SPORTING CT TOPS ST. CROIX LEGACY TO ADVANCE
TO FIRST WPSL CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL

 

STILLWATER, OKLA. — Sporting CT fought back from a goal down to overwhelm St. Croix Legacy 4-1 in the WPSL Championships semifinal Friday night at Neal Patterson Stadium.

 

The win puts the first-year WPSL side through to the final to face five-time WPSL Champions, California Storm. 

 

Imani Jenkins, Tiffany Weimer, Tori Sousa, and Abby Johnson scored goals in the win for Sporting CT over the Central Region champs.

 

 

Sporting enjoying much of the possession for the first quarter of an hour. In contrast, St. Croix seemed content to seed possession to the East Conference winners, absorbing Sporting’s probing attacks and countering when the opportunity arose. 

 

After fending off Sporting’s vicious attack for the first half hour of the match, St. Croix began to find a rhythm of its own, finding holes in the Sporting defense as they looked to play its speedy frontrunners through to goal. To counter, Sporting began stepping up to contain the early balls St. Croix was playing over the top of the Sporting back line. 

 

“They are really, really athletic and direct, and were getting in behind us. They just didn’t go away,” Matt Cameron, Sporting CT co-head coach, said. “Even after we went up a couple goals they didn’t stop. We have to give them credit for that. They played a really tough game.” 

 

Photo by Cody Roper

 

In the 36th minute center back Kylee McIntosh was forced high into the midfield and forced to foul Brook Nelson with a break-stopping challenge. Grace Schwoch lobbed the resulting free kick onto the Sporting goal mouth where McIntosh misjudged the ball, glancing it off the side of her head past her own goalkeeper to put St. Croix up 1-0. 

 

“Even though we conceded the first goal, we had established ourselves prior to that. We felt pretty confident that at least we're going to be able to maintain that,” Cameron said. 

 

St. Croix’s lead held seven minutes. 

 

Photo by Cody Roper

 

Emily Senatore sprung Jenkins from the top of the box in the 44th minute, who outpaced her defender and put the ball back across the face of the goal to the far post to equalize for Sporting.

 

Weimer then made it 2-1 after the start of the second half, after St. Croix failed to clear the ball after goalkeeper Hadley Johnson got enough of a Weimer blast to put the ball off the crossbar. Weimer took full advantage of her second change, taking the ball from Taylor, pushing it past a defender to set up the shot from 15 yards out. 

 

In the 70th minute, it was nearly Weimer again, forcing St. Croix’s Hadley Johnson to parry a dangerous shot from a wide angle away for a corner kick. Cali-Dean Craft found the head of an unmarked Tori Sousa for an easy nod in to put Sporting up 3-1 in the 70th minute, followed by Johnson in the 74th minute, who waltzed in on Johnson after connecting with Cara Jordan in the penalty area, slitting home the fourth and final of Sporting’s goals on the night. 

 

Sporting now must face reigning WPSL Champions, California Storm, in the WPSL Championships Final on Sunday at Neal Patterson Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CDT). Watch live or on-demand on the National Soccer Network. 

 

SPORTING CT: 4

ST CROIX LEGACY: 1

 

Sporting CT: Caitlin Daley, Cara Jordan, Christina Stone, Emily Senatore, Greta Brunello, Imani Jenkins, Juliana Garcia, Kylee McIntosh, Lexi Taylor, Tiffany Weimer, Tori Sousa. Substitutes: Abbie Burges, Abby Johnson, Cali-Dean Craft, Elizabeth DiBlasi, Julia Salley, Lilly McFadden.

 

St. Croix Legacy: Hadley Johnson, Amara Smith, Emily Olson, Briana Henaman, Marisa Bonilla, Bella Meier, Wren Van De Walker, Brooke Nelson, Grace Schwoch, Savanna Stockness, Emily Hinze. Substitutes: Kate Praetz, Stella Nielsen, Cecilia Emery, Anabel Hillstrom, Kallan Tuominen.

 

Goals
0-1: Own Goal 36’
1-1: Imani Jenkins 43’
2-1: Tiffany Weimer 52
3-1: Tori Sousa 70’
4-1: Abby Johnson 74’

 

Misconduct
None

 

Stats
Sporting CT/St. Croix
Shots: 19/3
Shots on Target: 8/0
Saves: 0/5
Corner Kicks: 2/1
Offsides: 1/0
Fouls: 10/7