Hodges Stadium | Jacksonville, Fla. — Oct. 16, 2026
The Sporting JAX women’s team defeated Fort Lauderdale United FC Friday night 4-1 with the help of nineteen-year-old midfielder Ashlyn Puerta, whose four goals broke the record for the most goals ever scored by a player in a Gainbridge Super League match.
Bouncing Back
Friday’s match started off relatively calm, but that all came to an end when Fort Lauderdale struck first to take an early lead in the eighth minute. In the squad’s usual fashion, though, it didn’t take long for Sporting JAX to mount a comeback.
In the 23rd minute, forward Paige Kenton drew a foul in the box, awarding Sporting JAX a penalty kick. It was Puerta who took the kick, sending it into the back of the net to level the match.
Ashlyn Again!
Things entered halftime even at one goal a piece, but this all changed less than 15 minutes into the second half. Team captain Sophie Jones sent a great ball through to Meg Hughes, whose well-placed cross was found by Puerta, scoring her second goal of the night.
Prior to the goal, Sporting JAX had come painfully close to taking the lead on multiple occasions. They never let off the gas pedal, though, which ultimately allowed them to grab the advantage.
“That’s the key: it’s just persevering, being persistent, keep creating the opportunities and trust your technical ability,” Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam said. “We just needed the timing to be right, the connection to be right and once that second goal went in, I think we could take a deep breath and we could relax a little bit.”
Puerta is no stranger to big games, having scored three goals in a match before. Even still, this match felt special not only for Puerta, but for the team as a whole.
“It was just clicking,” Puerta said. “We’ve just been waiting for this day and waiting for the connection to come back and it did today.”
Speaking of hat tricks, Puerta added another to her résumé in the 74th minute when she put her team ahead by two goals. This time, she showed defensive prowess by forcing a turnover and taking possession away from Fort Lauderdale. She then navigated traffic and sent a shot between the defender’s legs to score. Sporting JAX now had a two-goal cushion, but they weren’t done yet.
History Made
While one player’s performance stood out, Friday’s win was truly a collective team effort. This was exemplified by forward Andrea Fernandez, who came off the bench in the second half and provided the assist that would lead to history being rewritten. Her pass in the 84th minute led to Puerta’s fourth goal of the night as Hodges Stadium erupted.
Even after recording another incredible accolade, Puerta credited the entire squad’s performance on both ends of the pitch.
“It was a great overall team performance by us,” Puerta said. “Offensively and defensively, we were just all over it tonight.”
“For Ash to score four goals, big night for her tonight,” Balaam said. “She’s capable of it, but for her, [it’s] really special and it really lifts the team.”
Looking Ahead
The ladies in blue will hit the road to face Lexington SC next Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m. Taking on Lexington away is never an easy task, but Friday’s win over Fort Lauderdale could provide the momentum needed for next week’s duel. Defender Georgia Brown, who was recently away for international duty with the Scotland Women’s National Team, spoke to this after the match.
“It was great to come back from such a long period off for both me and the team, and then to get a result like that, I think it really brings us momentum going into the second half of the season,” Brown said. “I think it gives the girls a lot of confidence.”
Sporting JAX will return to Hodges Stadium in a couple of weeks to take on Brooklyn FC in a Halloween matchup on Saturday, October 31 at 2 p.m. Fans looking to attend can purchase tickets by clicking below.
