Did you SEE that?! Sporting Club Jacksonville’s women pulled off an absolutely insane 3-2 comeback victory against Tampa Bay Sun FC in their home opener on August 22nd. Seriously, what a performance! This wasn’t a mere win, it launched them straight into second place in the Gainbridge Super League. How’s that for a statement early in the season?
Puerta and DeSmit Lead the Charge in Wild Comeback
Talk about a second-half turnaround! Our squad was down, and then Ashlyn Puerta stepped onto the pitch as a halftime sub for Maci Teater. Forty-five seconds. That’s all it took. Puerta, who was the league’s player of the year in Sporting Jax’s inaugural season, smashed a game-tying 25-yard laser in the 46th minute at Hodges Stadium. It was pure power, a shot that absolutely screamed “we’re not out of this!” The momentum shifted instantly, and the crowd absolutely erupted.
Then Baylee DeSmit took over. She netted two more goals to push us in front. First up, in the 60th minute, Meg Hughes dribbled down the right wing, cut the ball back perfectly, and DeSmit cracked a 20-yard shot that flew off Tampa Bay goalkeeper Liz Beardsley’s hands right into the net. Ten minutes later, DeSmit was onside for a crisp finish after a headed assist from Coco Thistle, who, by the way, made her club debut coming in for Melina Descary in the 60th minute! What a debut!
Coach Balaam Praises Clinical Performance While Sporting Rex Debuts
Our keeper, Jamie Gerstenberg, deserves a massive shout-out, too. Tampa Bay scored twice on the break, with Shea Connors giving them a first-half lead and Jordan Zade narrowing the gap to 3-2 late. But Gerstenberg made six crucial saves, preserving our edge through a stoppage-time flurry. Seriously, she stood on her head! Sporting Jax defender Grace Phillpotts was working hard on the back line, too, aiming passes down the sideline. Coach Stacey Balaam nailed it when she said after halftime, “It was a really big 30 minutes for us, probably the best I’ve seen us in a long time, to be honest, and very clinical in front of goal as well.” She’s not wrong! And let’s not forget the pregame hype: we officially rolled out our new orange dinosaur mascot, Sporting Rex, complete with appearances from Jaxson de Ville and Southpaw!
This win is huge. Moving into second place in the Gainbridge Super League right out of the gate sets a massive tone for the season. Our first-team all-league forward Paige Kenton was unavailable due to illness, but the team still got it done. If they can keep this kind of clinical performance and fight, especially with Puerta and DeSmit firing on all cylinders, the rest of the league needs to take notice. What an opener!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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