Studer’s brace lifts Carolina to a much-needed win in Charlotte
Dallas Trinity FC‘s six-match unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end Saturday afternoon as they fell 2-0 to Carolina Ascent FC at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Sydney Studer‘s two headed goals from corner kicks proved the difference as the Ascent snapped their own three-match losing streak.
The loss drops Dallas to 7-6-3 (24 points), but they remain in third place in the Gainbridge Super League standings. Carolina improves to 6-7-5 (23 points), moving within one point of Dallas.
First Half: Carolina’s Early Pressure
Head coach Nathan Thackeray deployed the same starting XI that dismantled Fort Lauderdale United 4-0 two weeks prior, but his side struggled to find the same rhythm against a motivated Carolina side.
The Ascent came out aggressively, pinning Dallas deep in their own third with expansive, numbers-forward play. Trinity looked to counter through the wings, but Philip Poole‘s press disrupted their buildup.
Dallas thought they had opened the scoring in the 7th minute when Lexi Missimo finished a no-look pass from Cyera Hintzen, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Just a minute later, Tyler McCamey was called into action with a crucial save on Mackenzie George‘s shot – a sign of things to come from the relentless Carolina forward. The Golden Girls continued to grow into the match, and by the 18th minute had begun to possess the ball more comfortably.
The physicality ramped up as the half progressed. Lily Nabet picked up a yellow card in the 19th minute for dragging down Wayny Balata by her jersey, a sign of the chippy afternoon to come.
Carolina broke through in the 25th minute. Jill Aguilera whipped in a corner from the right side, and Studer rose highest at the near post to power a header past McCamey. The angle made it impossible for McCamey to react, and Carolina took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
“Tired of losing, tired of not coming away with wins,” Studer said in a halftime interview with the broadcast.
Second Half: More of the Same
The second half picked up where the first left off, with Carolina continuing to press Dallas into their defensive third. The Golden Girls struggled to generate sustained attacking pressure, though individual efforts from Balata and the back line kept them in the match.
Lauren Flynn was immense defensively, blocking multiple shots from George, who relentlessly drove at the Dallas defense throughout the afternoon. The slow turf at American Legion Memorial Stadium didn’t help either side, with the ball often dying when it hit the surface.
Thackeray made his first substitution in the 55th minute, bringing on Bethany Bos for Allie Thornton.
But it was Studer who would have the final say. In the 63rd minute, Aguilera delivered another dangerous corner. The ball bounced in the box and popped up on the far post, where Studer was waiting to nod home her brace. It was her first two goals of the season.
Dallas pushed for a way back into the match, and Chioma Ubogagu missed a golden opportunity in the 65th minute, firing over the bar with the goal gaping. Thackeray made a double substitution in the 67th minute, bringing on Sealey Strawn and Jenny Danielsson for Heather Stainbrook and Ubogagu. In the 70th minute, Tyler Lussi made her Carolina debut, coming on as the Ascent looked to see out the match.
The substitutions nearly sparked a late comeback. In the 79th minute, Bos launched herself at an incredible cross from Lancaster, her diving header clanging off the post. The rebound fell back to her, but she was out of position after the dive and couldn’t capitalize. Moments later, she raced down the left side only to see her shot sail just wide.
Late Drama
The match turned increasingly fractious in the closing stages. Flynn earned a yellow card in the 71st minute for dragging George to the ground just outside the penalty area. Samar Guidry followed with her own yellow three minutes later for a similar foul. The turning point came in the 86th minute when Nabet kicked the ball away after a foul on Balata, earning her second yellow card and reducing Carolina to 10 players.
Deep into stoppage time, Flynn received her second yellow for yet another foul on George, meaning both teams finished with 10 players for the final six minutes of the seven-minute stoppage period. Despite the numerical advantage and Bos’s late heroics, Dallas couldn’t find a way through. The final whistle confirmed a 2-0 Carolina victory.
By the Numbers
Dallas dominated possession, controlling the ball for 70.9% of the match – a staggering figure that highlights their inability to convert territorial advantage into goals. They managed just two shots on target from 11 total attempts, while Carolina were far more clinical with four of 13 shots finding the frame.
McCamey made two saves and now has eight stops in three matches this season. Fifteen players saw action for Dallas, but the lack of cutting edge in the final third proved costly.
The Golden Girls are now 3-4-1 on the road this season and 3-2-1 all-time against Carolina.
What They Said
Nathan Thackeray: “I actually thought we played quite well for a lot of moments of the game. We were very wasteful in the final third and had very good opportunities to score in both the first and second half, but we didn’t take advantage of it. We’ll keep working and improving. As I said to the team, we won’t be defined by results, we’ll be defined by performance and application.”
Caroline Swann: “Overall, I thought we played well, fought hard as a team, and kept our heads up. Despite the loss, we pushed through to the end together. We’ll keep going and do better next week.”
Looking Ahead
Dallas Trinity FC returns home for the highly anticipated I-45 Texas Showdown against NWSL side Houston Dash on Saturday, February 28, at 6:00 p.m. CT at Cotton Bowl Stadium. The friendly will air on Univision and stream on Victory+ and TUDNXtra.
The match will provide an opportunity for Trinity to reset after their first loss in seven matches, though they’ll do so without Missimo and Strawn, who depart for U.S. youth national team camps the day before.
Dallas remains firmly in playoff position in third place, but the gap between themselves and fifth-place Carolina has now shrunk to just one point. The two teams will meet again on April 19 at the Cotton Bowl in what could prove to be a crucial late-season clash.
MATCH INFO: Saturday, February 21, 2026
2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT
American Legion Memorial Stadium – Charlotte, NC
SCORING SUMMARY: 25′ – CAR: Sydney Studer (Jill Aguilera)
63′ – CAR: Sydney Studer (Jill Aguilera)
DISCIPLINE: 19′ – CAR: Lily Nabet (Yellow Card)
71′ – DAL: Lauren Flynn (Yellow Card)
73′ – DAL: Samar Guidry (Yellow Card)
84′ – DAL: Amber Wisner (Yellow Card)
86′ – CAR: Lily Nabet (Second Yellow/Red Card)
90+1′ – DAL: Lauren Flynn (Second Yellow/Red Card)
DALLAS TRINITY FC LINEUP: Tyler McCamey; Cyera Hintzen (Caroline Swann 74′), Lauren Flynn, Amber Wisner (C), Samar Guidry; Heather Stainbrook (Sealey Strawn 67′), Lexi Missimo, Wayny Balata; Camryn Lancaster, Allie Thornton (Bethany Bos 55′), Chioma Ubogagu (Jenny Danielsson 67′)