New Faces & Most Braces | News & Notes Week 18

WEEK 18 SCHEDULE

Saturday, February 7
Carolina Ascent FC vs. Lexington SC, 2:00 p.m. ET
Sporting Club Jacksonville vs. DC Power FC, 5:00 p.m. ET
Fort Lauderdale United FC vs. Dallas Trinity FC, 8:00 p.m. ET

REWIND: WEEK 17

FIRST TO TEN
Lexington’s Emina Ekić became the first player in league history to reach double-digit assists, after she assisted McKenzie Weinert’s goal against FTL UTD. Ekić reached the mark in her 38^th regular season appearance. Ekić also became the first player in league history to record 10 goals and 10 assists.

NEW FACES IN GOAL
Three new goalkeepers made their first starts in the Gainbridge Super League in Week 17:

Dallas Trinity: Tyler McCamey
FTL UTD: McKinley Crone (on loan from Orlando Pride)
Tampa Bay Sun: Liz Beardsley (on loan from Houston Dash)

BARRY’S BRACES
Catherine Barry recorded her third brace of the season on Saturday, tying her for most braces all-time in the league, and also tying the record for most braces recorded in a single season.

Most braces all time:

Catherine Barry, Lexington SC – 3
Gianna Gourley, DC Power – 3
Emina Ekić, Lexington SC – 3

Most braces in a single season:

Catherine Barry, Lexington SC – 3 braces (2025/26)
Emina Ekić, Lexington SC – 3 braces (2024/25)

SIDELINE DEBUTS
Dallas Trinity FC’s Nathan Thackeray and Lexington SC’s Kosuke Kimura each made their debuts as Head Coaches in the Super League on Saturday. Kimura led LSC to a 3-1 victory away at Fort Lauderdale United FC, extending the club’s regular season undefeated streak to 16 games dating to the 2024/25 season.

Thackeray and Kimura are the fourth and fifth new Head Coaches appointed by Super League clubs since July 1, 2025.

DEBUT IMPACT FOR FORT LAUDERDALE’S DANIELA TODD
After signing her first pro contract on January 28, Fort Lauderdale United FC’s Daniela Todd made an immediate impact on her debut, providing the assist on Jasmine Hamid’s second-half goal against Lexington SC.

Todd became the third-youngest player to record an assist in the Gainbridge Super League aged 17 years, 324 days old. Only Dallas Trinity’s Rhea Moore (16 years, 24 days) and Sealey Strawn (17 years, 30 days) were younger when they recorded their first league assists.

CURRENT GOLDEN LEADERS

Goals

Ashlyn Puerta (JAX) – 11
Catherine Barry (LEX) – 9
Gianna Gourley (DC) – 8
Addie McCain (LEX) – 7
Paige Kenton (JAX) – 6

Assists

1. Pagie Kenton (JAX) – 6
T-2. Meg Hughes (JAX) – 5
T-3. Jess Garziano (BKN) – 4
T-3. Audrey Coleman (CAR) – 4
T-3. Tati Fung (LEX) – 4
T-3. Sabrina McNeill (TB) – 4
T-3. Emina Ekić (LEX) – 4

Goals-Against Average
(Minimum of 60% of minutes played)

Kat Asman (LEX) – 0.93
Hope Hisey (SPK) – 1
Meagan McClelland (CAR) – 1.07
Kaitlyn Parks (JAX) – 1.18
Morgan Aquino (DC) – 1.36

WEEK 18 STORYLINES

STREAKS
Currently three clubs are riding undefeated streaks that stretch to at least five matches:

Lexington – 16 matches undefeated, 2024/25 – 25/26
JAX – 6 matches undefeated
Dallas – 5 matches undefeated

RECORD WATCH
Two Sporting JAX players are within reach of setting new single-season records:

Paige Kenton currently sits at six assists this season, and with another assist would tie the record set in 2024/25 by Golden Playmaker winner Jill Aguilera. With two assists, Kenton will set a new single-season league record.
With 11 goals so far, Ashlyn Puerta is two goals away from tying the league’s single-season scoring record set last year by Dallas’ Allie Thorton (13 goals).

WEEK 18 DISCIPLINE REPORT

TAMPA, Fla. – There are no new suspensions to report.

