Dallas Trinity returned to action at the Cotton Bowl on a gusty, cold Saturday night drawing Tampa Bay Sun in their third matchup of the 2024-25 season. The last time these two teams faced off was in December, and Dallas got a comfortable 2-0 victory.
Lexi Missimo, Dallas’s marquee offseason signing, got to work right away in her pro debut, scoring just four minutes into the first half off a beautifully placed cross from Allie Thornton.
“You could not have wrote that script any better, could you? I think that Lexi just has a lot of composure,
said Coach Paulie MacDonald. “She’s a young player, she’s been a top player in the college game, but her composure in the goal is second to none. I think she is gonna bring something really different. We worked really hard with her when the nine drops in to get beyond, and she did that this evening.”
Just minutes later, Dallas lost possession in their own third but survived thanks to some heroics from goalkeeper Madison White. Dallas’s shaky defense was a theme in the first half but would get stronger as the game went on. Sealy Strawn saw a lot of action in this match and also came up big in several defensive battles.
Hannah Davison, who was listed as questionable on the injury report, exited the match in the 44th minute after taking what looked like a hard hit to the shoulder. Loan signing Deborah Abiodun replaced her, marking her Dallas debut.
Dallas looked sluggish to start the second half, conceding a goal just five minutes in, as Tampa Bay’s newest addition, Parker Groins, marked her pro debut with her first career goal.
Chances were limited after that as both teams did get many opportunities, and the pace of the second half slowed compared to a high-energy first half.
Missimo saw little of the ball after her goal. Cyera Hintzen stepped up for Dallas late creating a few opportunities but none went anywhere.
Tamara Bolt also made her Dallas Trinity debut, coming in as late second-half substitute.
With this draw, Dallas’s record is now 6-6-3, holding onto 2nd place in the league standings, with 24 points. Their next match will be against Spokane Zephyr on February 22 at the Cotton Bowl.
