On a steamy evening of firsts, Tampa’s first women’s soccer team played its first match in front of its first home sellout, scoring its first goal and finishing with its first tie.
The Tampa Bay Sun Football Club kicked off the United Soccer League Super League’s inaugural season, rallying in the second half for a 1-all draw against the Dallas Trinity on Sunday.
The record book will note Brooke Hendrix scored Tampa Bay’s first goal on a corner kick from Ashley Clark in the 70th minute.
More than 5,000 fans watched at Riverfront Stadium, the renovated facility on Blake High School’s campus along the Hillsborough River. Among them were the Heatwave Sun fan club, several girls youth soccer clubs, and even Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and his family.
“None of us could have imagined this first day from it becoming like nothing to having something, a whole team and new league,” Hendrix said. “For that many people to show up for our first game, I think it just shows the area of Tampa is and the support we’re going to receive the rest of the season.”
The Sun organized a festive opening, with the tropical sounds of steel drum music and the players arriving via water taxi and walking down its “path to the pitch.”
“It adds a little bit of spice to Tampa,” Hendrix said of the river ride. “It was the definitely the most unique entrance I’ve ever had.”
It also added to the emotion that may have drained some of the team’s energy early.
“It was just an incredible crowd,” Sun coach Denise Schilte-Brown said. “I’m so proud of Tampa Bay showing up and being there for us. It was electric.”
Fans patiently watched the Trinity dominate much of the play against a Sun team still missing five international players. Dallas outshot Tampa Bay, 14-6, with multiple attacks early that were turned back by Sun goalkeeper Ashley Orkus.
“She’s an incredible shot stopper, and she just tracks the ball so well,” said Schilte-Brown, who spent 17 years as the coach of the University of South Florida's women's team before making the jump to her first pro league.
Orkus’ six saves included several lunges and dives that kept Sun — and the crowd — in the match until first-half stoppage time, when Dallas’ Hannah Davison scored off a cross from Chioma Ubogagu.
The lead held until Hendrix sent in her header off the set piece to even the score.
“We’re not just playing for us. We’re playing for you guys, we’re playing to be the role models for all the little girls in Tampa Bay. So getting scored on first, that not easy,” admitted Schilte-Brown.
“The most important thing, and I talked to my women about this, is it’s not where we start, it’s where we finish. So as long as we grow from game to game and get better and better, that’s what matters.”
After the game, the players walked around the stadium, signing autographs and taking photos with fans.
It was a long journey from when the Sun and start-up league announced its plans in May 2023. At least through one week, the opening jitters are proving worthwhile.
Six of the USL Super League’s eight teams opened this weekend with similar receptions: sellouts in Charlotte and Spokane.
The Sun’s first starting lineup: Vivianne Bessette, Jordyn Listro, Wasila Diwura Soale, Erika Tymrak, Kristen Edmonds, Carlee Giammona, Riley Mattingly Parker, Sydny Nasello, Hendrix, Clark and Orkus.
Tampa Bay returns to the Riverfront pitch at 7 p.m. Saturday against the D.C. Power.
