Can Carolina become the first to clinch a playoff spot? | News & Notes Week 30

REWIND: WEEK 29 NOTES

LEX 0 – 3 SPK

• GOALS:
  • Sydney Cummings (SPK) 6’, Emina Ekić assist. 
  • Emina Ekić (SPK) 13’, Alyssa Bourgeois assist. 
  • Emina Ekić (SPK) 50’, Ally Cook assist. 
• STORYLINES:
  • FIRST: Ally Cook recorded her first assist of the season. 
  • SECOND: Sydney Cummings recorded her second goal, and Alyssa Bourgeois recorded her second assist. Both the goals and assists came in consecutive matches. 
  • GOAL + ASSIST: Ekić scored her sixth and seventh goals of the season and recorded her fifth assist. She is only the second person in league history to record two goals and an assist in the same match (first was Dallas’ Allie Thornton). 
  • SHUTOUTS: Wednesday’s match marked the fourth consecutive clean sheet for Spokane and goalkeeper Hope Hisey’s eighth of the season. 
• QUOTES:
  • Lexington Interim Head Coach Sam Stockley: 
    • On defensive errors… “We’re in that situation at the minute where we’re conceding goals, but it’s not just one goal, it’s back-to-back. We’re working on it every day in training, we’re working on the mentality side of it. The only thing you can do when you’re going through these types of situations… as a group, we stick together, we keep working hard. I think you can see the group is working hard, they don’t give up, but we know this is a results-based business.” 
  • Spokane Head Coach Jo Johnson: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “Securing three points tonight was important as we continue to build momentum. The performance may not have been perfect at times, but the team found a way to get the result we needed.” 
  • Spokane defender Alyssa Bourgeois: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “So proud of this team for getting a win on the road and another shut out. Despite getting the result, I think we still could’ve had a better performance. Ultimately, super happy to get the points and we’re prepared to do what we need to get ready for another tough game on the road.” 

DC 0 – 1 TB

• GOALS:
  • Cecilie Fløe (TB) 88’, Vivianne Bessette assist. 
• STORYLINES:
  • GOALS: Cecilie Fløe scored her eighth goal of the season, tying her for first on the team with Tash Flint. 
  • SUPER SUB: Fløe scored the goal after entering the match at halftime. She is the sixth Tampa Bay Sun player to score off the bench, tying Dallas Trinity FC for the most in the league. 
  • ASSISTS: Vivianne Bessette recorded her third assist of the season, tying her for first on the team with Sydny Nasello. 
  • CLEAN SHEET: The 1-0 result was the fifth clean sheet of the season for goalkeeper Ashley Orkus. 
  • SPRING SCORES: DC Power has gone 0-5-3 since the return from break. All five of the losses have been determined by one goal. 
• QUOTES:
  • DC Power Interim Head Coach Phil Nana: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “We won’t be deterred by one game and one goal. We still have more games to play and more chances to turn things around. The progress is there, but the wins need to start coming, and we need to start taking these small things seriously.” 
  • DC Power midfielder Emily Colton: 
    • On what went well against Tampa Bay… “As a team, tactically, we came out in a strong offensive and defensive shape, and that helped us a lot. We were definitely the better team, especially in the first half, I think we had more chances. Obviously, a tough loss, but we need to take the performance into the next game, let go of the loss, and capitalize on our chances.” 
  • Tampa Bay Head Coach Denise Schilte-Brown: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “These women battled for each other all the way to the final whistle. We’re hitting our stride at just the right time, and I couldn’t be prouder of this group.” 
  • Tampa Bay defender Vivianne Bessette: 
    • On the team’s mentality… “We’re trying to stay on that high, obviously. We’re trying to push for the playoffs, and we just need to keep getting better every game and keep grinding. We want to win the next game and the next game and just keep on moving forward.” 

