Sporting Club Jacksonville swept to its third consecutive victory – and sixth in the past seven overall – to extend its lead at the top of the Gainbridge Super League on Saturday night, but elsewhere Week 22’s action provided some key results and moments that saw every team between third and sixth position continue its pursuit of the postseason.
Here’s what we took away from the past weekend of action.
1. Margins Fall Ascent’s Way in Breakthrough Against Sun
There have been games this season where through its own inability to capitalize on chances or defensive misfortune resulting in dropped points, Carolina Ascent hasn’t produced enough consistency in its results to challenge Sporting Club Jacksonville at the top of the Gainbridge Super League standings. On Friday night, the same fate almost befell the side, with only the margin of the crossbar preserving a 1-0 victory against Tampa Bay Sun FC at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
Instead, it was a brilliant finish by Tyler Lussi in her second appearance for the club that proved the difference. The former North Carolina Courage midfielder’s strike eight minutes into the second half ripped into the top-left corner from the right side of the penalty area, offering Tampa Bay’s Emory Wegener little chance to keep it out. When Tampa Bay’s Jillian Shimkin produced a similar effort with 11 minutes to go that rang the woodwork and caromed away – part of a late push for the Sun to keep their slim playoff chances alive – it was the difference in Ascent finally claiming its first victory against Tampa Bay and ensuring it remained in the top four at the end of the weekend.
“I feel that was a really tight, close game and I feel that some of those games earlier in the season didn’t quite go our way,” said Ascent Head Coach Philip Poole. “In the second half, I think we’ve scored a great goal. What a great strike by Tyler, but then they hit one off the bar and maybe a few months ago that drops in. It’s nice to be on the right end tonight.”
2. Zephyr Hits High Notes Back on Home Turf
It had been almost four months since Spokane Zephyr FC had played before their home fans at ONE Spokane Stadium – the snow piled up around the edges of the playing surface offering the principal reason why – but Head Coach Nicole Lukic gave the local support plenty to cheer about in a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Brooklyn FC that saw the side find the attacking breakthrough it has been looking for this season.
Zephyr had at times misfired this regular season, but the attacking trio of Lena Silano, Tyler Waldeck and Ginger Fontenot were alive in creating good scoring chances in the heart of the penalty area. Both Waldeck and Fontenot recorded a goal and assist and Silano could have joined them on the scoresheet, only for all three of her efforts to finish off target. Spokane’s execution in the final third, though, proved the difference against a Brooklyn side that matched Zephyr with 63 final-third entries but far less end product, a result of a solid defensive display and BKFC’s 46.2% passing accuracy rate in the final third.
“We had a lot of things go right offensively today,” said Lukic. “I’m proud of all the players on the field and bench who had a really good three weeks of training, and today it showed.”
Spokane’s win was the start of a run of seven of its final nine games on home turf. There will be bigger challenges to come, but Saturday provided a confidence-boosting win for the stretch run.
3. Goalkeepers Steal the Show at Audi Field
DC Power FC and Dallas Trinity FC were probably equally disappointed at Thursday night’s 1-1 draw at Audi Field, a result which kept both sides moving in the right direction but unable to take full advantage of their chances and what would have been an important three points in their respective pursuits – for Dallas, a top-two finish, for DC, a trip to the postseason.
In terms of entertainment, though, the fans couldn’t have asked for much more as goalkeepers Makenna Gottschalk for DC Power and Tyler McCamey for Trinity stole the show with a string of excellent saves that kept both attacks at bay. Making her first appearance for the Power with regular starter Morgan Aquino representing Australia at the AFC Asian Women’s Cup, Gottschalk produced a six-save performance that delivered a -0.77 Goals Prevented mark as Chioma Ubogagu and Lauren Flynn threatened for the visitors.
McCamey, meanwhile, continued the remarkable run of form she’s produced since taking over as starter since her arrival this winter. The 24-year-old put up five saves and via Opta produced a -2.41 Goals Prevented mark on the night, including a pair of spectacular stops on DC ace Gianna Gourley. McCamey has now put up 17 saves at a save percentage of 81 percent and a -5.15 Goals Prevented mark in five starts and could be central to Trinity’s chances at silverware at the end of the campaign.