DC Power FC overcame a halftime deficit to win 3-2 in epic, comeback fashion over Dallas Trinity FC on Thursday night at Audi Field. Loza Abera’s brace and Susanna Fitch’s first goal of the season, all in the second half, gave DC Power their second straight win.

Lineups

DC Power (4-4-2): Morgan Aquino; Anna Bagley, Myra Konte (Madison Wolfbauer – 46′), Claire Constant (c), Madison Murnin; Susanna Fitch, Katie Duong (Grance Yango – 90+7′), Emily Colton, Yuuka Kurosaki (Loza Abera – 46′), Gianna Gourley, Carleigh Frilles (Charlie Estcourt – 90+2′)
Unused Subs: Adelaide Gay, Amber DiOrio, Jennifer Cudjoe

Dallas Trinity (3-4-3): Madison White; Atty Palomo, Jenna Walker, Hannah Davison; Tamara Bolt (Cyera Hintzen – 64′), Chioma Ubogagu, Amber Brooks (c), Deb Abiodun (Gracie Brian – 81′); Allie Thornton (Lucy Shepherd. – 87′), Camryn Lancaster (Natalie Wagner – 87′), Sealey Strawn
Unused Subs: Samantha Estrada, Julia Dorsey, Shadia Nankya

DC Power was a part of the inaugural match in USL Super League history last August when they lined up for their first match against Carolina Ascent FC. Thursday night, they made league history again as the contest against Dallas Trinity was the 100th match in USL Super League history. The match had all kinds of fireworks to make it one of the most entertaining of the season.

Both teams struggled to get their footing in the early minutes, but action started to be present about 15 minutes in. Dallas Trinity got the first chance of the match when Chioma Ubogagu was able to get a great header on goal. It required an incredible save by DC Power goalkeeper Morgan Aquino, but the ball rebounded to Camryn Lawrence right in front of the net. What surely felt like an easy goal became a brave save off the line by DC Power captain Claire Constant, who was able to stop the point blank shot.

Two minutes later, Gianna Gourley was able to put a move on a Dallas defender 35 yards from goal to open up some space and slot it to Carleigh Frilles. Frilles’ shot was saved by the outstretched glove of Dallas keeper Madison White.

In the 26th minute, Dallas opened up the scoring. On the counter, Ubogagu from the left wing was able to feed Sealey Strawn inside the center of the box, who was able to push a shot into the right side of the net to give Trinity the 1-0 lead.

Seven minutes later, Dallas struck again to make it 2-0. 33′ – goal Dallas. Hannah Davison was able to cause a turnover deep in DC territory and feed Allie Thornton, who sent a high shot over Aquino and into the net.

DC Power showed some visible yet understandable frustration as the half went on, but still tried to collect a goal before the halftime whistle. In the first minute of first half stoppage time, it felt like they had the best chance, as Gianna Gourley was able to dribble through several Dallas defenders, including one move that made two defenders trip over each other. After that beautiful display, she was able to dribble past the goalkeeper, but that put her at an angle where she could only cross it in front of the net. Unfortunately, a Dallas defender was waiting to kick it away, and the whistle blew for halftime.

The second half saw DC Power make some immediate changes, as Loza Abera and Madison Wolfbauer entered the match. Immediately, the energy picked up, and 9 minutes into the half, DC got one back. On the break, a long pass found Susanna Fitch on the right wing. She found Katie Duong just outside the circle of the box, who passed it to Loza Abera. From the top of the box, Abera surprisingly one timed the shot into the net, through a Madison White touch on the ball.

With DC Power cutting the lead in half, the energy continued to level up, with the team getting a much needed boost. Nine minutes after Abera’s goal, DC struck again. On yet another break, Gianna Gourley on the left side was able to find some space to take a shot. The long shot was saved by Madison White, but the rebound came to Susanna Fitch on the right side. Fitch hammered it home to level the match at 2-2.

The goal fired up the team and the crowd, and there was new life for the home team. They almost got another one a couple minutes later when Carleigh Frille, on the break, was able to find Abera again on the left side. This time, Abera’s shot went wide of the net. The team had a few more chances, as they were the team really dictating the run of play. Still, the match entered stoppage time with the score 2-2. However, with 7 minutes of stoppage time, there was time for a moment of magic. And that magician once again was Loza Abera.

In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Abera was on the break, and Susanna Fitch fed her a pass from the right wing. Abera was again on the break. Off a Fitch pass from the right wing, Abera was able to curl a ball into the left side of the net to give DC Power the 3-2 lead late. 3-2 DC Power

Abera’s golazo was strikingly similar to that of Jacob Murrell’s goal in the US Open Cup match at just about the exact same spot two days earlier. It gave DC Power the lead, and they were able to hang on a couple more minutes to secure the upset victory. Afterwards, interim coach Phil Nana was all smiles.

“We just needed to do a couple of tactical adjustments [at halftime], nothing that’s new to us,” Nana said during the postgame press conference. “We knew exactly what the problem was, the spaces that we were giving their wingbacks was too much, so we adjusted a little bit. But…for the players, they dug deep themselves….we’re growing and we’re finally starting to play together. We found our identity. and like I told them in the locker room, once you know who you are, no matter what happens, we’ll get through, and they showed that today.”

“It feels good,” Susanna Fitch said of her first goal of the season. She also added the assist on Abera’s game-winner. “Credit to the team, though. The second half changed everything and we just stayed in it, and it made the game fun. And then you just feel more free and then you take shots like Loza [Abera’s goal] and they go in and yeah, it’s a good feeling. So I’m excited for the team and excited to get a win.”

Loza Abera said she was “emotional” scoring the game-winner, and she recalled what she saw that gave her the space to shoot. “When Sue [Fitch] drove the ball, I collected, and I took the ball…when the defender wass calm, I cut her, saw the goal, and banged it [in]”

“Nobody put their heads down. We just kept going,” Fitch replied. “And yeah, the goals came and I think it’s also just credit to Loza and just for taking those chances as well. I think we’ve needed to be better at taking our shots and, yeah, bangers, so awesome.”

The team was uplifted as they notched their second win in a row. Phil Nana says the confidence is there and the team clearly showed the fight. “It’s like a piñata, right? You keep banging on it to keep banging on it, and, you know, it seems like nothing’s happening, but after a while you get that little crack and then you hit it and the candy just starts to fall out,” Nana said. “So for us, I think Brooklyn was was that crack in the piñata, and now you’re starting to see goals are coming, confidence is coming, no matter what happens, no matter what the opposition brings, goals or not goals, we’re going to score, we’re going to compete. And now we’re finding ways to win.”

DC Power FC moves to 5-12-7 with 22 points on the season. They next take the field at home on Tuesday when they host Spokane Zephyr.