Unbeaten LSC Women Take on League Leaders Sporting JAX
GSL Lexington Sporting Club

Unbeaten LSC Women Take on League Leaders Sporting JAX

Published on February 20, 2026 under Gainbridge Super League (GSL)
Lexington Sporting Club News Release


Lexington, KY - The Lexington Sporting Club women's team returns home Saturday to face league leaders Sporting Club Jacksonville in a top-of-the-table clash. A victory for the Greens would see them reclaim the top spot in the Gainbridge Super League with a third of the season remaining.

This weekend's match marks the first home fixture of the Spring Schedule for LSC, and anticipation is high as the league's two highest-scoring sides meet for the first time since the fall. The clubs first faced off in Lexington on October 31, when the Greens earned a 4-2 victory behind goals from four different scorers.

Saturday's match will also feature the league's two leading goal scorers, with Jacksonville's Ashlyn Puerta topping the charts with 11 goals, while LSC's Catherine Barry sits in second with nine of her own.

LSC was originally scheduled to play at home last weekend against Dallas Trinity FC, but that match was postponed due to field conditions and has been rescheduled for March 8. The unexpected break has given the squad a full two weeks to prepare for this matchup.

The last time Lexington took the field, the club extended its record-setting unbeaten run with a comeback win on February 7. Trailing 1-0 on the road against Carolina Ascent FC, LSC rallied for a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Alyssa Bourgeois and McKenzie Weinert, marking the team's first comeback win of the season. The result pushed Lexington's remarkable unbeaten run to 16 matches during the 2025/26 campaign and 17 straight dating back to last season. They'll be looking to extend the streak to 18 straight on Saturday.

With two of the league's most dangerous attacks meeting in Lexington's spring home opener, Saturday's matchup promises goals, momentum swings, and major Players' Shield implications.

Kickoff from Lexington SC Stadium is set for 2 p.m. ET.

SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE

Jacksonville enters Saturday with a record of 9-4-4, good for a one-point lead in the standings over second-place Lexington.

JAX was last in action on February 11, when they defeated visiting Spokane Zephyr FC 3-0. Saturday's match will mark Jacksonville's first road game in four matches, with their last away fixture coming in a 3-0 victory over Tampa Bay Sun FC on December 6. The club has not played an official match outside the state of Florida since November 8, when they defeated Dallas Trinity FC 2-0 at the Cotton Bowl.

Like Lexington, Stacey Balaam's side has established itself as one of the league's elite attacking teams. With 32 goals scored, Jacksonville ranks second in the league, just one behind LSC. The side from The River City also ranks first in shots on target (83), first in shot conversion rate (20%), second in big chances created (32), third in total shots (206), and third in shots inside the box (150). The underlying numbers have been equally impressive, with Jacksonville registering the second-highest expected goals (xG) total in the Gainbridge Super League this season at 28.32, second only to Lexington's 30.18.

Defensively, Jacksonville has also been strong in recent weeks, conceding just three goals across its last eight Gainbridge Super League matches. Kaitlyn Parks has started in goal for all of those fixtures and is responsible for all six of Jacksonville's clean sheets this season.

STAT OF THE MATCH

3,960. That is the number of consecutive minutes Allison Pantuso has played, and the streak is still going strong. The center-back has not missed a single minute since the start of the Gainbridge Super League in August 2024. Between last season with Brooklyn FC and this year in Lexington, Pantuso has been a constant anchoring presence in the middle of the defensive line.

Following Spokane's Sarah McCoy seeing her streak of 4,072 consecutive minutes come to an end last week, Pantuso now holds the longest active minutes-played streak in the league. She will look to add another 90 minutes this weekend as she continues to chase McCoy's 4,072 mark and extend an already remarkable ironwoman run.

HOW TO WATCH

The match will be streamed live on Peacock.

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



Gainbridge Super League Stories from February 20, 2026


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