Sophia Boman and Sarah Schupansky combined for five goals as Racing Louisville’s W League team cruised to an emphatic 6-2 win over first place Indy Eleven on Sunday afternoon in the USL W League season finale at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center.
Indy, the reigning 2023 USL W League champions, suffered only its second regular season defeat since the USL W League began play in May 2022.
“It was by far our most complete game of the season,” said coach OT Yanez. “It was nice to see everyone play a part, have a role and do their role well. It was a good team win. To see them all take pride in it and have that desire to win I think is what it came down to.”
Racing (4-4-2, 14 points) had six current Racing Academy players or graduates in the final starting XI of the campaign, finishing tied for third in the five-team Valley Division and taking seven of nine points in its final three games.
Boman, a University of Minnesota midfielder, smashed home the opener in the 10th minute after some sustained Racing pressure to start the game. The Louisvillians kept their foot on the gas after the first goal, keeping the ball in Indy’s defensive third for most of the opening half.
In the 31st minute, Sarah Schupansky doubled Louisville’s advantage, controlling a Boman pass before calmly slotting it home with her left foot.
Soon after, Racing had its third in the 39th minute. Again, it was the combination play between Boman and the University of Pittsburgh forward Schupansky. The Louisvillians’ No. 13 showed off her touch in the final third, using a nifty turn at the top of the box to create space for a left-footed strike that found the top corner.
“They’ve been unreal all season,” Yanez said of Boman and Schupansky. “Everyone has their role and plays their part, but those two in particular tend to stand out just with their quality on the ball. It’s nice to have players like that around the academy kids to learn from them.”
Racing outshot Indy Eleven, the Valley Division’s representative in next week’s league playoffs, 10-1 in the first half.
The second half began much like the first — with Louisville on the front foot. Boman scored her second of the afternoon and Racing’s fourth in the 52nd minute, directing a pinpoint Schupansky cross into the net. The chances continued to come for a Louisville side determined to finish on a high.
Academy midfielder and University of Louisville-bound AG Gibson assisted Schupansky for her third in the 65th minute. The Pitt forward took two composed touches under pressure prior to firing it past the outstretched arms of Indy goalkeeper Katie Phillips. Kaela Dickerman tapped in Racing’s sixth and final goal of the afternoon in the 83rd minute.
Indy pulled two back late through finishes by Katie Soderstrom and Natalie Mitchell.
