Three things to know as Lexington Sporting Club’s pro women’s soccer team returns to play
Lexington’s professional women’s soccer team is ready to return to the pitch.
After a two-month break, Lexington Sporting Club’s pro women’s team will return to play in the USL Super League on Saturday night.
The eight-team Super League is back up and running after taking a winter break, with LSC looking to make a move during the spring schedule to position itself for the postseason.
LSC will play 14 more games during the Super League regular season, with seven of those matches coming right here in Central Kentucky at the Lexington SC Stadium, which opened last September.
Here’s what you need to know as LSC returns to game action.
Lexington Sporting Club needs to make up ground to reach postseason
The top four teams in the Super League standings will qualify for the league’s single-elimination playoffs. This means LSC has some work to do if the team is to reach the playoffs in the Super League’s debut season.
Lexington finished the first half of the Super League season with a 3-8-3 (W-L-D) record, which was good enough for 12 points. Currently, LSC is seventh in the eight-team standings and nine points out of the final playoff spot.
The good news for Lexington is that the team entered the winter break with momentum. LSC’s final match of the fall portion of the season was a dominant 3-0 home win on Dec. 14 over DC Power FC. That match represented the first win in team history at the Lexington SC Stadium, which has a 7,500-seat capacity. Former UK women’s soccer star Hannah Richardson had two of LSC’s three goals in that match.
But if Lexington is to make a late-season push for the playoffs, it has to start with defense.
All eight teams in the Super League are now halfway through their respective seasons, having each played 14 matches. LSC has allowed the most goals (30) of any team in the league. Lexington’s goal differential (minus-10) is the second-worst in the league.
The good news is that Lexington head coach Michael Dickey’s team can clearly score. LSC is tied for the league lead in goals scored (20) with Dallas Trinity FC.
Lexington’s top scorer through 14 games is forward Madi Parsons with five goals. Defender Sydney Shepherd and forward Marykate McGuire each have four tallies.
LSC adds new players to USL Super League team
With this aforementioned push for the playoffs in mind, LSC used the winter break to make several roster changes.
Over the two-month break, Lexington announced the signing of six new players.
▪ Forward Kate Doyle
▪ Forward Hannah White
▪ Midfielder Elizabeth Moore
▪ Midfielder Nicole Vernis
▪ Defender Sintia Cabezas
▪ Defender Yunaira Lopez
Lexington also announced the departures of two players who were part of the team’s roster for the fall portion of the season. Forwards Madelen Holme and Kimberley Mendez have departed Lexington.
On Thursday morning, forward Kailey Utley announced her retirement from professional soccer. Utley is Lexington’s all-time leading scorer for the club’s pre-professional women’s team in the USL W League.
Lexington Sporting Club will play at least seven more home matches
Regardless of what happens with LSC’s postseason outlook, the club will play at least seven more Super League matches at the Lexington SC Stadium, which is located near Athens Boonesboro Road and Interstate 75 in Lexington.
Those seven home matches will be:
▪ 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, vs. Brooklyn FC
▪ 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, vs. Dallas Trinity FC
▪ 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, vs. Carolina Ascent FC
▪ 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, vs. Spokane Zephyr FC
▪ 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, vs. Tampa Bay Sun FC
▪ 7 p.m. on Friday, May 16, vs. Fort Lauderdale United FC
▪ 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, vs. DC Power FC
Lexington Sporting Club will play three consecutive matches at home to end the regular season.
Lexington owns a 1-4-2 mark at home in the 2024-25 Super League season. Through these seven matches, Lexington has reported an average of 1,811 fans per home match.
LSC has reported that a total of 12,679 fans have attended Super League matches at the Lexington SC Stadium. The largest crowd for an LSC home match in the Super League was 3,946 fans on Sept. 8, when Lexington opened the stadium with a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay Sun FC.
Saturday
Lexington Sporting Club at Carolina Ascent FC
What: USL Super League
When: 7 p.m.
Where: American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Online: Peacock
Series: Lexington Sporting Club and Carolina Ascent FC have drawn both of their previous matches
Last meeting: LSC and Carolina Ascent played to a 1-1 draw on Oct. 6, 2024, in Lexington
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 6:45 AM.
