Sporting Jax women drop season finale to Carolina. What's next?

Trouble in Carolina: Needing only a draw to nail down the top spot in their expansion season in the Gainbridge Super League, Sporting Club Jacksonville women's soccer allowed three unanswered goals and lost 3-1 to Carolina Ascent FC on May 16 at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

>Lexington dethrones Sporting Jax: The loss drops Sporting Jax to second and gives Lexington SC the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed for postseason. Lexington overcame Tampa Bay 1-0 on Addie McCain's 90th-minute penalty kick. Both Lexington and Sporting Jax finished with 53 points, but Lexington earned the top spot due to superior goal differential (plus-26 compared to plus-22).

>Carolina comeback: Carolina (15-7-6) tied the score after 16 minutes when Shea Groom scored from distance, then moved in front in the 36th minute when Tyler Lussi poked the ball into the net off a failed Sporting Jax clearance. Fullback Jill Aguilera iced the game with a rare direct corner kick goal in the 74th minute.

>Boyan nets first for club: Winter addition Abby Boyan tallied her first goal since joining Sporting Jax (16-7-5), putting away Sophia Boman's assist for a seventh-minute lead that lasted only briefly.

>Quick free kicks: Kaitlyn Parks returned to start in the net for Sporting Jax after her one-game red-card suspension. … Carolina outshot Sporting Jax 19-16. … Sporting Jax enters postseason with three losses in the last five games.

>Up next: Sporting Jax will meet Carolina once again in the team's first-ever playoff game, a league semifinal at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 24 at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium.

>This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Carolina Ascent-Sporting Club Jacksonville women's soccer score