This story was first published in the Tampa Bay Times on Feb. 8.
By Ella Zinken, Times Staff Writer
TAMPA — When the Tampa Bay Sun fell two goals behind Fort Lauderdale in the second half Saturday night at Riverfront Stadium, the game might have felt out of reach.
But the Sun persisted, setting the stage for a dramatic comeback.
Carlee Giammona and Cecilie Fløe Nielsen scored on penalty kicks, as Tampa Bay rallied for a 2-2 tie to keep pace with Fort Lauderdale in the USL Super League standings.
“(Saturday) was a surreal game,” said Sun coach Denise Schilte-Brown.
The Sun dominated early, holding Fort Lauderdale scoreless in the first half of their opening game of the spring season. But the United’s Ishata Hamid broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, and Sh’Nia Gordon doubled their lead five minutes later.
Still, the Sun battled back.
“We were the aggressive team,” Schilte-Brown said. “We definitely changed the narrative.”
Forward Sydny Nasello drew a foul in the penalty area in the 70th minute, setting up a penalty kick that Giammona converted past goalkeeper Cosette Morche. Giammona’s sixth goal of the season moved her into a tie for second in the league.
Then in extra time, Ashley Clark drew a foul, setting up the tying kick by Fløe Nielsen into the bottom right corner of the net.
“When Clark looked at me after she got the penalty,” Fløe Nielsen said, “I just knew — I got this.”
With the tie, the Sun (5-4-5) stayed in fifth place in the standings, one point behind Fort Lauderdale (6-5-3) and Carolina, who are tied for third. The top four teams at the end of the full season (which ends in late May) qualify for the playoffs.
Four players made their first appearances with the Sun, with defenders Jordan Zade and Victoria Haugen making their professional debuts.
Zade said she felt supported by both her teammates and the Sun’s fans.
“It was electric,” she said. “The vibe that the supporters gave was truly amazing.”
Goaltender Kaylan Marckese, a St. Petersburg native and former University of Florida standout, made her debut after missing the fall season with a knee injury. However, she was injured in the first 15 minutes and replaced by Ashley Orkus.
“We all love Kaylan, and we know she’s worked really hard to get back,” said Schilte-Brown, “but there wasn’t a moment where we didn’t think Orkus would do a great job.”
Schilte-Brown said she was proud of how her team handled the comeback.
“My team was resilient,” the coach said. “They showed a lot of courage and fight to get back.”
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Thumbnail Image Caption: The Tampa Bay Sun’s Cecilie Fløe Nielsen scores on a penalty shot in the 95th minute to secure a 2-2 tie with Fort Lauderdale Saturday night in Tampa. [ Tampa Bay Sun FC ]