DC Power FC got their spring season started with a 3-3 draw on Sunday afternoon on the road against Carolina Ascent. DC Power entered the match, the first of the spring portion of the USL Super League’s inaugural season, hoping that the midseason break would be a chance to start fresh with a result.

DC Power’s main issue in the fall was the inability to score, but in this match they followed Phil Nana’s desire to be more aggressive and direct with getting shots on goal. DC Power got the scoring started after Carolina turned the ball over in their own penalty area, with the ball rolling to the feet of Nicole Douglas. Carolina’s Jenna Butler immediately clipped Douglas in the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Katie Duong hammered the penalty take home to make it 1-0 for DC Power, her first goal of the season.

Carolina Ascent equalized in the 40th minute, when Sarah Troccoli sent a shot in from outside the box. The shot squeaked through the hands of DC Power goalkeeper Morgan Aquino into the goal. The teams went into the locker rooms at the half tied 1-1.

DC Power interim coach Phil Nana said that the message at halftime was to have more composure and believe in each other. “The message there was to calm down, we got this, and we have this where we can compete with these players in and out of possession,” Nana said. The key was for the team to get back to playing their game on their terms and take the run of play to Carolina.

Early in the second half, it was DC Power again to take the lead, as Yuuka Kurosaki had a long range blast that got past the hands of Carolina goalkeeper Meagan McClelland to make it 2-1. It was Kurosaki’s first goal of the season.

However, DC Power were not able to hold the lead for long, as in the 58th minute, Mia Corbin was able to get behind the defense on the breakaway, finishing the play with a goal past Aquino to once again level the score.

Four minutes later, Carolina capitalized on a DC Power turnover deep in the box. Sarah Troccoli hit the ball towards the center of the box, where it bounced off Madison Wolfbauer and then Aquino on its way into the back of the net.

Down 3-2, DC Power fought to get the equalizer, and in the 83rd minute they got it. Gianna Gourley, in her DC Power debut, was able to get past the defense on a turnover and fire home a rocket to make it 3-3.

“I just got pushed forward up top and we were doing a great job pressing them and keeping them in their half,” Gianna Gourley said after the match. “Their player played a bad ball back, I saw it, read the gap and just placed it in. Obviously, power to the defense because they made that possible.”

The match had a couple more moments, but in the end both teams settled for the point. “A point on the road against one of the best teams in the league, it’s not too shabby,” interim coach Phil Nana said after the match. “I thought we had moments that we didn’t play well, and we had moments that we did. It’s about going back, looking at the film and seeing what we need to address. Also, giving the girls their flowers on the things they did very well. Scoring three goals on the road isn’t easy on any level. We’re happy with that as a staff.”

DC Power FC move to 3W-7L-5D on the season and are in seventh place in the USL Super League standings with 14 points. They currently sit 10 points below the playoff line. The team has a week off before they return to action on March 9th against Lexington SC at Audi Field.