UPCOMING MILESTONES & ACTIVE STREAKS

Upcoming Milestones
Approaching 15 all-time regular season goals – only two players have reached this milestone
Mia Corbin (CAR) – 13
Emina Ekić (LEX) – 12
Jasmine Hamid (FTL) – 11

Approaching 10 all-time regular season goals – 12 players have reached this milestone
Catherine Barry (LEX) – 9
Sydny Nasello (TB) – 8
Mackenzie George (CAR) – 7
Loza Abera (DC) – 7
Audrey Coleman (CAR) – 7

Approaching 10 all-time regular season assists – only one player has reached this milestone
Audrey Coleman (CAR) – 9
Chioma Ubogagu (DAL) – 9
Jill Aguilera (CAR) – 7
Mackenzie George (CAR) – 7
Sydny Nasello (TB) – 7

Approaching 15 all-time regular season shutouts – no player has reached this milestone
Hope Hisey (SPK) – 14

Active Streaks
Consecutive regular season minutes played across seasons
Sarah McCoy (SPK) – 4,050
Allison Pantuso (LEX) – 3,870
Amber Wisner (DAL) – 3,780

Consecutive regular season matches unbeaten
Lexington SC – 16 (across seasons)
Sporting JAX – 6
Dallas Trinity FC – 5

WEEK 18 MATCH NOTES

CARvLEX

Carolina Ascent has never lost to Lexington, with an all-time record of 2-0-3.
Their most recent meeting resulted in a 1-1 draw with goals from Audrey Coleman (CAR) and Addie McCain (LEX) on October 10 at Lexington SC Stadium.
Carolina is coming off a 1-0 defeat to Sporting JAX. This was the third consecutive match Carolina has been shutout and the fifth time this season, tied for second in the league.
Lexington is coming off a 3-1 victory over FTL UTD, behind an opening goal from McKenzie Weinert and a Catherine Barry brace.
Carolina Ascent’s Audrey Coleman and Mia Corbin have each recorded three goals against Lexington SC across the prior meetings between the two clubs.
Saturday kicks off a four-game homestand for Carolina Ascent FC which also sees Spokane Zephyr FC (Feb. 14), Dallas Trinity FC (Feb. 21) and Tampa Bay Sun FC (March 13) visit Memorial Stadium.

JAXvDC

Sporting JAX is coming off a 1-0 victory over Carolina Ascent after late-game heroics from Jade Pennock off the bench kept the side top of the Gainbridge Super League standings.
This is DC’s opening match of the Spring Schedule. The side enters aiming to break a four-game winless streak, with its most recent victory coming away at Dallas Trinity FC on November 2.
JAX and DC have played each other twice, both recording a win apiece on the other’s home turf. DC took a 3-1 win in Jacksonville to start the 2025/26 season, while Sporting took a 1-0 victory at Audi Field on October 14 on a second-half winner by Jade Pennock.
Jade Pennock has scored in both meetings between Jacksonville and DC this season, also scoring the first goal in Sporting’s history in the first meeting between the clubs on August 23.
Gianna Gourley has scored against seven of eight opponents since joining DC Power last February, recording 15 goals overall, including a two goal-performance when the side visited Jacksonville in August.
Sporting Club Jacksonville’s winner against Carolina last Saturday was its eighth goal this season in the 76^thminute or later, the most of any club in the league. Four of those goals have proved gamechangers (one game-winning goal, three game-tying goals).

FTLvDAL

FTL UTD is coming off a 3-1 loss against Lexington at home. Jasmine Hamid scored her third goal of the season in the match.
Dallas is coming off a 1-1 draw against Brooklyn at the Cotton Bowl. Camryn Lancaster scored her second of the season and her third goal against Brooklyn overall in the Gainbridge Super League.
During the week, Dallas announced the signing of former Racing Louisville forward Bethany Bos (Balcer), who has recorded 37 goals in 124 appearances previously in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Fort Lauderdale and Dallas have played each other once so far this season, with FTL winning 4-1. Kelli Van Treeck recorded FTL’s only brace this season in the matchup, which moved FTL UTD to a 3-1-1 record against Dallas in the regular season.
Dallas is currently riding a five-match unbeaten streak during which it has gone 3-0-2. Trinity’s longest undefeated streak in the Gainbridge Super League is a seven-game streak between October 6 and November 23, 2024 (4-0-3).
Fort Lauderdale ranks second in the Gainbridge Super League with 10 goals from set pieces this season, including a league-high four goals from free kicks. That total accounts for 50 percent of the club’s goals this campaign, the highest proportion in the league.