Carolina, Fort Lauderdale prepare for top-four clash | Week 22 News & Notes

WEEK 22 SCHEDULE

Saturday, March 1st (First day of Women’s History Month)
Lexington SC v Brooklyn FC, 7:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 2nd
Carolina Ascent FC v Fort Lauderdale United FC, 3:00 p.m. ET

WEEK 22 STORYLINES

A WEEK OF FIRSTS
Week 21 was full of firsts from first goals and assists to first road wins.

Seven players recorded their first goals:

Katie Murray (SPK)
Jade Moore (TB)
Mackenzie Pluck (BKN)
Sarah Troccoli (CAR)
Katie Duong (DC)
Yuuka Kurosaki (DC)
Gianna Gourley (DC)

Four players recorded their first assist:

Emma Jaskaniec (SPK)
Natasha Flint (TB)
Riley Parker (CAR)
Kiara Locklear (FTL)

First road win:

Spokane Zephyr FC

Now every club has won both at home and on the road.

STREAKS STILL STANDING
Brooklyn, FTL UTD, and Tampa are all on impressive unbeaten streaks and aim to extend them in their upcoming matches:

Brooklyn is 6-0-1 in their last seven games, with their six-match win streak marking the longest in League history. Additionally, the club has scored in its last seven consecutive matches, tying the current record.

FTL UTD is currently on a five-match unbeaten run, posting a 4-0-1 record. Their sole draw came against Tampa, who is also on a streak of their own, having secured three consecutive draws after a previous win.

ON THE BRINK
Fort Lauderdale midfielder Addie McCain has the opportunity this weekend to become the first USL Super League player to reach 10 goals scored.

TOP OF THE TABLE
Three points separates second and fifth place in the standings as clubs push for a top-four playoff spot. No. 2 Carolina Ascent hosts No. 4 Fort Lauderdale United this weekend, where the winner would secure the sole second place spot this week.

EVERY MINUTE
7 players have played every minute of their respective season so far:

Taylor Porter (CAR) – 1440 mins
Meagan McClelland (CAR) – 1440 mins
Amber Brooks (DAL) – 1440 mins
Sam Kroeger (BKN) – 1350 mins
Allison Pantuso (BKN) – 1350 mins
Kelsey Hill (BKN) – 1350 mins
Sarah Clark (SPK) – 1350 mins

COLLEGE CONNECTIONS

Lexington’s Bridgette Skiba and Brooklyn’s Allison Pantuso held down the defense for the Oregon State Beavers together in 2018.
Carolina’s Riley Parker and Ashlynn Serepca will face off against FTL’s Felicia Knox since the trio competed together at the University of Alabama from 2020-2022.

COACHING CHANGE
Lexington Sporting Club announced a coaching transition within its team. Head Coach Mike Dickey has stepped away from his coaching role as the club explores new opportunities for his continued involvement.

REWIND: WEEK 21 NOTES

READ: What we learned from Week 21 in the USL Super League

DAL 0 – 1 SPK

GOALS:
- Katie Murray (SPK) 15’, Emma Jaskaniec assist.
STORYLINES:
- FIRST ROAD WIN: Saturday’s result marked the first win on the road for Spokane this season. Prior to the victory, the team was 0-3-4 in away matches.
- FIRST GOAL: Katie Murray recorded her first goal of the season.
- FIRST ASSIST: Emma Jaskaniec recorded her first assist of the season.
QUOTES:
- Dallas Trinity Head Coach Pauline MacDonald:
  - On the loss… “I thought we started the game well. I thought we had the momentum. I think we failed to take opportunities and then the momentum shifted in favor of Spokane, and they were able to capitalize. That’s the difference at this top level.”
- Dallas Trinity Forward Cyera Hintzen:
  - Thoughts on the match… “I’m just disappointed honestly. I thought we started off strong and once they got the goal, we kind of shut down. We need to pick it up when that happens.”
- Spokane Zephyr Head Coach Jo Johnson:
  - Excitement about the team’s first away win… “Today the team delivered a gutsy performance on the road. Road points are always extra special.”
- Spokane Zephyr Goal Scorer Katie Murray:
  - On the team’s performance… “I’m very proud of the fight and mentality of our team this game. Everyone stepped in and made an impact from start to finish. It was a total collective effort to secure the points. We will continue to build and focus one game at a time.”

