Nineteen-year-old midfielder Ashlyn Puerta made Gainbridge Super League history on Friday night, scoring four goals to lead Sporting JAX to a commanding 4-1 victory over Fort Lauderdale United FC at Hodges Stadium. The offensive masterclass set a new league record for the most goals scored by a single player in a match.

Overcoming an Early Deficit

Friday’s match began with an early setback for the hosts when Fort Lauderdale struck in the eighth minute to take a 1-0 lead. However, the deficit was short-lived.

In the 23rd minute, Sporting JAX forward Paige Kenton drew a foul inside the penalty area. Puerta stepped up to the spot and buried the penalty kick, leveling the match at 1-1 heading into halftime.

The Record-Breaking Performance

Less than 15 minutes into the second half, Sporting JAX took the lead for good. Team captain Sophie Jones threaded a pass to Meg Hughes, who delivered a well-placed cross that Puerta finished for her second goal of the night.

Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam credited her squad’s relentless attacking pressure. “That’s the key: it’s just persevering, being persistent, keep creating the opportunities and trust your technical ability,” Balaam said. “We just needed the timing to be right, the connection to be right and once that second goal went in, I think we could take a deep breath and we could relax a little bit.”

Puerta secured her hat trick in the 74th minute through sheer individual effort. Showcasing her defensive awareness, she forced a turnover, navigated through traffic, and fired a shot between a defender’s legs to extend the cushion to 3-1.

History was officially rewritten in the 84th minute. Forward Andrea Fernandez, who entered the match as a second-half substitute, provided the assist that allowed Puerta to net her fourth goal of the evening as Hodges Stadium erupted.

Despite setting a new league benchmark, Puerta immediately credited the collective squad. “It was a great overall team performance by us,” she said. “Offensively and defensively, we were just all over it tonight. We’ve just been waiting for this day and waiting for the connection to come back and it did today.”

Balaam echoed the praise for her young midfielder. “For Ash to score four goals, big night for her tonight. She’s capable of it, but for her, [it’s] really special and it really lifts the team.”

Building Momentum

The decisive victory provides a crucial boost for Sporting JAX as they navigate the second half of the season. Defender Georgia Brown, who recently returned from international duty with the Scotland Women’s National Team, noted the importance of the result.

“It was great to come back from such a long period off for both me and the team, and then to get a result like that, I think it really brings us momentum going into the second half of the season,” Brown said. “I think it gives the girls a lot of confidence.”

Fort Lauderdale United return to action Thursday October 22 at Amerant Bank Field against Carolina Ascent. Kickoff is at 7:30.