The featured top-two clash in Week 20 of the 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League season delivered a decisive result for league-leaders Sporting Club Jacksonville, while two winless runs finally came to an end with victories at home by Carolina Ascent FC and Tampa Bay Sun FC in an entertaining slate of action on Saturday.
Here are three things we took away from the weekend.
1. Sporting JAX Makes Its Statement
Entering its second encounter with Lexington SC on Saturday afternoon, there was a sense within Sporting JAX that the side had let itself down last October when it suffered defeat in Kentucky.
“We were disappointed after that first game, but coming in we had a fire under us to get after that,” said forward Baylee DeSmit. “I think we just wanted to be true to ourselves and be confident in our ability and the way we play.”
In the crucial top-two encounter, Sporting JAX did just that.
Powered by Ashlyn Puerta’s goal and assist and tallies by DeSmit and Kacey Smekrud the visitors swept to a 3-0 victory at Lexington SC Stadium to open a four-point lead at the top of the Gainbridge Super League standings and hand the hosts their first loss of the season, snapping a 17-game undefeated streak.
The combination of the incisiveness with which Jacksonville played in attack – seen most clearly in Puerta’s deft through-ball that set up DeSmit for the side’s second tally just before halftime – and a strong defensive effort that held Lexington’s leading scorer Catherine Barry without a shot and to only two touches in the penalty area, gave Jacksonville the performance they were looking for.
“It was a statement win against a very talented team that are having a very good season,” said Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam. “We knew that we didn’t play to our standards against them last time, and we wanted to perform to that standard this time and show what we’re really capable of.”
Now all eyes will turn to the final encounter of this season between the sides at Jacksonville’s Hodges Stadium on April 25, which could end up deciding the destination of the Players’ Shield at the end of the season.
2. Carolina Ascent Finally Finds Its Breakthrough
With the imbalance between Carolina Ascent FC’s goal total and its underlying numbers, it felt like only a matter of time before the postseason contenders would start hitting the back of the net.
Against Dallas Trinity FC, that moment arrived, albeit from the most unlikely source.
Entering Saturday, Carolina had scored only once from set pieces all season, the fewest of any team in the league. Then, up popped Sydney Studer to put home two excellent corner kick deliveries from last year’s Golden Playmaker Jill Aguilera to send the hosts to a 2-0 victory at American Legion Memorial Stadium and back above the playoff line, breaking a five-game winless streak.
“It was a matter of time that we felt like we were going to unload on somebody,” said Aguilera. “A 2-0 win at home right before an international break is a really good result for us to build our momentum onto for when we come back in March.”
The two finishes – both from inside the six-yard area – made the difference in a game that also brought Dallas’ six-game undefeated streak to an end. Trinity had opportunities – including a pair of late chances for Bethany Bos, one of which hit the woodwork – but for a team that hasn’t had the run of the green go its way of late, this felt like a result that Ascent deserved and needed to get its campaign back on track.
“I’m pleased with the performance today,” said Ascent Head Coach Philip Poole. “I’m pleased Jill got the opportunity to be our leader and wear the armband and she paired it today to assist Sydney’s two goals. I feel like that performance has been coming. It was also great to see a shutout with Sydney Martinez making her second start of the season. I thought she played well.”
3. Tampa Bay Maintains Upper Hand on Fort Lauderdale
If there was a game Tampa Bay Sun FC was destined to break its season-long home winless streak against, it was in-state rival Fort Lauderdale United FC.
After all, the Sun have never yet suffered defeat to the South Florida club and claimed the Gainbridge Super League title last June when the teams met at Suncoast Credit Union Field.
At the same time, Saturday’s 3-0 victory powered by a brace from Sydny Nasello was crucial in the bigger picture for the defending title-holders, who also got a stellar outing from goalkeeper Emory Wegener as she posted her first shutout in the professional ranks as the club’s attacking upswing of recent outings finally delivered all three points.
“Dang,” said Wegener, whose teammates were effusive in their celebrations for the 25-year-old. “It’s an amazing feeling. You can’t stop smiling. You want to cry a little bit. And – it leaves you speechless. I mean, it’s amazing.”
The result, capped by Faith Webber’s first goal for the Sun since arriving over the winter, continued the struggles of Fort Lauderdale, which has now conceded at least three goals in five consecutive games, the longest such streak in Gainbridge Super League history.
For the Sun, though, the pressure remains to build a winning streak after the international break. The side still faces an eight-point deficit to the postseason places with 11 games to go in the campaign, and while that’s potentially within reach, it’s going to take more performances like Saturday to give Tampa Bay a chance to defend its title in the playoffs.
“We have a mature team now, a seasoned team, and this is a gritty league,” said Sun Head Coach Denise Schilte-Brown. “You don’t get away [with] playing a game if you can’t match that physicality. And this is a derby. So, any time you have a derby, it’s going to be a little bit tougher and you’ve got to be prepared for that, and I think the ladies were well up for that tonight.”