TB 1 – 1 BKN

GOALS:
- Jade Moore (TB) 42’, Natasha Flint assist.
- Mackenzie Pluck (BKN) 58’, Mackenzie George assist.
STORYLINES:
- STREAK ENDERS: Tampa Bay Sun became the first team to earn a result against Brooklyn since Carolina defeated Brooklyn on October 19, and Tampa Bay was the first team to score against Brooklyn since Fort Lauderdale did on October 27.
- FIRST GOAL: Jade Moore and Mackenzie Pluck both recorded their first goals of the season.
- FIRST ASSIST: Natasha Flint recorded her first assist of the season.
- HARD TO BEAT AT HOME: Tampa Bay is undefeated in its last five matches at home (3-0-2). Brooklyn was the last and the only team to defeat the Sun at Riverfront Stadium back on September 14.
QUOTES:
- Tampa Bay Sun Head Coach Denise Schilte-Brown:
  - On the result… “I was really, really proud of the ladies tonight. I think that they listened, they executed what we asked them to do tactically. We got the tie, and I thought we could have won.”
- Tampa Bay Sun Goal Scorer Jade Moore:
  - On her goal… “Good for the group, happy for myself to do something the coaching staff has asked me to perfect. In that moment, I actually swapped with Tash in the nine, and I was like ‘You go be a midfielder for a minute.’ I found myself in the nine position, which is very rare for me. But I just thought execute, hit the target, and lucky for me obviously it went in.”
- Brooklyn FC Head Coach Jess Silva:
  - On the result… “Hard fought game on the road against a talented team. We had an excellent first 30 mins where we really imposed ourselves. Second half was a little more shared with opportunities for both teams. Very happy we tied that up.”
- Brooklyn FC Goal Scorer Mackenzie Pluck:
  - On the match… “I think we battled tonight. I think there is a lot to learn from and improve on after this match but I’m proud we fought back after the goal. I think we could’ve been a little more patient in our build once we equalized to keep the ball more and get more momentum on the attack. But overall, I think it was a decent start into the second half of the season with a lot of room to grow and reach our full potential.”

FTL 2 – 0 LEX

GOALS:
- Addie McCain (FTL) 49’, Kiara Locklear assist.
- Jasmine Hamid (FTL) 62’, Kiara Locklear assist.
STORYLINES:
- GOLDEN: Addie McCain scored her league-leading ninth goal in the victory.
- DOUBLE ASSIST: Kiara Locklear recorded her first and second assist of the season and became the sixth player to record two assists in a single match.
QUOTES:
- Fort Lauderdale United FC Head Coach Tyrone Mears:
  - On the match… “Really proud of the group’s performance tonight. We controlled possession effectively as the game progressed, remained well-organized throughout, and limited Lexington’s opportunities. Looking forward to continuing this momentum as we prepare for the Ascent.”
- Fort Lauderdale United Kiara Locklear:
  - On having four goals + assists in previous three matches… “I think I’m just so excited for this opportunity and my teammates have been so supportive in coming alongside me. I see how hard everyone works every day, and it pushes me to be better. I look forward to keeping going and getting good results.”
- Lexington SC interim Head Coach Maren McCrary:
  - On the match… “We are going to figure this out. We know we can compete in this league. We are not giving up. If anything, these losses just build our resolve even more.”
- Lexington SC Defender Julie Mackin:
  - On the match… “Definitely a tough loss. We were able to execute the game plan in the first half. We had a 15-minute lull in the second half, leading to their two goals. If we can collectively create more attacking opportunities and stay locked in the entire 90 minutes, I believe our results will improve.”

