DC Power FC was able to defeat Fort Lauderdale United FC 3-1 for their first home win of the season Wednesday night at Audi Field. Dasia Torbert got a brace for DC Power, while Loza Abera added a third goal late in the second half to preserve the win.

DC Power started out the match really wanting to pressure Fort Lauderdale high on the field, and they were very successful in doing so. They maintained a lot of possession on the attacking half of the field and were able to push forward and create some opportunities. Despite that, for the first 20 minutes, it was scoreless despite DC Power being aggressive.

In the 21st minute, DC Power struck first. They were able to catch Fort Lauderdale on the break after defending a scoring opportunity. Gianna Gourley fed the ball through to Dasia Torbert, who did a great job of remaining onside and dribbled down to slot it home. It was Torbert’s first professional goal.

DC Power got another one 19 minutes later. Off the turnover created by the high press, Emily Colton got the ball in the middle of the field and found a lane to feed Torbert, who once again was able to get behind the defense and slot it home to make it 2-0 to DC.

“[To] me, there’s no equal to competing and to [playing] with intensity, [playing] with a sense of urgency,” head coach Omid Namazi said after the match. “And I thought tonight they came out of the gates playing in that way, and it showed.”

“Yeah well, the whole time I was antsy on it,” Dasia Torbert said of her two goals. “I could see from the jump that [Fort Lauderdale] were very weak on their weak sides and they had a lot of space. So every single time either [Gianna Gourley] or Anna [Bagley] would cut in, I was going on week side. I was ready. So it was just a matter that they got the ball off their foot in the drive to play, and I was able to finish. So, [I’m] super excited about that.”

DC Power thought they could carry a 2-0 lead into the half, but they had a defensive lapse that cost them. Three minutes into first half stoppage time, Ella Simpson was able to get the header off the corner kick to cut DC Power’s lead in half.

The second half started pretty nervy for DC Power, as Fort Lauderdale had a couple of chances to equalize. However, the team was able to settle into the half and some second half substitutes injected some energy into the game. And that energy eventually paid off. In the 83rd minute, with DC moving toward goal, captain Susanna Fitch took a shot from outside the box that took a deflection off a Fort Lauderdale defender. The shot hit the crossbar and deflected down in front of the goal, where substitute Loza Abera was able to calmly head it home on the finish. The goal made it 3-1 DC Power, and it closed the door on the match.

Yeah, I’m so happy we played good game and the result, it was like well deserved.  

 So I’m so happy for the win and then I’m so happy for that goal.  

 “Yeah, for that goal, when Sue [Fitch] shoots it, I was watching the crossbar and [saw] the ball come back,” Loza Abera said of her goal to make it 3-1. “So, I jumped to the ball and then I scored. So yeah, it’s a well deserved game, well deserved win.”

DC Power thought they had a 4th in the 90th minute when Gianna Gourley was able to fire a low shot that required a save by Fort Lauderdale United goalkeeper Bella Hara. Loza was able to once again pounce on the rebound and fire it home, but she did it from an offside position to wipe the effort off the board. Soon after, the referee blew her whistle and DC Power got the win.

With the win, DC Power moves up to 5th in the USL Super League table with 13 points from 10 matches, but they have two matches in hand on the team directly ahead of them, Spokane Zephyr.