Jillienne Aguilera of Carolina Ascent FC scored the winning goal against the Tampa Bay Suns in minute 90+6. Photo courtesy of Lena Malpeli.
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By Isabella Ferrou
TAMPA, Fla. — It was a disappointing loss for the Tampa Bay Suns after losing 2-1 to Carolina Ascent FC during the penultimate home match of the 2025-2026 season.
On April 25, 2026, fans celebrated Pride Night as the Suns neared the end of a tough season and became the first team to officially be out of contention for the playoffs. The Suns entered the match needing a win, knowing a loss or draw would end their season, and the defeat did just that.
With only three games left, the Suns’ record is 4-9-12, with their last home game win being in February against Fort Lauderdale United FC. The reigning Super League Champions are sitting last at No. 9 in the table, trailing 24 points to their opponent, Carolina Ascent, which is No. 3 overall and has already clinched a playoff spot last Sunday.
Last time Tampa Bay took on Carolina Ascent FC, the Suns came up short, losing 2-1, and this game was no different. Even though they still had the same outcome, this loss weighed more on the team, putting an end to an underwhelming season.
Captain Jordyn Listro was visibly discouraged in the press conference by this outcome, considering the team had other plans for how this season would go.
“It’s a terrible feeling [to be out of the playoffs] since when we won the championship, we wanted to go into this season and do it all over again,” said Listro.
Listro said she was hoping throughout the year that there was going to be a point where the team could take off and start a winning streak. That was not the team’s outcome this season.
Tampa Bay’s 4-1-3-2 lineup formation in the first half was not creating chances in the center, considering the offensive midfielders were pulling back rather than starting goal-scoring plays. This put a lot of pressure on Listro, who needed to not only recover the ball but also start the plays on her own, which was not being done.
While the first half was slow for the Suns, showing little pressure offensively and accumulating only two shots on target, the Ascent FC started showing signs of fatigue towards the end of the half, which Tampa Bay took advantage of throughout the rest of the game.
During the second half, there were many substitutions from both teams, which made the utmost difference in how the game was played. Head Coach Denise Schilte-Brown changed up the formation to a 3-4-2-1, which created defensive stability, high attacking numbers, and fast transitions to offense and defense, which was shown on the field.
Starting the second half, both teams were very aggressive and were making many goal-worthy plays. Considering Tampa Bay and Carolina both have a quick style of offensive play, most goal attempts were due to counterattacks that left the opposing defense unprepared.
However, up until minute 84, Tampa Bay showed a strong performance on defense, especially by center Vivianne Bessette and an amazing save from goalkeeper Liz Beardsley.
Carolina Ascent FC were the first on the scoreboard after a well-orchestrated buildup, with a key pass from Jillienne Aguilera, who created space for teammate Jenna Butler to slot the ball past the keeper.
Tampa Bay responded in minute 87 with a goal by Shea Connors on her debut. Connors was a former Sydney FC forward who was officially signed to the Tampa Bay Suns on April 21, 2026.
“It felt really incredible to finally score a goal with these girls, and it’s been great being here and making an impact,” said Connors.
Towards the last minutes of the match, both teams were attacking. The desperation to win struck badly for the Suns, causing a penalty after a sloppy tackle from the goalkeeper in minute 90+6.
In hopes of distracting Aguilera, the crowd roared to keep the score 1-1 during the last play of the game. Carolina struck the ball into the top middle post, leaving the goalkeeper helpless and ending the game 2-1.
After this tough loss, Schilte-Brown reflected on the team’s performance and the strategies they are hoping to use as they close out this season.
“I think if we continue to stay together and support one another and grow into the system, I feel like we had good opportunities to score, we negated what they were good at, and we’ll look again at our upcoming opponent and make sure that we can do it again,” said Schilte-Brown.
She closed the press conference saying this was not the ending she wanted, but she is proud of the group’s resilience and the Heat Wave who always come out to support the team no matter what. While there are a few matches left, she is now transitioning her focus to next season to bring back the title.
“Our preparation is happening, and we’re going to continue to believe in Tampa Bay being a championship city and be back on top,” said Schilte-Brown.