Jade Pennock scores club’s first goal in inaugural Gainbridge Super League match
Sporting JAX made history when it took the pitch for its first-ever Gainbridge Super League match, suffering a 3-1 loss to DC Power FC.
Once again, inclement weather made an impact, delaying the opening kickoff to nearly 10:00 PM. The delays didn’t curb the excitement of the fans that gathered at Hodges Stadium, with the club announcing a total of 9,783 tickets distributed for the match.
Both teams came out of the locker room ready to play, with neither side lacking aggression early on. The magic moment came when Jade Pennock found the back of the net for the first goal in Sporting JAX history.
Just seven minutes in, they’d found the lead – but would they be able to hold on?
It looked like this may be the case, but DC’s Gianna Gourley leveled in the 38th minute. Sporting JAX goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks got two hands on a DC shot, but a rough ricochet made the tying header possible. Things stayed tied into the break, but a turning point was on its way.
Despite an early DC Power FC yellow card, the visitors turned up the energy. It took a little over 20 minutes, but they found their way to the lead courtesy of Gourley’s second goal of the night in the 68th minute.
Jaydah Bedoya added fuel to the fire, putting DC Power FC up 3-1 shortly after in the 75th minute. From here on out, Sporting JAX was held scoreless, struggling to find that early magic.
“If you miss that many chances in the game, it leaves the other team hanging on,” Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam said. “Credit to DC Power, they were just very efficient at taking their chances and punishing us on our mistakes.”
Players shared in this disappointment – even the inaugural goalscorer.
“I’m obviously really happy [to score the first goal], but for us as a group, we’re just disappointed with the result,” Jade Pennock said. “I think we dominated in a spell, so we expected to get more from the game.”
While it wasn’t the result that the home club was looking for in its debut, there were positives to take away. Missed chances are not what a team aims for, but it does mean that chances are being created. With more practice and chemistry continually building within the squad, these chances could soon lead to more goals.
Sporting JAX will be back in action next Saturday, August 30 on the road against Tampa Bay Sun FC at 8:00 PM. Following this, the club will return to Hodges Stadium to host Dallas Trinity FC on Saturday, September 6 at 7:30.
