LEXINGTON, Ky. — It was a record-breaking night at Lexington SC Stadium as the Lexington SC women clinched the first playoff berth in club history, Catherine Barry became the league’s single-season scoring record-holder and the club beat Tampa Bay Sun FC, 4-0.
A Taylor Aylmer interception deep in Tampa territory set the scene for a McKenzie Weinert masterclass to open the scoring 20 minutes in. Weinert received the ball just outside the box, cut inside, nutmegged a defender and tapped her shot past the keeper.
Once the second half began, so did the Catherine Barry show.
Barry scored twice in 91 seconds to record her fifth brace of the season, the most by any player in league history.
She then capped her evening with a third goal to extend LSC’s lead to 4-0 and record the first hat trick in Lexington Sporting Club women’s history.
Overall, it took the best scorer in the league only 15 minutes to bag all three goals.
Barry now trails her teammate Addie McCain for the most goals in league history by only two. McCain tallied 10 goals a season ago and added seven more during the current campaign.
Not to be overlooked, goalkeeper Kat Asman and the Lexington backline came up with their ninth clean sheet of the season. It was the club’s fourth clean sheet in its last five matches, and LSC now ranks second in the league in shutouts.
Four matches remain for Lexington this season, and the Players’ Shield and No. 1 seed are still in reach. LSC matches up with the league leaders, Sporting JAX, next weekend in a heavyweight bout that will go a long way to determining the playoff picture.
GOALS
LEX: 20’ McKenzie Weinert (assist: Taylor Aylmer)
LEX: 49’ Catherine Barry (assist: Alyssa Bourgeois)
LEX: 50’ Catherine Barry
LEX: 64’ Catherine Barry (assist: Sarah Griffith)
LINEUPS
LEX: Kat Asman, Ally Brown (80’ Cassie Rohan), Regan Steigleder, Allison Pantuso, Alyssa Bourgeois, Taylor Aylmer, Darya Rajaee (68’ Hannah Johnson), McKenzie Weinert (68’ Tati Fung), Sarah Griffith (68’ Hannah White), Addie McCain, Catherine Barry (72’ Nicole Vernis)
TB: Emory Wegener, Victoria Haugen (65’ Farrah Walters), Brooke Hendrix, Vivianne Bessette, Taylor Chism (67’ Siena Bryan), Sandrine Gaillard (45’ Anna Heilferty), Jordyn Listro, Peyton Parsons, Sydny Nasello, Maddie Pokorny (45’ Sabrina McNeill), Faith Webber (65’ Maddie Parsons)
UP NEXT
It is a first vs. second matchup in the Gainbridge Super League next weekend as the LSC women are off to Florida to take on Sporting JAX. Kickoff on Saturday, April 25 is set for 2 p.m. ET.
