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ROAD TO STILLWATER: SPORTING CT

Published Jul 17, 2025

When Sporting CT kicked off its inaugural in May, nobody really knew what to expect. An eclectic mix of former and current college players, and a few former pros sprinkled in for good measure, on paper, the club looked and hoped it would be competitive as it learned the many nuances of competing in the WPSL.

Now, Sporting CT is on the cusp of competing in the WPSL Championships starting Friday, when the club faces Central Region winners, St. Croix Legacy.

“For a tiny little club from Middleton, Conn., this opportunity is amazing,” Matt Cameron, Sporting CT co-head coach, said. “It shows what you can do if you respect the game and put your everything into a project.”

Photo by Dave Bibbins

Sporting opened the season at home, against one of the Northeastern Conference veterans and the No. 10 ranked team in the East Region going into the season, RI Rogues FC. Nerves could easily be accounted for by the third minute goal Sporting conceded, even before the crowd found their seats.

But as the match wore on, it became evident they were witnessing something special. Aubrey Kulpa scored the club first-ever WPSL goal in the 32nd minute, earning her East Region Offensive Player of the Week from Matchweek Three. Kulpa’s goal was followed by player/coach, Tiffany Weimer in the first half stoppage time. Tori Sousa made it 3-1 after the start of the second half. Even after Rhode Island pulled a goal back, there was never any doubt about which team was going to win this game. Weimer added a second goal to make it 4-2 and Cara Jordan closed out the scoring for the night in the 74th minute.

After that, Sporting was all but unstoppable. Three shutout wins put the Sporting at the top of the conference. It wasn’t until Matchweek Five that Sporting conceded a goal, going down 1-0 on the road to New York Shockers before clawing back six goals back.

Photo by Dave Bibbins

The first true test of character came the next week, when Merrimack Valley Hawks FC came to Middletown. Merrimack came prepared, holding Sporting’s multi-pronged offense to just two goals in the 2-1 win. Eight days later the same Merrimack Valley Hawks FC handed Sporting its first and only loss on the season.

After the loss, Sporting showed a resiliency usually not seen in first-year clubs, clawing and clawing its way to a 1-0 home win over New York Shockers thanks to a 50th minute Jordan goal before closing out the season with a 4-3 win at RI Rogues FC.

The win gave Sporting its first conference title, and a berth into the East Region Playoffs where it drew hosts, Niagara 1812, out of the Great Lakes Conference. Sporting put on a clinic. Emily Senatore, Laney Smith, and Abbie Burgess all recorded braces in the 9-0 win, with Kylee McIntosh, Weimer, and Lexi Tayor adding goals, putting Sporting through to the East Region Playoffs Final versus Mid-Atlantic Conference winners, PA Classics.

Photo by Dave Bibbins

After going down for only the third time this season, a 42nd minute Weimer goal sparked a rally that led to a 70th minute Taylor game winner to send Sporting to the WPSL Championships.

Weimer’s East Region Final goal was her second of the post season and ninth overall—tops in the squad. Not bad for a 41-year-old player/coach moonlighting from her job as an assistant coach for Yale University.

“This season Tiff [Weimer] has again proven she’s timeless,” Cameron said. “She not only runs the sessions, but participates in them as well. She’s fanatical about the players’ wellness, and she genuinely cares about that. The environment that Tiff has created is unlike anything. Our young players have access to a wonderful person and role model on a daily basis. They don’t know how lucky they are.

At the other end of the park, Cameron credits defender Kylee McIntosh as the leader of a cohesive unit that has allowed just 10 goals and kept six clean sheets so far.

“She has an immense presence and a commanding personality,” Cameron said. “All Season Kylee [McIntosh] has put in consistent performances. She was a rock in our back line. Her aerial ability, both in defense and attack, has been key.”

Standing in Sporting’s way is Central Region winners, St. Croix Legacy, the surprise team out of the North Lakes Conference. St. Croix made an impressive postseason run, starting with a penalty kick win over FC Milwaukee Torrent for the conference title, followed by a 3-1 win over Union KC in the Central Region semifinal, and a 2-1 win over Oklahoma City FC in the Central Region final.

“We’ve heard St. Croix has an excellent team that has earned a ton of respect this season,” Cameron said. “We’ll go over some of their film, but we spend 90 percent of our match prep on ourselves.”

Sporting CT faces St. Croix Legacy in the WPSL Championships Semifinal opening match at Neal Patterson Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CDT), with the winner advancing to the final on Sunday at 7 p.m. (CDT). Watch all the action on the National Soccer Network live or on demand.