Late Push by Zephyr FC Not Enough in 1-0 Loss to Tampa Bay
GSL Spokane Zephyr FC

Late Push by Zephyr FC Not Enough in 1-0 Loss to Tampa Bay

Published on November 9, 2025 under Gainbridge Super League (GSL)
Spokane Zephyr FC News Release


Spokane, WA - Zephyr FC continued their three game home stand with a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay Sun FC in Spokane on Sunday afternoon.

After Tampa Bay earned an early corner in the third minute, Spokane responded with pressure. In the sixth minute, Zephyr Forward Lena Silano broke free down the left side of the field, but sent her shot just wide of the goal post. Just two minutes later, Zephyr Defender Ginger Fontenot found space inside the penalty box, but her strike missed left as well.

Spokane continued the pressure, nearly capitalizing in the ninth minute when Tampa Bay Goalkeeper Sydney Schneider was forced out of position, leaving the net open. A quick defensive recovery led to a blocked shot and clearance, which earned Spokane an early corner.

Zephyr Midfielder Sophie Braun came close to capitalizing one of Spokane's many first half chances after a series of passes left her open just outside the penalty box, but her shot missed just left. Despite the offensive success, Spokane fell behind in the 19th minute as Defender Vivianne Bessette converted off of a corner that gave Tampa Bay the lead.

"I'm proud of the fight we had, and obviously it's a disappointing result, but I think it's a good step forward and we're excited for what's to come," Braun said. "Nicole has brought some good forward, aggressive thinking to the team.

Spokane continued to create opportunities, as a header from Lena Silano in the 26th minute and a pair of corners forced multiple saves. However, Tampa Bay would maintain their 1-0 lead heading into halftime.

To begin the second half, Tampa Bay earned another early corner in the 52nd minute, but Spokane quickly turned defense into offense. Zephyr Forward Cameron Tucker delivered a cross to Silano, whose shot narrowly missed the post. In the 58th minute, Forward Tori Waldeck broke free on a counterattack before play was stopped by a penalty.

Zephyr Head Coach Nicole Lukic reflected on the changes made throughout the match. "At halftime, we talked about Tampa Bay looking to overload those wide channels and making sure that we're able to squeeze tighter," Lukic said. "Once we were able to do that, we could really move up the field quickly and get to the goal."

In the 60th minute, Zephyr Midfielder Sophie Braun threaded a pass to Ginger Fontenot, but her attempt missed the net by only inches. Midfielder Emma Jaskaniec then set up another quality chance in the 64th minute, connecting with Lena Silano in front of the goal and forcing a Tampa Bay sliding save.

Silano was quick to mention the uptick in tempo in the second half that they hope to carry over. "Going into the second half, we had some momentum and were creating more opportunities," Silano said. Next week, we plan to end this first half of our home season run with a bang."

Shortly after, Zephyr FC earned a free kick that led to a scoring opportunity as Sydney Schneider was once again drawn out of position, but the ball was cleared before the attack could reach it.

Spokane would look to make a push late, earning a corner in the 75th minute, and nearly found an equalizer in stoppage time. A rainbow pass into the penalty box by Sophie Braun set up one final opportunity, but the shot off the reception drifted just wide as bodies collided. At the final whistle, Spokane fell to Tampa Bay by a score of 1-0.

Despite the result, Zephyr FC looks to use this as a learning experience heading into the next phase of the season. "We're learning new things as a group and sometimes that takes time," Coach Lukic said. "I think you'll see from the stats sheet that this is probably the most opportunities at goal that the team's created in a while, so that's really positive."Following Sunday's match, Spokane Zephyr FC will continue their homestand with a match against Dallas Trinity FC on Saturday, November 15th. The match is set to kickoff at 6 PM PT and can be streamed on Peacock. For tickets to the next home match, visit Zephyr FC Tickets - USL Spokane

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Gainbridge Super League Stories from November 9, 2025


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