Amerant Bank Field | Davie, Fla. — Aug. 15, 2026
The Sporting JAX women’s team made a season-opener statement against Fort Lauderdale United FC with a 1-0 win, taking the lead in the 89th minute after a scoreless first half.
Baylee’s Back
The late game-winning goal came from none other than Baylee DeSmit, one of Sporting JAX’s stars in their inaugural season.
“It feels great,” said DeSmit. “I hope it’s just the beginning, but obviously it feels great to get that win under our belt to start off, and be able to provide for the team like that.”
DeSmit had a strong start to her professional career in the 2025/26 season, where she made 25 appearances with 12 goals and two assists. Her 12 goals brought her even with teammate Ashlyn Puerta, the 2025/26 Player of the Year recipient, for the most goals on the team.
Debut On Debut
Saturday’s match brought many new faces to the pitch, including two players making their professional debuts: Mya Swinton and Melina Descary.
Both players produced standout collegiate careers, with Swinton dishing out 28 goals and 18 assists during her three years at the University of West Florida where she started in 61 of her 62 games played.
Descary’s career at the University of South Alabama led her to 50 starts in 56 games and nearly 4,000 minutes played on the pitch. She was invited to the Canadian National Team Training Camp in 2018, and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Second Team during her senior season.
Both players had an immediate impact upon their substitution, with an active second half of the game producing many opportunities, including the decisive goal.
What’s Next
The women will head back to Hodges Stadium for their home opener against another familiar in-state rival, Tampa Bay Sun FC.
Sporting JAX has gone 7-0-2 against their Sunshine State rivals, with tonight’s win building off of last year’s dominant six wins and two draws.
“It’s all about consistency,” said Stacey Balaam, Head Coach and 2025/26 Coach of the Year recipient. “It’s hard to win on the road for your first game, so we did a good job of grinding out a result that wasn’t easy.”
Captain Sophie Jones was able to reflect on the message from last year, to the one she is spreading with her team for the shortened season.
“I think the biggest difference is that every game just matters more,” said Jones. “But we’re a team, and it just continues to look like one game at a time for us.”
The team looks to continue their streak and build upon the forward momentum as their sophomore season rolls on. To support the team and purchase tickets, visit www.sportingjax.com/tickets.
