LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington SC saw its first draw of the spring season at home against Brooklyn FC. The match saw a bounce back the two losses Lexington SC has seen so far in the back half of the season.
Frigid temperatures in the Commonwealth were no matter for Lexington SC and Brooklyn FC, which brought the heat from the very first minute. Both teams seemed eager to claim a win on the unseasonably chilly March night.
The last time Lexington and Brooklyn faced off it ended in a loss for the Greens 3-0, and Lexington’s energy in the Spring suggested it didn’t intend to repeat that result. Despite valiant effort from both teams, the first half was uneventful apart from some strong saves by Sarah Cox.
Interim coach Sam Stockley said that one of the goals for tonight’s game was to, “get them organized and get a game plan, and get them bought into an identity defensively.” Despite a lack of points on the board, Lexington managed to hold a unified line against Brooklyn’s attack.
“As you can see tonight, they grabbed it with both hands, and the discipline and hard work they showed for each other was fantastic,” Stockley said.
The second half began much like the first. Due in no part to a lack of effort, nothing momentous happened until the 58th minute when Brooklyn FC’s Emily Yaple drew a yellow card. Frustration on both sides rose as the drive to score the first goal of the match intensified the longer the clock ticked on.
The first two subs of the night were in the 60th minute from Brooklyn as Mackenzie Pluck and Dana Scheriff came in preceding a free kick for Brooklyn that went over heads and out on the end-line. Madi Parsons replaced Claire Winter in the 65th minute in Lexington’s first sub of the game.
The 63rd minute saw Brooklyn’s fourth corner to Lexington’s zero, quickly succeeded by Brooklyn’s fifth and final corner of the night, which went unfinished. Lexington’s defensive line held firm against a barrage of attempts on Brooklyn FC’s part.
The 81st minute saw a well-placed through ball to Parsons that unfortunately went unfinished, but it was a clear show of the Greens’ determination to put the ball in the back of the net.
“I think we just showed our resilience,” Sarah Cox said of her team’s performance against the top team in the league. “I think that everyone is really excited to see this as the third game of our Spring season and really move forward from here.”
In a defensive lapse in judgement in the 90th minute, a pass sent back to Cox was picked up and resulted in a free kick for Brooklyn FC. Despite the chance it was given, Brooklyn FC’s attempt at a goal was no match for Cox and her brilliant block. After two minutes of stoppage time, the score remained 0-0, and Lexington SC saw its two-match losing streak come to an end.
LSC’s Shea Moyer described the result of the game as a “clean slate,” and said that the team is going to “build on this game and get better and hopefully start getting some wins in the next couple of weeks.”
Lexington returns against DC Power FC on March 9 at 2 p.m. ET in Washington DC. The game will air live on Peacock.
About Lexington Sporting Club
Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer third division men’s professional soccer), and in USL Super League (women’s professional soccer launching in 2024). The two professional teams are the pinnacle of the soccer ecosystem in Lexington that features more than 1,000 players within its youth and academy systems. Lexington SC in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.