CAR 3 – 3 DC

GOALS:
- Katie Duong (DC) 24’, PK.
- Sarah Troccoli (CAR) 40’, Riley Parker assist.
- Yuuka Kurosaki (DC) 53’.
- Mia Corbin (CAR) 58’.
- Morgan Aquino (DC) 62’, Own Goal.
- Gianna Gourley (DC) 83’.
STORYLINES:
- SECOND MOST GOALS: The collective six goals is the second most goals scored in a USL Super League match. The most goals scored was eight when Dallas hosted Lexington in a 6-2 affair.
- FIRST GOALS: Katie Duong, Yuuka Kurosaki and Gianna Gourley recorded their first goals on the season for DC.
- FIRST GOAL: Sarah Troccoli scored her first goal for Carolina.
- FIRST ASSIST: Riley Parker recorded her first assist for Carolina.
QUOTES:
- Carolina Ascent Head Coach Philip Poole:
  - On the back-and-forth nature of the game… “I think it’s fantastic for our group. We’ve never really been challenged too much or haven’t had the ability to come back from goals twice. So, I think there’s massive positives in that.”
- Carolina Ascent Goal Scorer Sarah Troccoli:
  - On scoring her first goal… “Yeah, it was super cool. Finishing chances is something that we’re really working on. We have a lot of chances each game, so it was super exciting to be involved like that.”
- DC Power Interim Head Coach Phil Nana:
  - On the result… “A point on the road against one of the best teams in the league, it’s not too shabby. I thought we had moments that we didn’t play well, and we had moments that we did. It’s about going back, looking at the film and seeing what we need to address. Also, giving the girls their flowers on the things they did very well. Scoring three goals on the road isn’t easy on any level. We’re happy with that as a staff.”
- DC Power Goal Scorer Gianna Gourley:
  - On scoring her first goal for DC Power… “It felt amazing. It’s been a minute since I’ve gotten in the groove of things. To have the support of my teammates behind me. It was a special moment, and they made it special.”

DISCIPLINE REPORT – WEEK 22

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

LEAGUE LEADERS

GOALS:

Addie McCain (FTL) – 9 goals
Allie Thornton (DAL) – 6 goals
Carlee Giammona (TB) – 6 goals
Cecilie Nielsen (TB) – 5 goals
Jasmine Hamid (FTL) – 5 goals
Madison Parsons (LEX) – 5 goals
Mia Corbin (CAR) – 5 goals
Sydney Shepherd (LEX) – 4 goals
Natasha Flint (TB) – 4 goals
Marykate McGuire (LEX) – 4 goals
Luana Grabias (BKN) – 4 goals
Jessica Garziano (BKN) – 4 goals

ASSISTS:

Madison Perez (LEX) – 5 assists
Madi Parsons (LEX) – 5 assists
Mackenzie Pluck (BKN) – 4 assists
Emina Ekic (SPK) – 4 assists
Shea Moyer (LEX) – 4 assists
Mackenzie George (BKN) – 3 assists
Jillienne Aguilera (CAR) – 3 assists
Rylee Baisden (CAR) – 3 assists
Sydny Nasello (TB) – 3 assists

CLEAN SHEETS:

Meagan McClelland (CAR) – 6 clean sheets
Madison White (DAL) – 5 clean sheets
Sydney Martinez (BKN) – 4 clean sheets
Morgan Aquino (DC) – 4 clean sheets
Hope Hisey (SPK) – 4 clean sheets
Neeku Purcell (BKN) – 3 clean sheet
Cosette Morche (FTL) – 3 clean sheet

MILESTONES

HAT TRICKS:

DAL – Allie Thornton (9.13.24)
FTL – Addie McCain (9.22.24)
BKN – Luana Grabias (11.13.24)

BRACES:

DAL – Chimoa Ubogagu (9.13.24)
DC – Madison Wolfbauer (9.29.24)
TB – Cecilie Fløe Nielsen (10.2.24)
CAR – Ashlynn Serepca (10.19.24)
LEX – Madison Parsons (10.19.24)
DC – Allie Flanagan (10.25.24)
TB – Cecilie Fløe Nielsen (11.2.24)
LEX – Hannah Richardson (12.14.24)
TB – Natasha Flint (12.14.24)
FTL – Kiara Pralle (12.14.24)