Zapped by Zephyr: Sporting Club Jacksonville women’s soccer couldn’t make a shooting advantage pay off, as Spokane Zephyr midfielder Emma Jaskaniec cleaned up after a saved penalty kick to down Sporting Jax 2-1 in Gainbridge Super League women’s soccer on April 19 at One Spokane Stadium.
Trying again: Spokane received a 69th-minute penalty kick when Sporting Jax goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks was whistled for taking down Maya Hansen in the box. Parks parried the initial shot, but Tori Zierenberg outraced Sporting Jax defenders to the loose ball and set up Jaskaniec from close range.
Second-half frustration: Sporting Jax (14-5-5) repeatedly raided down the flanks after halftime only to be denied by Spokane’s league saves leader Hope Hisey, who stopped Paige Kenton, Baylee DeSmit and Ashlyn Puerta.
Boman on target: Sporting Jax midfielder Sophia Boman scored for the fourth time in five games, finishing in the 36th minute after DeSmit spun around her defender on the right wing and drilled a low cross that Hisey couldn’t cleanly hold.
Quick free kicks: Zierenberg put Spokane (7-9-8) in front with a 12th-minute rocket inside the far corner. … Sporting Jax, unbeaten in its previous seven games, hadn’t allowed more than one goal in a game since Oct. 31. … The club’s lead over second-place Lexington SC dropped to four points. … Sporting Jax played without injured defender Julia Lester as well as center back Georgia Brown, who was on duty with Scotland’s national team in a 0-0 draw against Belgium in Women’s World Cup qualifying.
Up next: Sporting Jax returns to the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium to meet Lexington SC at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Sporting Jax women’s soccer streak ends at Spokane. What’s next?
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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