Brooklyn, Tampa Bay close out regular season at home | News & Notes Week 34

REWIND: WEEK 33 NOTES

DC 1 – 2 SPK

GOALS:
- Emina Ekić (SPK) 65’, Natalie Viggiano assist.
- Madison Wolfbauer (DC) 74’, penalty.
- Emina Ekić (SPK) 84’.
STORYLINES:
- ON A ROLL: Spokane extended its undefeated streak to four matches, moving up to third place in the standings for the first time this season.
- ANOTHER BRACE: Ekić recorded her third brace of the season, the first player to achieve that feat. She now sits tied for third-most in the league with 10 goals.
- GOAL CONTRIBUTIONS: With her two goals from the night, Ekić now leads the league in goal contributions with 16 (10g/6a).
- FROM THE SPOT: Wolfbauer scored her third goal of the season. All three of her goals came from the penalty spot in matches against Spokane.
- ASSIST: Viggiano recorded her first assist of the season less than a minute after entering the match.
QUOTES:
- DC Interim Head Coach Phil Nana:
  - On the team’s overall performance… “For the team, it wasn’t for the lack of trying. I’m still proud of what they were able to do out there. The resiliency again to fight back from being down one. We’ll go back and look at film and see exactly what went wrong, what needs to improve and try to build on the things we did well.”
- DC scorer Madison Wolfbauer:
  - On how her equalizer propelled the team… “Them missing the penalty kick gave us that momentum and us making the penalty kick. We really do thrive off that as a group and I think if you look at the last couple of games we’ve really come together as a team. We’re feeding off each other’s energy and momentum and you can feel it.”
- Spokane Head Coach Jo Johnson:
  - On overall thoughts on the match… “I’m proud of how our players handled adversity this week and throughout the match. From the rain, to the emotional swings of missing a penalty and then conceding one, they stayed locked in and found a way to win. It wasn’t always pretty, but they continue to rise to the challenge and take care of the opponent in front of them.”
- Spokane forward Natalie Viggiano:
  - On overall thoughts on the match… “Super happy to get 3 points and continue our chances of making the playoffs. Proud of this group for battling it out on the road and excited to close out the regular season back at home.”

LEX 0 – 1 FTL

GOALS:
- Jennifer Aalbue (LEX) 17’, own goal.
STORYLINES:
- SNAPPED THE STREAK: Fort Lauderdale ended its six-match winless streak and earned its first win since March 15.
- CLEAN SHEET: Goalkeeper Cosette Morché recorded her sixth clean sheet of the season.
QUOTES:
- Lexington goalkeeper Sarah Cox:
  - On overall thoughts on the team’s performance… “I think a big positive for us was the fact that we were able to fight for ninety minutes. And I think in the spells where we were able to keep the ball and pass it around and switch the point of attack, I thought we were really successful.”
- Lexington midfielder Libby Moore:
  - On what the team did well… “We were high pressing today, which is something we’ve been working on recently. And we had a lot more success winning the ball up the field and communication between the lines. Something we’ve been working on to stay compact, and I thought we did a better job of that and got a lot of offsides from that.”
- Fort Lauderdale Head Coach Tyrone Mears:
  - On the result and quick turnaround… “Tonight’s result was an important step forward, and we’re looking for this win to mark the beginning of a strong momentum shift. As we head to D.C. on a short turnaround, our focus is on maintaining our standards, managing recovery effectively, and continuing to build consistency in our performance. Securing points on the road is never easy, but the group is clear on the demands and ready for the challenge ahead.”
- Fort Lauderdale goalkeeper Cosette Morché:
  - On the result and the feeling in the locker room… “Great team win tonight, I’m really proud of the girls. I think we’re gonna come out of this with a smile on our face and we’re gonna be ready to prove that we deserve to be in the playoffs. I think we’re going to go into the game in DC in a couple of days really excited, motivated, and ready to win.”