DAL 1 – 1 FTL

• GOALS:
  • Allie Thornton (DAL) 3’ 
  • Kiara Locklear (FTL) 35’ 
• STORYLINES:
  • FIRST TO 10: Allie Thornton became the first player in Super League history to reach 10 goals scored. 
  • GOALS: Kiara Locklear moved to third-most on the team after scoring her fourth goal of the season. 
  • SPEEDY SCORING: Thornton’s goal was the third-fastest goal in league history and Dallas’ fastest at 2 minutes and 28 seconds. The third, fourth and fifth fastest goals in league history have been scored by Dallas Trinity players. 
  • GOLDEN GLOVE: By the conclusion of Week 29, FTL’s Cosette Morché is now in the lead for the Golden Glove with a goals-against average of 0.909. 
• QUOTES:
  • Dallas Head Coach Pauline MacDonald: 
    • On Allie Thornton being the first USL Super League Player to score ten goals… “I’m absolutely delighted for Allie. We really wanted to secure the three points this evening, but it wasn’t meant to be. However, we will build on it and come back stronger next weekend.” 
  • Dallas forward Allie Thornton: 
    • On the importance of getting three points going forward… “All the games at this point are tough. Like I said, it’s most important that we get three points, so we just have to bring our A-Game every time.” 
  • Fort Lauderdale Head Coach Tyrone Mears: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “It’s always difficult to play on the road, and while we felt we did enough to take all three points, we’ll take the draw and use it as motivation moving forward. With the table being as tight as it is, our focus remains on ourselves—continuing to raise our standard each day as we prepare for the challenge ahead.” 
  • Fort Lauderdale captain Addie McCain: 
    • On returning to her home state… “Definitely a cool experience getting to be home. It means the world to have family in the stands supporting me and my team. I’m super proud of the groups fight and the response to get an equalizer against a good team on the road. Maybe left a couple goals out there, but I think for us it’s a step in the right direction.” 

BKN 1 – 1 LEX

• GOALS:
  • Maithé Lopez (LEX) 41’ 
  • Luana Grabias (BKN) 60’ 
• STORYLINES:
  • FIRST: Maithé Lopez scored her first goal of the season in her fourth appearance with the team. 
  • FIFTH: Luana Grabias moved to first on the team with her fifth goal of the season. 
  • SPRING SCORES: Brooklyn has gone 0-5-5 since its return from break. Saturday was the second match this spring it came back and equalized to earn a point. The team hasn’t recorded a clean sheet since it last played Lexington in a scoreless draw on March 1. 
• QUOTES:
  • Brooklyn Interim Head Coach Kevin Tenjo: 
    • On Ginger Fontenot and Caroline Kelly’s debuts… “They are here for a reason. They deserve to be on this team. They’ve been doing a great job in practice, and they earned the opportunity to play tonight. In my opinion, they both performed really well alongside the rest of the team. We’re very proud of the game they had.” 
  • Brooklyn midfielder Hope Breslin: 
    • On the team finding its connection again… “It’s been a hectic week in training with all the changes, but we’ve started to feel that connection coming back. We’re getting our rhythm again. There’s a bit of freedom shown both in training and on the field, and I think that’s what gave us confidence in tonight’s game. We all felt good out there, despite the result. We wanted the win, and I think we looked good.” 
  • Lexington Interim Head Coach Sam Stockley: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “It was a great performance in so many ways because of where we were. We had three games in a week, we’ve had a bit of a depleted squad with some injuries, and we’d been conceding goals at difficult times, and not just one, but multiple. To come away from a tough place to play with a point the way we defended at times, (the squad) threw their bodies on the line and got blocks and worked really hard to try to focus on it.” 
  • Lexington goalkeeper Bridgette Skiba: 
    • On what a strong defensive performance means for the team… “Having a strong defensive performance helps our confidence immensely moving forward. It helps show our team what we are capable of doing and continuing to build a foundation for this program. I think what changed defensively was our willingness to end the week with a high energy work rate despite having three games in one week. It was more of a mentality shift, and collectively you could see everyone putting their bodies on the line until the very end.” 

CAR 3 – 0 SPK

• GOALS:
  • Eli Hutchinson (CAR) 17’, Taylor Porter assist. 
  • Eli Hutchinson (CAR) 69’ 
  • Mia Corbin (CAR) 83’ 
• STORYLINES:
  • BRACE: Eli Hutchinson recorded her first brace with her third and fourth goals of the season. She is the fourth Carolina Ascent player to record a brace, tying Tampa Bay Sun for the most in the league. 
  • TENTH: Mia Corbin scored her tenth goal of the season, tying Dallas’ Allie Thornton for first in the Golden Boot race. 
  • FOURTH: Taylor Porter recorded her fourth assist of the season. 
  • ON A ROLL: Carolina has now won its last five matches in a row, and all have been clean sheets. The team has scored 16 goals across that span. 
  • SNAPPED THE STREAK: The loss marks the end of Spokane’s six-match unbeaten streak. 
• QUOTES:
  • Carolina Head Coach Philip Poole: 
    • On Hutchinson’s impact… “It’s her work off the ball. She’s really good defensively, and technically, she’s so good on the ball. She’s a top player, and I’m glad she is getting some spotlight.” 
  • Carolina goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak Murphy: 
    • On getting her fifth straight clean sheet… “The team is cooking right now. We couldn’t be communicating better. When we practice, we practice exactly how we want to. It looks maybe good on me, but I’m just the last one, and they do a great job of never letting it get to me.” 
  • Spokane Head Coach Jo Johnson: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “We weren’t sharp enough in our execution today, on either side of the ball. Credit to Carolina — they are a quality side in strong form and a tough team to beat, especially on the road. We will take the lessons from this one, grow from it, and shift our focus to preparing for Tampa.” 
  • Spokane defender Sarah Clark: 
    • On overall thoughts on the match… “Disappointing result, but we’re turning our focus to next weekend. Playoffs remain in sight for us, and it’s our goal to still be playing in June.” 

