Dallas Trinity got a crucial victory over Lexington Sporting Club on a cold and chilly Sunday afternoon, sending them into first place in league standings. Pauline MacDonald made only one adjustment to the squad that won at the Cotton Bowl last Wednesday night, starting Finnish international Jenny Danielsson over Chioma Ubogagu. This match marked Dallas’s third in just eight days.
“I’m absolutely delighted for the players and their efforts. Three matches in nine days is very difficult, especially having two of them on the road. I think that we had some really good moments. Overall, we scored three really good goals and potentially could’ve had more. The players worked tirelessly for each other and we knew that there was going to be fatigue in the legs. They gave it their best effort and got the job done.”
Dallas Trinity Head Coach Pauline MacDonald
The weather was a significant factor in the entire match. Steady rain and chilly conditions had impacted Lexington all week. A flood warning was also in effect which made it difficult for both teams to maintain possession and string passes together.
Dallas nearly seized the lead in the 25th minute after Tamara Bolt was brought down, earning a free kick. Danielsson played a pinpoint ball into the box, and it initially looked like Gracie Brian had gotten a small touch that pushed the ball just over the line before Lexington cleared it out. Howeve,r Brian was ruled offside.
It wasn’t until the 35th when Camryn Lancaster intercepted the ball, took a shot that Sarah Cox could not collect, and Allie Thorton immediately pounced on the rebound but was taken down from behind, and Dallas was awarded a penalty. Captain Amber Brooks stepped up to take the penalty, which was also Dallas’s first ever penalty kick, and slotted it into the right corner with ease.
Five minutes later, Lexington got an equalizing chance. Brooks was called for a foul outside the box but Madison White came up with a big save to keep Dallas’s 1-0 lead preserved.
Dallas was more composed immediately at the onset of the second half, both on defense and offense. Cyera Hintzen made it 2-0 in the 63rd minute after Lexington’s defense failed to clear the ball, allowing Thornton to gain possession and lay it off to Hintzen, who buried it with a first-time left-footed shot.
A few minutes after the goal, MacDonald brought on several subs: Chioma Ubogagu, Natalie Wagner, Deborah Alibola, and Lucy Shepherd. They all created several chances which contributed to Dallas’s late half surge. In the 83rd minute, Shepherd earned a set piece for Dallas that would lead to Brian earning her third goal of the season and giving Dallas a 3-0 lead. That goal would mark Dallas’s 5th match this season with three or more goals scored.
Dallas had multiple chances at a fourth goal in the last 5 minutes of the match. Shepherd had a great chance in the 87th minute but her shot was saved by Cox and bounced off the left post. Alibola got a clean look in the 89th minute but stumbled. Shepherd had another opportunity in the 90th minute, but the shot went wide.
The playoff race is really starting to heat up, and the margins are razor-thin. Four of the five teams have just 6 points between them, and all of them have a chance of securing a first and second place finish, which will earn them home field advantage when the playoffs start.
“I think we just need to remember that in this league, everything can change so fast. We can’t be caught up on that and we just have to be confident to play as one team and one unit. We have to stay positive and pick each other up because we know it’s going to be a battle down the stretch.”
Cyera Hintzen
Dallas will travel to Spokane for their next match who are currently on a hot streak since the beginning of the Spring season. You can watch the game on April 12th on Peacock.
