CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tampa Bay Sun FC earned its first win of the 2026 Fall Season on Saturday night, defeating Carolina Ascent 2-1 at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
The victory moves the Sun to 1-1-1 on the season and into fourth place in the standings, while Carolina drops to third.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Shea Connors stepped to the penalty spot and calmly converted to give the Sun a 1-0 lead. The goal marked Connors’ second of the 2026 Fall Sprint Season and continued her impact since joining the club late last season.
Carolina found its equalizer in the 68th minute when Reese Tappan headed home from a Jill Aguilera corner kick.
The tie did not last long.
Just seven minutes later, Darya Rajaee found Sydny Nasello, who finished with a one-time strike into the bottom corner to put Tampa Bay back in front. Nasello nearly added another shortly after, but her effort struck the crossbar.
The Sun held off Carolina’s late push to secure the 2-1 victory and all three points. The result handed the Ascent its first loss of the 2026 Fall Season while giving Tampa Bay its first win.
NEXT UP: THE FLORIDA DERBY
Tampa Bay returns home on Saturday, Sept. 12, for another chapter of the Florida Derby, taking on in-state rival Fort Lauderdale United FC for the team’s Home Opener.
The Sun have never lost to Fort Lauderdale, carrying an unbeaten record into Saturday’s matchup. The rivalry dates back to the inaugural 2024-25 season, when the two clubs met five times, including the inaugural USL Super League Championship. After three regular-season draws and a Tampa Bay win in their final regular-season meeting, the Sun defeated Fort Lauderdale 1-0 in extra time to claim the league’s first championship.
The rivalry continued throughout the 2025-26 season, with the sides meeting four times. The first two matches ended in draws, with Tampa Bay and Fort Lauderdale playing to a 0-0 draw on Oct. 4 and a 1-1 draw on Nov. 15. The Sun then earned back-to-back victories, shutting out Fort Lauderdale 2-0 on Feb. 21 before claiming a 2-1 road win on May 2.
Through the first two seasons of the rivalry, Tampa Bay remains unbeaten against Fort Lauderdale, with the Sun holding four wins and five draws across nine meetings.
Now, the Florida Derby returns for the 2026 Fall Sprint Season. Tampa Bay enters Saturday in fourth place at 1-1-1, while Fort Lauderdale currently sits sixth in the standings.
SALUTE TO SERVICE
September’s 12th’s Home Opener will also serve as Salute to Service, presented by Suncoast Credit Union, honoring members of the military and first responder communities.
The Sun will welcome Fort Lauderdale to Suncoast Credit Union Field for a 6 p.m. kickoff, looking to extend their unbeaten history against their in-state rival and build off of their first win of the 2026 Fall Season.
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