Lexington SC Stadium | Lexington, Ky. — Oct. 23, 2026
The Sporting JAX women’s team took on Lexington SC in a showdown of top-three Gainbridge Super League teams on Friday, coming from behind to draw 3-3 in an exciting match.
Fighting Back
Lexington jumped out to a quick start, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first sixteen minutes of the match. An early deficit on the road wasn’t ideal, but Sporting JAX didn’t mind, quickly finding a response just two minutes after Lexington’s second goal.
Midfielder Ashlyn Puerta picked up right where she left off last week, creating space within the box to launch a shot that allowed Sporting JAX to cut into the deficit. This marked Puerta’s fifth goal in her last 102 minutes of action, following her record-breaking four-goal match last Friday against Fort Lauderdale United FC.
“It is never ideal to start a game the way this one did, but we responded really well throughout the match,” Puerta said. “Belief is a key part of our team identity. We believe that anything can happen at any moment, we just need to keep playing our game and keep pushing.”
“We showed great resilience to get ourselves back in the game,” Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam added. “We dug ourselves a hole by going two goals down in the first 15 minutes, but the ladies responded positively and halved the deficit.”
The Rally Continues
Lexington was able to open the lead back up, but another Sporting JAX response was on the way. Just before halftime, Sporting JAX went to work in the final third. Puerta found forward Baylee DeSmit, who made a well-timed turn and sent the ball towards the middle of the box. Forward Paige Kenton was lurking, and ripped a shot into the back of the net.
“We had full belief in our ability to score and went back at them after we conceded,” Kenton said. “Baylee held up the ball super well in the box and was able to set me up for an easy finish.”
Sporting JAX had now rallied to score two goals in response to strikes from the home team, both in less than two minutes. More importantly, they had shrunk the gap back to one goal going into the break.
All Level
The match’s frenzied pace continued for much of the second half, with both teams creating opportunities throughout. This included Sporting JAX, who fought hard to find an equalizer. This fight eventually came to fruition in the 85th minute, when defender Mya Swinton created pressure up front, helping force an own goal from Lexington to tie the match.
The visitors continued to push, but the match ultimately came to an end all even at three goals each. The result keeps Sporting JAX second in the standings as they continue through the 14-match regular season.
“In the end we were disappointed we didn’t win the game, which says a lot about this group when at one point we were down 3-1,” Balaam said. “The resilience, the grit and the togetherness was what I was mostly proud of tonight.”
The players also spoke to the resilience displayed tonight, and throughout the season, that has allowed the squad to come back from deficits.
“We really lean on each other during the tough moments, and we remind ourselves that we have come from behind before,” Kenton added. “We have so much respect for each other and the skills we each bring to the table, which definitely gives us the confidence to get back into games.”
Looking Ahead
Sporting JAX will return to Hodges Stadium next Saturday, October 31 at 2 p.m. for a Halloween showdown with Brooklyn FC. Fans looking to attend can purchase tickets by clicking below.