WEEK 30 SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 26th 
Spokane Zephyr FC v Tampa Bay Sun FC, 5:00 p.m. ET 
Brooklyn FC v DC Power FC, 6:00 p.m. ET 
Fort Lauderdale United FC v Carolina Ascent FC, 7:30 p.m. ET 
Dallas Trinity FC v Lexington SC, 8:00 p.m. ET

WEEK 30 STORYLINES

WELCOME GAINBRIDGE SUPER LEAGUE 
The United Soccer League (USL) and Gainbridge®, a Group 1001 company, announced a historic, long-term partnership, making Gainbridge® the first-ever entitlement partner of a professional soccer league in the United States. As part of a multi-year agreement, Gainbridge® will become the Official Partner and Exclusive Financial Services Partner of the newly named Gainbridge Super League, a Division One professional women’s soccer league, beginning in the 2025/26 season.  

Read more about the historic milestone here.  

PLAYOFF CONTENTION 
Lexington SC and DC Power FC were eliminated from playoff contention following the results from Week 29. Carolina Ascent FC has the potential to clinch a playoff spot this weekend. 

GOLDEN BOOT & GOLDEN GLOVE 
Dallas’ Allie Thornton became the first player to reach 10 goals scored, but she was quickly followed by Carolina’s Mia Corbin. They currently lead the Golden Boot race. 

The Golden Glove race is just as tight, which is determined by the best goals-against average by goalkeepers who have played at least half of the team’s minutes. Leading the charge is FTL’s Cosette Morché (0.909) followed by Spokane’s Hope Hisey (0.938) and Dallas’ Madison White (0.95). 

DISCIPLINE REPORT – WEEK 30

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

LEAGUE LEADERS – WEEK 30

GOALS:

• Allie Thornton (DAL) – 10 goals  
• Mia Corbin (CAR) – 10 goals 
• Addie McCain (FTL) – 9 goals 
• Natasha Flint (TB) – 8 goals 
• Jasmine Hamid (FTL) – 8 goals  
• Cecilie Fløe Nielsen (TB) – 8 goals 
• Carlee Giammona (TB) – 7 goals 
• Emina Ekić (SPK) – 7 goals 

ASSISTS:

• Madison Perez (LEX) – 5 assists  
• Madi Parsons (LEX) – 5 assists 
• Jill Aguilera (CAR) – 5 assists  
• Chioma Ubogagu (DAL) – 5 assists 
• Emina Ekić (SPK) – 5 assists 
• Mackenzie Pluck (BKN) – 4 assists 
• Shea Moyer (LEX) – 4 assists 
• Mackenzie George (BKN) – 4 assists 
• Audrey Harding (CAR) – 4 assists 
• Taylor Porter (CAR) – 4 assists 

CLEAN SHEETS:

• Madison White (DAL) – 9 clean sheets  
• Hope Hisey (SPK) – 8 clean sheets 
• Meagan McClelland (CAR) – 6 clean sheets 
• Cosette Morche (FTL) – 5 clean sheets  
• Samantha Leshnak Murphy (CAR) – 5 clean sheets 
• Ashley Orkus (TB) – 5 clean sheets 

MILESTONES

HAT TRICKS:

• DAL – Allie Thornton (09.13.24): 61 minutes 
• FTL – Addie McCain (09.22.24): 68 minutes 
• BKN – Luana Grabias (11.13.24): 13 minutes 

BRACES:

• DAL – Chioma Ubogagu (09.13.24) 
• DC – Madison Wolfbauer (09.29.24) 
• TB – Cecilie Fløe Nielsen (10.02.24) 
• CAR – Ashlynn Serepca (10.19.24) 
• LEX – Madison Parsons (10.19.24) 
• DC – Allie Flanagan (10.25.24) 
• TB – Cecilie Fløe Nielsen (11.02.24) 
• LEX – Hannah Richardson (12.14.24) 
• TB – Natasha Flint (12.14.24) 
• FTL – Kiara Locklear (12.14.24) 
• DAL – Allie Thornton (03.09.25) 
• SPK – Emina Ekić (03.15.25) 
• FTL – Sh’Nia Gordon (03.15.25) 
• CAR – Audrey Harding (03.23.25) 
• TB – Natasha Flint (03.29.25) 
• CAR – Mia Corbin (03.29.25) 
• SPK – Emina Ekić (04.16.25) 
• CAR – Eli Hutchinson (04.19.25)