News & Notes for Week 1

By Anonymous (not verified), August 21, 2025

From: Gainbridge Super League

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Eight teams set to kick off in season opener | News & Notes Week 1

Brooklyn FC Dallas Trinity FC DC Power FC Fort Lauderdale FC Lexington SC Spokane Zephyr FC Sporting JAX Tampa Bay Sun FC


WEEK 1 SCHEDULE

Saturday, August 23
Brooklyn FC vs. Tampa Bay Sun FC, 7:00 p.m. ET 
Fort Lauderdale United FC vs. Lexington SC, 7:30 p.m. ET 
Sporting Club Jacksonville vs. DC Power FC, 8:00 p.m. ET 
Dallas Trinity FC vs. Spokane Zephyr FC, 8:30 p.m. ET 

REWIND: OFFSEASON

PLAYER MOVEMENT 
Over 100 players signed to a Gainbridge Super League team during the offseason, including 24 players on Sporting JAX’s inaugural roster and 20 intra-league transfers. View the full list on the Signings Tracker. 

NEW COACH APPOINTMENTS 
Six of the clubs will feature a new head coach for the upcoming season: 

  • Brooklyn FC: Tomás Tengarrinha 
  • Dallas Trinity FC: Chris Petrucelli 
  • DC Power FC: Omid Namazi  
  • Lexington SC: Masaki Hemmi  
  • Spokane Zephyr FC: Josh McAllister (interim) 
  • Sporting JAX: Stacey Balaam 

DALLAS’ CHAMPION 
Dallas Trinity’s Deb Abiodun helped the Nigerian Women’s National Team to its tenth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in July, winning 3-2 against hosts Morocco in the Final. Abiodun played in five of six matches throughout the tournament for a total of 229 minutes of action. 

YOUNGEST PRO 
Carolina Ascent FC signed 15-year-old Stella Spitzer to a multi-year contract, becoming the youngest player in the league to sign a professional contract. Spitzer joined the Ascent in 2024 on an Academy contract, making her debut with the team on October 19, 2024. 

WEEK 1 STORYLINES

WELCOME SPORTING JAX  
Sporting JAX will officially kick off their Gainbridge Super League campaign as the league’s single expansion team. Under Head Coach Stacy Balaam, who most recently served as the Associate Head Coach at Vanderbilt, the team will open the season at home against DC Power FC.   

NEW SEASON, NEW CREST 
Twenty players transferred from one club to another within the league for the new season. Most notably is 2024/25 Player of the Year Emina Ekić, who departed from Spokane Zephyr FC to join Lexington SC. Read about the five biggest intra-league transfers here. 

UPCOMING MILESTONES & ACTIVE STREAKS

Upcoming Milestones 
Approaching 15 regular season goals 
Allie Thornton (DAL) – 13  
Mia Corbin (CAR) – 12  

Approaching 10 regular season assists 
Jill Aguilera (CAR) – 7  

Approaching 10 regular season clean sheets 
Hope Hisey (SPK) – 9  

Active Streaks
Consecutive regular season games undefeated  
Spokane Zephyr FC – 5  
Tampa Bay Sun FC – 4  

Consecutive regular season minutes played 
Allison Pantuso (LEX) – 2520 
Amber Wisner (DAL) – 2520 
Sarah Clark (SPK) – 2520 
Taylor Porter (CAR) – 2520 

WEEK 1 DISCIPLINE REPORT

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the Gainbridge Super League’s discipline report for Week 1 of the 2025/26 season:

Spokane Zephyr FC’s Thais Reiss has been suspended for one game following her red card for dissent by word or action against Dallas Trinity FC on October 6, 2024. Reiss will be unavailable for selection in Spokane’s contest against Dallas Trinity FC on August 23, 2025.

WEEK 1 MATCH NOTES

JAXvDC 

  • Sporting JAX will make its league debut on Saturday at Hodges Stadium. 
  • DC Power finished in 7th place last season (5-14-9, 24 pts). 

BKNvTB 

  • Brooklyn has never lost to Tampa Bay, holding a 2-0-2 record against the reigning champs. 
  • Brooklyn finished in 6th place last season (10-9-9, 39 pts). Tampa Bay finished second in the league (12-6-10, 46 pts) and went on to win the 2024/25 title. 
  • Brooklyn has yet to win a match at Maimonides Park, dating back to its home opener at Coney Island on March 15, 2025. 
  • Saturday’s match will be the first time Mackenzie Pluck will play against her former club since leaving Brooklyn to join Tampa Bay this season. 
  • Tampa Bay has not been shut out in its last 18 regular season and playoff matches. The team has scored at least one goal, averaging 1.72 goals per game, since December 14, 2024. 

FTLvLEX 

  • Fort Lauderdale has a 3-1-0 record against Lexington. 
  • Fort Lauderdale finished in 4th place last season (11-8-9, 42 pts), and Lexington finished 8th (4-18-6, 18 pts). 
  • The last time Fort Lauderdale hosted Lexington, the team won 2-0 behind goals from Jasmine Hamid and Addie McCain. 
  • Saturday’s match will be the first time former FTL players Addie McCain and Tati Fung will play against their old club since joining Lexington this season. 
  • Lexington is on a 10-match winless streak dating back to last season. The team last earned a win on March 9, 2025 against DC Power. 

DALvSPK 

  • Spokane has a 2-1-1 record against Dallas. 
  • Dallas finished in 3rd place last season (12-9-7, 43 pts), and Spokane finished in 5th place (11-8-9, 42 pts). 
  • The last time Spokane played at Dallas, the visitors won 1-0 behind a goal from Katie Murray. 
  • Spokane goalkeeper Hope Hisey, last season’s Goalkeeper of the Year, is one clean sheet away from becoming the first player in league history to reach 10 shutouts. 
  • Dallas striker Allie Thornton, last season’s Golden Boot winner, is two goals away from becoming the first player in league history to reach 15 goals scored. 
  • Spokane is on a five-match unbeaten streak (3-0-2) dating back to last season, averaging 2 goals per game. 


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