Photo by Cody Roper

SPORTING CT TOPS CALIFORNIA STORM FOR 2025 WPSL TITLE

 

Stillwater, Okla. — Sporting CT scored four early goals to deny defending WPSL Champions California Storm back-to-back WPSL Championship titles on Sunday at a hot, blustery Neal Patterson Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma State University. 

 

Emily Senatore scored in the fifth minute, and Imani Jenkins tallied five minutes later to make it 2-0 for Sporting even before the fans were in their seats. After a California Surf own goal in the 28th minute, Cara Jordan closed out the scoring for the night ten minutes from halftime. Goalkeepers Caitlin Daley and Elizabeth DiBlasi shared the clean sheet in goal for Sporting combining for five saves on the night. 

 

Sporting finished the season—its first in the WPSL—13-0-1, winning the Northeastern Conference, East Region, and WPSL Championship in the process. Sporting is the first expansion side to hoist the Jerry Zanelli Cup since 2011, and only the third club to win the league title in its debut season in the 27-year history of the league. Sporting’s win is the first for a team from the East Region since 2016. 

 

“To win like we did in our first year is really special,” Tiffany Weimer, Sporting CT’s player and co-head coach, said. “We love each other. We work for each other. It sounds cliché to say it but when you have team chemistry, all the extra tactics and technical stuff that finish it all comes together pretty easily.” 

 

Storm finished the season 10-0-2, winning the NorCal Conference and West Region enroute to its third WPSL Championship Final in four years. Storm was playing for its sixth WPSL title, and to be the first back-to-back league champions in season history after winning last season. 

 

Entering Sunday’s final, Sporting outscored opponents 71 to 10, including a 4-1 semifinal win over Central Region champs, St. Croix Legacy on Friday evening in Stillwater. Sporting had proven time and again that it was capable of scoring multiple goals against good teams. It proved it again today. 

 

Typically, Sporting preferred to start the game slow; lull its opponents to sleep, much like it did against St. Croix, scoring four unanswered goals after going down a goal early. It was a shock to just about everyone when Senatore pounced on a loose ball at the top of the six-yard box after Storm failed to clear a Jordan corner kick that was momentarily lost by everyone in the sun. 

 

It was the first goal Storm goalkeeper Abbie Faingold conceded in 536 minutes, dating back to the Storm’s 3-1 home win over San Francisco Nighthawks in Matchweek Seven. 

 

Just as Storm were starting to make the necessary adjustments to chase a goal, Jenkins made it 2-0 five minutes later, making a diagonal run onto a ball played from midfield by Lexi Taylor. Jenkins settled the ball, turned, and beat Faingold to the far post. With a goal in Friday’s semifinal and a goal Sunday night, Jenkins was named the Most Outstanding Player in the WPSL Championships. 

 

“Usually, we start really slow. We score about two thirds of our goals in the second half, so to score the early goals is obviously super beneficial, considering that the wind was pretty prominent in the first half. We knew that there was, you know, an advantage there,” Matt Cameron, Sporting CT co-head coach, said. 

 

Around the 20-minute, mark Storm began to look like the favorites it was going into Sunday’s final, getting and keeping control of the ball at midfield and finding seams in the Sporting defense. 

 

That was part of Storm gaining control of the match and stringing some passes together, pinning Sporting CT in its defensive third. 

 

In the 21st minute there were appeals for a handball in the Sporting penalty area that was quickly waived down by referee, Paige Bell. Bell was part of an all-female crew hand-picked to from around the country to referee this year’s WPSL Championships semifinals and final as part of a new league initiative aimed at developing female referees. 

 

With Storm controlling more of the run of play, Sporting began to look for outlets to its wide players. In the 28th minute a ball played from deep found Jordan on the left flank. After cutting towards the endline she crossed to a streaking Abbie Burgess at the near post. The diving Burgess did not connect with the ball. Instead, it went off the chasing defender, Paloma Daubert, for an own goal to make it 3-0. 

 

Sporting picked up a fourth goal for good measure with ten minutes to play in the first half when Jordan ran onto a cross from Weiner from the left touchline, beating her defender to the ball as Faingold charged off her line, looping her first-time shot over Faingold’s head into the empty net to make it 4-0. 

 

At halftime, we said we don't want to concede one because then we're going to have to deal with the team that's hungry and capable of scoring,” Cameron said. “If they get one, they can get two. If they get two, they are right back in the game.” 

 

Just as it did in the semifinal, Sporting changed goalkeepers at halftime. DiBlasi replaced Daley, and was immediately called to task, making two crucial saves in the first five minutes of the second half to keep the scoresheet clean. 

 

Along with DiBlasi, center back Kylee McIntosh and Tori Sousa—normally a wide player who filled in along the back line in the semifinal and final—were vital as Storm threw numbers forward. For her effort, McIntosh was awarded Most Outstanding Defensive Player for her defensive work in the final. 

 

A key save by DiBlasi with less than 20 minutes to play all but signaled the end of the road for Storm. 

 

“We weathered pretty long storm there in the second half,” Cameron said. “These ladies are so resilient. It’s something we, are proud of. They [Storm] are a very, very good team.”

 

SPORTING CT: 4
CALIFORNIA STORM: 0

 

Sporting CT: Caitlin Daley, Cara Jordan, Christina Stone, Emily Senatore, Greta Brunello, Imani Jenkins, Juliana Garcia, Kylee McIntosh, Lexi Taylor, Tiffany Weimer, Tori Sousa. Substitutes: Abbie Burgess, Abby Johnson, Cali-Dean Craft, Elizabeth DiBlasi, Julia Salley, Lilly McFadden.

 

California Storm: Abbie Faingold, Alex Klos, Amelia Villa, Devyn Simmons, Elizabeth Hutchison, Elle Quinn, Erica Grilione, Lauren Hunter, Madison Ayson, Paloma Daubert, Sadie Leal-Schuman. Substitutes: Riley West, Ariana Calderon, Cameron Silva, Dakota Harris, Kennedy Mayo, Leila Hawkins, Rowan Willson, Susie Long, Yasmin Azar.

 

Goals
1-0: Emily Senatore 5’
2-0: Imani Jenkins 10’
3-0: Own Goal 28’
4-0: Cara Jordan 35’

 

Misconduct
None

 

Stats
Sporting CT/California Storm
Shots: 7/11
Shots on Target: 6/5
Saves: 5/3
Corner Kicks: 5/5
Offsides: 5/1
Fouls: 11/6