DC Power gets a familiar game-winner to boost playoff drive, Sporting JAX, Brooklyn deliver Game of the Season candidate
The race for the Gainbridge Super League Playoffs tightened over the past weekend of action with both DC Power FC and Dallas Trinity FC taking victories while Carolina Ascent FC moved within range of its second Players’ Shield with another shutout victory.
Here are four things we took away from Week 12’s action.
1. Alyssa Walker Proves DC Power’s Game-Winner Again
If you were to make the claim that “all Alyssa Walker does is score game-winners”, based on the current calendar year, you’d somehow be accurate.
On Sunday night as DC Power FC battled against Tampa Bay Sun FC at Suncoast Credit Union Field, the veteran was at it again, and in magnificent style. Walker’s chipped finish from 35 yards that arced over Sun goalkeeper Cristina Roque sent the visitors to a 2-1 win after a contest that gradually scaled up in intensity as it progressed but ultimately left the Power in a strong position in second place in the standings with four games to play and Tampa Bay looking out of the playoff race.
DC didn’t produce much in the way of attacking moments overall – it logged only four touches in the Sun’s penalty area, including Loza Abera’s well-taken goal late in the first half – but with Tampa Bay in dire need of all three points thanks to results elsewhere it provided an opportunity Walker was able to capitalize on. With Roque playing higher off her line, the 28-year-old made an alert turn to get space from her marker and launched her finish for her fifth goal in the Power’s colors.
All five of those have served as game-winners – only Sporting Club Jacksonville’s Baylee DeSmit has more over that timeframe with seven – with Walker’s arrival via transfer during the winter break early this year having served as one of the transformative elements to DC’s upswing. There’s still work to do to reach the playoffs, but the Power are showing they’re capable of making things happen.
2. Emily Moxley’s Goal Highlights Carolina Ascent’s Depth
It’s one of the oddities at this stage of the Gainbridge Super League Fall season – through the past weekend’s games, every club in the league has a player with more goals than anyone on Carolina Ascent FC.
So, how is Ascent now nine points clear at the top of the standings, a point away from clinching a third consecutive playoff berth and within reach of the Players’ Shield? Every time they need it, a new face steps up and delivers.
On Saturday night it was the turn of Emily Moxley, whose first professional goal served as the winner in Ascent’s 1-0 victory against Lexington SC, completing a season sweep of the series for Carolina against the defending Super League titleholders. Moxley’s sharp finish from the top-right edge of the penalty area was backed by another stellar defensive display, but the moment was a memorable one for the third-year pro.
“It was super cool,” said Moxley. “It’s definitely something I’m going to remember forever. I saw Rylee [Baisden] receive the ball and ran outside of her. We practice that sort of shot a lot, so I’m thankful it went in. I’m just super grateful to be given the opportunity to even score a goal.”
Moxley is the ninth different player to find the net for Ascent this season. DC Power ranks second in that list with seven goalscorers, with most others coming in at six. It’s an illustration of the depth Ascent has in its squad, and the knowledge that when the moment arrives, everyone’s capable of dialing in.
3. Sporting JAX, Brooklyn FC Gave Us a Game of the Season Candidate
There have already been some tremendous games this Gainbridge Super League Fall Season – see Sporting Club Jacksonville and Carolina Ascent’s 3-3 draw on September 26 – and Jacksonville was involved in another thriller that might have surpassed it on Saturday afternoon in a 4-4 draw against Brooklyn FC that saw a league-first and a major landmark for the reigning Player of the Year.
Building on their three-game undefeated streak entering the contest, Brooklyn twice took two-goal leads in either half, and twice Jacksonville rallied back to level as the sides equaled the mark for the most goals in a Super League contest. BKFC’s Jillian Shimkin became the first player to record three assists in a single game, but that was cancelled out by Jacksonville’s Ashlyn Puerta, who scored twice to move to 20 regular season goals in the league, still just 19 years of age.
In the end, though, it was probably a missed opportunity for the hosts at Hodges Stadium. Jacksonville has shown plenty of resilience so far this campaign – it has now gained 10 points from a losing position, more than double the next-highest total – but for Head Coach Stacey Balaam finding a way to play from the front is something her side needs to start doing.
“I don’t want to make it a trend because it’s always an uphill climb when you down a goal or two goals,” Balaam said. “The work ethic of the group to come back and come back into the game – Ashlyn, Baylee [DeSmit], Paige [Kenton] – just showing up and showing their importance and their value in the team was incredible.”
4. Dallas Trinity Gets Back on Track, Keeps Pace in Playoff Race
With both Sporting Club Jacksonville and Lexington SC having dropped points on Saturday night, the door opened for Dallas Trinity to get back into the playoff race on Sunday as it hosted Fort Lauderdale United FC. While it might have taken longer than the hosts would have preferred – and required FTL UTD to go down a player just before the hour-mark, Trinity’s 3-0 victory gave the side the result it needed to close the gap to the current top four.
Dallas had already been applying pressure during the opening hour, but with little reward. That pressure became an avalanche of shots after Fort Lauderdale’s Taylor Smith received her second yellow card of the game, with Trinity outshooting the visitors 18-0 over the final half-hour, and when Seven Castain’s finish finally got past Fort Lauderdale’s Haley Craig – who ended the night with seven saves – with 15 minutes to go, the result was no longer in doubt.
“This win helps us keep the momentum going,” said Trinity Head Coach Lee Nguyen. “There is no time to be complacent. We know every game is important. I saw a team that was together tonight from minute one to 90. In possession and out of possession, I thought they did really well to put a complete game together, and they were rewarded with three goals and a clean sheet.”
Putting together similar displays is going to make or break Dallas’ season. Over its final four outings it faces three teams currently in the top four – Jacksonville next weekend followed by Lexington (Nov. 21) and Carolina (Nov. 28) to close. With that slate, Trinity’s playoff fate is in its control.