard Field.
DC’s momentum continued into the second half, and had Dasia Torbert’s strike off the right post four minutes after the break found the net, it could easily have deflated the hosts. Instead, FTL UTD weathered the pressure and on its first chance of the second half just past the hour-mark got back in front thanks to Kelli Van Treek’s set-piece finish. From there Fort Lauderdale seemed to regain its confidence and willingness to progress play into advantageous situations. Kate Colvin’s 68th minute goal off Kiara Locklear’s second assist of the night showed the ability FTL UTD has to move in transition and the side capitalized brilliantly to earn a two-goal cushion. Reaching the postseason is still unlikely, but with their winless run behind them this was a performance that should give interim Head Coach Paul Jennison’s side a lift as it goes into the final stretch.
“We thoroughly believe in this group and the talent they’ve got, and I’m so happy for them that they’ve got a little bit of positive reward – a massive three points for us,” said Jennison. “The girls were very, very clear there as we talked after the game – this is just the beginning. We’re going to rest up, we’re going to recover, and we’re going to hit the training pitch again, just as we’ve been doing with high standards, maximum intensity, and we’ll look to Jacksonville on the weekend.”
3. Dallas Trinity Rises to Moment as Strawn Shines as No. 9
If there was pressure on Dallas Trinity FC on Saturday evening as it faced Spokane Zephyr FC in the weekend’s key playoff six-pointer, the hosts at the Cotton Bowl rose to meet the moment impressively.
Coming in off a three-game winless streak – and consecutive home defeats to Sporting Club Jacksonville and Tampa Bay Sun FC – a loss to Spokane would have tightened up the race for fourth place in the standings. Instead, Trinity did work in the attacking third, carving out big opportunities consistently in a 3-1 win that if not for three additional efforts that hit the woodwork could have been more one-sided in their favor.
At the center of the attacking flow was United States youth international Sealey Strawn, who started as the center forward ahead of Trinity’s three attacking midfielders. While the 17-year-old didn’t find the net, the threat that she posed inside the penalty area and connections she made in midfield and attack, completing 24 of 26 passes, put her teammates into good positions as the side completed 72.1 percent of passes in the final third and recorded 15 of its 17 shots inside the penalty area overall.
“I’ve had conversations with [Trinity Head Coach] Nathan [Thackeray] and it’s just about finding where I fit and finding my best position,” said Strawn. “I personally enjoy it because I get to play different positions at such a high level, for my development, it’s just another tool added to my kit and another position that I can feel confident playing in.”
4. Carolina Continues Surge, Halts Tampa Bay’s Run
Over the course of its current six-game undefeated streak, Carolina Ascent FC’s attack has been one of the best chance producers in the Super League, ranking second in the league with a 12.44 Expected Goals mark since February 20. On Sunday evening against a Tampa Bay Sun FC side coming off consecutive wins for the first time this season, that incisiveness was again on display for Ascent and delivered a 2-1 victory for the side’s second win this season against Tampa Bay and first all-time at Suncoast Credit Union Field.
In what was an entertaining game, Carolina’s sharpness in the final third gave the visitors the edge, even if there was a sense of good fortune on the first-half penalty kick that Jill Aguilera put away with aplomb. Ascent built on its lead as it tilted the field in the 15 minutes that followed before the halftime break, holding 55.6 percent of possession as 40.6 percent of the game was played in Tampa Bay’s defensive third, and it eventually resulted in Lily Nabet’s first professional goal, tapped home at close range from Tyler Lussi’s header.
Carolina could have added more – Mackenzie George was denied by the assistant referee’s flag as she retreated from an offside position to receive a pass at the edge of the penalty area that she turned into a brilliant finish – but even with Tampa Bay’s late goal the Ascent’s progress toward a second consecutive postseason berth continued in good fashion.
“I thought it was a good performance,” said Ascent Head Coach Philip Poole. “I thought we saw the best of us in attack and I thought we saw the most resilient best of us defensively. Tampa made it difficult for us in the second half. They became very direct and we knew we had to stand up to that, but a lot of credit to the players for getting the job done in the first half.”