Sporting JAX Returns to Win Column with Wire-To-Wire Victory in Dallas
GSL Sporting Club Jacksonville

Sporting JAX Returns to Win Column with Wire-To-Wire Victory in Dallas

Published on November 8, 2025 under Gainbridge Super League (GSL)
Sporting Club Jacksonville News Release


Sporting Club Jacksonville (4-3-3) took down Dallas Trinity FC (3-5-1), 2-0, on Saturday with the help of two first-half goals and strong defense.

Things started off tame, but disaster struck for Dallas in the sixth minute when goalkeeper Samantha Estrada struggled with a return. Paige Kenton, who was recently named to the Gainbridge Super League October Team of the Month, was ready to pounce.

"The coaches talked about pressing hard from the beginning and setting the tone for the game, so l just went for it," Kenton said. "There was also great communication coming from my teammates behind me encouraging me to go for it."

Kenton put it away to secure an early lead for Sporting JAX. In just six minutes, they had offensively outdone their previous performance against Dallas. It didn't take long for the home team to bounce back, launching a dangerous counterattack just three minutes later. Sporting JAX weathered that storm, but it wouldn't be the only gale they faced Saturday.

The visitors found themselves the beneficiary of another Dallas miscue in the 23rd minute, when Ashlyn Puerta snuck in her ninth goal of the season. In the blink of an eye, Jacksonville now held a 2-0 win. It began to look like it would be another strong away campaign for the road warriors.

"[In the] first half, we did a good job of dominating and connecting our passes and playing in their half," Puerta said.

Getting a lead isn't easy, and holding onto it certainly isn't either. The Sporting JAX defense faced onslaughts, but held strong school time in what was a rather physical match. Key blocks from Georgia Brown, along with clutch saves from goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks, helped maintain the lead as the sun set on Cotton Bowl Stadium.

"It's always a great feeling to score early and go into half time up, but obviously it does mean that we have to weather some pressure in the second half," Kenton said. "I was really proud of the effort from our team."

As stoppage time ran out, Sporting JAX capped off a strong victory, winning 2-0. This marks Parks' second clean sheet within the last month and, more importantly, a strong bounceback for the team as a whole. After a rough outing in Lexington on Halloween, head coach Stacey Balaam wanted to see a positive response from her team.

"We were not happy with our performance or the outcome last week, so we needed to use this opportunity tonight to respond and get back on track," Balaam said. "We had to ride our luck at times in the game and we were not in full control when we needed to be but we stuck together, dug deep and battled for the 3 points."

Sporting JAX now enters a slight break in play third in the Gainbridge Super League table, but sights will be set on a November 22 home match against Fort Lauderdale United FC, their first time facing the in-state foe. Tickets are available as the club celebrates Military Appreciation Night.

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