This article was originally posted by the Tampa Bay Times on Feb. 22.
By Ella Zinken
TAMPA — Despite several major call-ups, including one of their leading scorers, Cecilie Fløe Nielsen, to Denmark’s under-23 national team, the Sun were able to secure a 1-1 tie against first-place Brooklyn Saturday night at Riverfront Stadium.
Brooklyn, which hadn’t allowed a goal since October 27, a stretch of four games, had its streak end late in the first half.
Midfielder Jade Moore scored off a well-placed assist from Natasha Flint in the 42nd minute to put the Sun ahead 1-0. The goal came at an auspicious time for Moore, who found herself in an unfamiliar position.
“I was actually being lazy in that moment,” Moore joked. “I swapped with Tash (Flint) and thought, ‘You go be a midfielder for a minute.’ I found myself in a (forward) position, which is rare for me. I just thought, ‘Execute, hit the target,’ and luckily for me it went in.”
With the tie, the Sun (5-4-7) stayed in fifth place in the USL Super League standings, two points behind fourth-place Carolina. Tampa Bay has not lost since Dec. 8 at Dallas, a span of four games.
Heading into the game, Sun head coach Denise Schilte-Brown emphasized the need for her team to play with more aggression, a strategy that helped disrupt Brooklyn’s usually dominant play.
“We knew we had to match their aggression,” Schilte-Brown said, “and I think we did that (Saturday).”
Moore, one of the team’s veteran players, echoed that sentiment. Her final words to her teammates before kickoff were simple but direct: “Let’s not be soft.”
“I pride myself on leading by example and hoping everyone else follows,” Moore said of her leadership role. “As we’re building a brand, we need other people to find a voice.”
Brooklyn fought back, however, and in the 58th minute, Mackenzie Pluck found the back of the net.
From there, the Sun’s defense locked down, holding Brooklyn scoreless for the remainder of the match. Goalkeeper Ashley Orkus made several crucial saves down the stretch to preserve the tie.
“I think Ashley is the best in the league at these types of saves,” said Schilte-Brown. “She’s got incredible range and an unbelievable speed of reaction.”
Orkus said she consciously tries to win every moment of a match, particularly in high-pressure situations.
“You might not win every battle,” she said, “but if you win every single moment you’re going to do a really good job for yourself.”
Saturday’s performance against a Brooklyn team that has won or tied its past seven matches gives the Sun momentum leading up to next week’s crossover match against Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. It will be among the first between teams from America’s two top-tier professional women’s soccer leagues.
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Thumbnail Image Caption: The Sun’s Jade Moore, right, celebrates her first-half goal during with teammate Jordyn Listro during Saturday’s match against Brooklyn at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]