Sporting JAX Claws Back Late to Grab Point Against Fort Lauderdale United FC
GSL Sporting Club Jacksonville

Sporting JAX Claws Back Late to Grab Point Against Fort Lauderdale United FC

Published on December 13, 2025 under Gainbridge Super League (GSL)
Sporting Club Jacksonville News Release


Sporting Club Jacksonville (6-3-4, 22 pts) was back in Gainbridge Super League action on Saturday, taking on Fort Lauderdale United FC (4-3-6, 18 pts) for the second time in a row at Hodges Stadium, fighting hard to earn a point with a 1-1 draw.

Things got going a bit earlier than usual with the new 5:00 PM kickoff, which will also be in effect for next Saturday's home match on December 20. As golden hour set in, the battle heated up. The early minutes were back-and-forth, but Fort Lauderdale United FC eventually began applying serious pressure.

This string of heavy possession saw the visitors test Sporting JAX goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks, who held her ground with a number of impressive saves to keep the scoreboard clean. Sporting JAX would turn the tide some, piecing together a pair of threatening headers to make their presence known.

Despite numerous chances, the match reached half time all knotted up, 0-0.

The second half got underway with a positive storyline for the home team. After suffering an ankle injury in the squad's last home match, Ashlyn Puerta made her return to the pitch as a substitute in the 57th minute. She quickly reminded the opponents why she's the league-leader in goals, nearly striking just two minutes after coming on.

During Puerta's brief absence, the team held ground and more, securing a 3-0 win last week and playing competitively on Saturday before her entrance in the second half. She spoke to the nature of the roster and how it has been successful this season, including being a source of knowledge for the young star.

"I think that this is such a great program, and we have a great group of girls, great staff, so that has really helped all of us to kind of specifically meet in a lot of ways," Puerta said. "Everyone's different on the team, and you can learn something from everyone."

This moment was later dulled out when Fort Lauderdale's Kelli Van Treeck grabbed the lead in the 74th minute. With not much time left for Sporting JAX, this mission was clear: score now.

They used nearly all the time at their disposal, but the equalizer came in the 89th minute when Katie Sullivan found the back of the net after a wild ricochet of Jade Pennock's shot. Following the match, Sullivan spoke to the team's energy that produced the goal, and even came close to a potential winner.

"When they scored, we knew that there was still time left, and we had that feeling that we were going to get one back and be able to tie up the game," Sullivan said. "I know that we can score with even one minute left on the clock, so it's important that we just never give up, and I don't think we ever do."

No goals took place in the allotted five minutes of stoppage time, as the match came to a conclusion, 1-1. A win would've propelled Jacksonville into first in the standings, but the point gained does keep it to a one-point deficit.

Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam acknowledged the difficult gameplan that Fort Lauderdale deployed and its result, but was glad with her team's ability to secure a point after going down late.

"They wanted to deny what we have knowing that we've scored a lot of goals recently. So, you know, for us, it was about being patient and capitalizing on opportunities when we had them," Balaam said. "I was happy at the fact that we were able to rescue the point, but we certainly were a little bit wasteful with our chances today."

Sporting JAX remains second in the Gainbridge Super League standings, sitting one point behind Lexington SC. They will have a quick turnaround, returning to Hodges Stadium next Saturday to face Tampa Bay Sun FC. Kickoff is at 5:00 PM, with the fun starting at 3:00 PM in the Fanzone. Join us for Holiday Celebration Night by securing your tickets today!

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Gainbridge Super League Stories from December 13, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central