August 20, 2024 – USL Super League (USLSL)
Tampa Bay Sun FC News Release
Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay Sun FC kicked off its inaugural season in the USL Super League this past Sunday against Dallas Trinity FC at Riverfront Stadium.
The team wasn’t lacking in support, with the Sun selling out their first official game as a first-division women’s professional soccer club. The team made its unprecedented arrival via Tampa’s iconic Pirate Water Taxi. Fans waited at the pickup area to cheer them on, and USL President Amanda Vandervort was at the drop off point to welcome the players to their first match.
The match kicked off shortly after 6:30, and it was the visiting team that came out of the gate hot. Dallas Trinity FC put shot after shot on target. Tampa’s Bay Ashley Orkus managed to keep the game in check, making numerous big saves. Despite Orkus’ best effort to keep the opponents off of the board, Dallas’ Hannah Davison was able to give her team the lead right before the halftime break.
Tampa Bay ramped up the aggression during the second half and began generating high-quality shots. The team finally broke through in the 69th minute when defender Brooke Hendrix headed in the Sun’s first-ever goal off of an Ashley Clark corner kick.
“We needed something, we needed a little push, and I was like, ‘I’m just going to do anything I can to get my head on this ball,” Hendrix said on her second-half equalizer. ” As it was coming in, I was like ‘Oh this is a perfectly weighted ball, and I just went for it.'”
Dallas had a few late opportunities to steal the win, but Ashley Orkus continued her dominance and denied every shot that came her way.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams earning a point in their opening games. Tampa Bay will be back in Riverfront Stadium this Saturday for Women’s Equality Night. The Sun will take on DC Power FC, who are searching for their first points of the season, with kickoff slated for 7:00 PM.
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