Spokane, WA – Spokane Zephyr FC sought their second win against Dallas Trinity FC this season, but came up short following a 2-0 loss on their home pitch on Saturday night.
Spokane wasted no time putting the pressure on, as Zephyr Defender Ginger Fontenot sent a 3rd minute cross into the penalty area, forcing Dallas Goalkeeper Rylee Foster into a full-extension save. Minutes later, Zephyr Forward Lena Silano pushed the ball into the box, but the Dallas back line recovered quickly to clear the threat.
Head Coach Nicole Lukic commented on the team’s offensive output: “Tonight, we focused on creating opportunities and saw that translate in the match with 17 recorded shots.”
Zephyr FC sustained their attack with an 11th minute strike from Forward Cameron Tucker, followed by a pair of corner kicks and a shot on goal by Midfielder Sophie Braun.
Despite this early momentum for Spokane, Dallas broke the deadlock in the 29th minute. A pinpoint cross by Defender Samar Guidry found Forward Sealey Strawn on the other end, who placed her finish into the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Zephyr Forward Cameron Tucker emphasized that the best is yet to come for this group. “Not the result we wanted tonight, but we’ll keep growing, fighting, and staying focused on our goals,” Tucker said. “So grateful for Spokane and its unwavering support as we work to become the team we know we’re capable of being.”
Spokane nearly scored the tying goal in the 38th minute after a pass inside deflected off a Dallas defender and fell to Sophie Braun, whose redirected shot struck the crossbar and was cleared out of play. Spokane earned another opportunity late in the half through a corner kick, but Dallas held firm and took the 1–0 lead into halftime.
Spokane continued to search for the equalizer, generating multiple promising chances. Lena Silano created space just outside the penalty area in the 58th minute, firing a shot that skipped just wide of the right post. Dallas answered with an opportunity of their own just three minutes later, as Midfielder Camryn Lancaster connected on a header, but it narrowly missed left.
After 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, Zephyr Midfielder Emma Jaskaniec delivered a promising cross to Defender Charley Boone, who possessed the ball cleanly but could not finish the chance. Spokane came close to finding the equalizer they had been looking for after an 82nd minute corner kick, but the ball deflected several times inside a crowded box before lifting over the crossbar.
“Tonight wasn’t the result we wanted, but the performance was what we’ve been working toward,” Jaskaniec said. “We outplayed them for long stretches and showed real composure on the ball.”
Spokane earned a final pair of chances with a free kick in the 87th minute and a corner in the 88th, but Dallas was able to disrupt both opportunities. Despite producing more than twice as many shot attempts as Dallas, Spokane was unable to find the equalizer before Trinity FC Forward Rhea Moore sealed the victory for Dallas with a second goal coming in extra time.
“The team is doing a lot of background work right now that isn’t showing with our results quite yet,” Coach Lukic said. “The team and I believe in what we are doing and know we are right on the edge of flipping results in future matches.”Following Saturday’s match, Spokane Zephyr FC will begin a stretch of six straight road matches, starting with Brooklyn FC on Saturday, November 22nd. The match is set to kickoff at 10 AM PT and can be streamed on Peacock. For tickets to the next home match, visit Zephyr FC Tickets – USL Spokane
