Story bySun midfielder Sandrine Gaillard dribbles the ball during Saturday's 3-0 loss to Sporting Jax in Tampa. “Sandrine was the best player in the first half,” Sun coach Denise Schilte-Brown said, “and played exceptionally well.”Ella Zinken, Special to the TimesSun, December 7, 2025 at 5:40 AM UTC·3 min readFrom the start, the conditions shaped the game, and Sporting Jax adjusted faster. Playing in a torrential downpour, the Sun fell behind by two goals in the first half and saw their seven-game unbeaten streak come to an end with a 3-0 loss Saturday night at Suncrest Credit Union Field in downtown Tampa. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBaylee DeSmit put second-place Sporting Jax (6-3-3) ahead in the 33rd minute, and Sophia Boman doubled the Jacksonville-based club’s lead just five minutes later. Sun coach Denise Schilte-Brown said the pouring rain was no excuse for her team’s performance.“We were well aware of the weather going into the game,” Schilte-Brown said. “You try not to take risks in your defensive third when the conditions are going to impact how quickly the ball moves.