CAR 1 – 1 TB

GOALS:
- Eli Hutchinson (CAR) 2’, Jill Aguilera assist.
- Cecilie Fløe (TB) 23’.
STORYLINES:
- CLINCHING: With the result, Carolina clinched the Players’ Shield and hosting during the playoffs, while Tampa Bay also secured a playoff berth.
- GOALS: Fløe scored her tenth goal of the season, tying for third-most in the league. Hutchinson also scored her fifth goal of the season, tying for second-most on the team.
- PLAYMAKER: Aguilera recorded her league-leading seventh assist of the season.
- SERIES: Tampa Bay finished with a 2-0-2 record against Carolina this season, finishing as the only team the Ascent did not defeat all year.
QUOTES:
- Carolina Head Coach Philip Poole:
  - On claiming the Players’ Shield… “I think the first step is claiming the regular season, which I’m proud of the players. So I’m proud of the players, proud of the owner, proud of the staff, proud of the front office, everyone plays their part.  So that’s been huge for us. But I said it before, to bring the home playoff game back here to Charlotte, to the fans, it has been good to us and the supporters have been there for us since day one. It’s been great.”
  - On the team’s performance… “There were parts of it that were great. We obviously created a lot of chances.  Tampa came here, very aggressive on the front foot and they did great and it was difficult to deal with, so it was it was a battle. I think we created some chances that we’d like back, but I think there was a really good midfield battle where it was back and forth, so credit to Tampa.”
- Carolina captain Taylor Porter:
  - On clinching home field advantage… “It’s such a huge advantage, but I think it’s something that we’ve worked really hard towards since the beginning of July when we started working towards this. So, we’re really, really excited and super stoked for the fans to come out and support us.”
- Tampa Bay Head Coach Denise Schilte-Brown:
  - On overall thoughts on the match… “Carolina’s team has been a strong opponent, and we’ve really appreciated the competitive spirit throughout the series. I’m incredibly proud of our players for showing resilience to earn a draw on the road. We’re a team that continues to show strong depth, with everyone stepping up when called upon. This group plays selflessly, stays focused, and consistently gives their best for each other.”
- Tampa Bay scorer Cecilie Fløe:
  - On the team’s performance… “We should have done better on the goal they scored, but we came back… I just think that we are sticking to our game plan, and we’re doing what we decided to do before the game, and it paid off.”

WEEK 34 SCHEDULE

Tuesday, May 20th
DC Power FC v Fort Lauderdale United FC, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, May 24th
Brooklyn FC v Carolina Ascent FC, 2 p.m. ET
Fort Lauderdale United FC v Dallas Trinity FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Sun FC v DC Power FC, 7:30 p.m. ET

WEEK 34 STORYLINES

PLAYOFF PICTURE
Carolina Ascent and Tampa Bay Sun have both secured a spot in the 2024/25 Super League Playoffs. Brooklyn, Spokane, Dallas and Fort Lauderdale still remain in the hunt for the final two spots.

GOLDEN RACE UPDATES
All three end-of-year awards based on regular season stats remain in a tight race. Dallas’ Allie Thornton and Carolina’s Mia Corbin lead the Golden Boot race with 12 goals each, and both have two matches remaining.

Carolina’s Jill Aguilera has pulled ahead in the Golden Playmaker race with seven assists. Spokane’s Emina Ekić and Dallas’ Chioma Ubogagu are not far behind with six assists each.

Lastly, Carolina’s Meagan McClelland and Spokane’s Hope Hisey lead the Golden Glove race with a 1.0 goals-against average. Right behind them is Dallas’ Madison White at 1.04 GAA.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Brooklyn and Tampa Bay will play their final two matches of the regular season this weekend. Both matches are of importance as Brooklyn fights to stay in the playoff hunt, and Tampa Bay is on a quest to secure the No. 2 spot and host its semifinal match.

WEEK 34 DISCIPLINE REPORT

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Super League’s discipline report for Week 34 of the 2024/25 USL Super League season:

Brooklyn FC’s Tori Hansen has been suspended for one game following her red card for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity against Spokane Zephyr FC on May 10. Hansen will be unavailable for selection in Brooklyn’s contest against Carolina Ascent FC on May 24.

Additionally, the following player enters the upcoming matches one caution away from their eighth yellow card of the season and a one-game suspension for caution accumulation.

– DC Power FC (1): Claire Constant

LEAGUE LEADERS – WEEK 34

GOALS:

Mia Corbin (CAR) – 12 goals
Allie Thornton (DAL) – 12 goals
Addie McCain (FTL) – 10 goals
Emina Ekić (SPK) – 10 goals
Cecilie Fløe (TB) – 10 goals
Natasha Flint (TB) – 9 goals
Jasmine Hamid (FTL) – 9 goals
Carlee Giammona (TB) – 7 goals
Jessica Garziano (BKN) – 6 goals

ASSISTS:

Jill Aguilera (CAR) – 7 assists
Emina Ekić (SPK) – 6 assists
Chioma Ubogagu (DAL) – 6 assists
Madison Perez (LEX) – 5 assists
Madi Parsons (LEX) – 5 assists
Shea Moyer (LEX) – 5 assists
Audrey Harding (CAR) – 5 assists
Mackenzie George (BKN) – 5 assists

CLEAN SHEETS:

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