There aren't enough words for this one. A year removed from finishing dead last in the entire league, Lex Sporting are champions. Saturday night at Lexington SC Stadium, in front of a sellout crowd of 7,715, the Gals in Green beat Carolina Ascent FC 3-1 in extra time to complete the double — the Players' Shield and the championship trophy — and write themselves into the history books as the first team in league history to do it. It didn't come easy. Carolina arrived unbeaten in 12 matches and riding a seven-game win streak, and they made the home crowd nervous early. Lex Sporting carried most of the play in the first half — Weinert nearly broke through in the 17th minute with a give-and-go to Barry, but the Carolina keeper made the save. Then, right before the half, Carolina midfielder Mia Corbin collected a loose ball off a cleared cross and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner. 1-0 Carolina at the break, and suddenly 45 minutes stood between this club and a championship that wasn't going to be ours. The second half was pure pressure. Lex Sporting controlled the ball, controlled the territory, and just couldn't find the breakthrough — Carolina's defense, especially Addisyn Merrick, threw their bodies in front of everything. But this team has shown all year that they don't quit, and in the 72nd minute it finally arrived. Catherine Barry, who'd already wrapped up the league's Golden Boot, slid a perfect ball to McKenzie Weinert in the box for an easy finish. The stadium exploded. 1-1, and suddenly this match was going to extra time. Extra time is where this team turned a tense final into a coronation. In the 90+6th minute, a set piece found Regan Steigleder at the back post, and the center back — who scored her first goal of the entire season — buried it to put Lex Sporting ahead for the first time all night. Eight minutes later, a breakaway sent Addie McCain in alone against the keeper, and she calmly finished to make it 3-1 and put the game away for good. Steigleder was named the Final's MVP. The final whistle brought a release of emotion that's hard to describe if you weren't there — players sprinting onto the field, the crowd on its feet, a season's worth of history pouring out all at once. To say that seeing the ladies win it all in person was exhilarating is a huge understatement. Standing in that crowd as the final whistle blew, knowing this same team was sitting at the bottom of the table just one season ago, was something I'll never forget. This club asked its fans to believe during some genuinely rough times last year, and on Saturday night, every bit of that patience paid off. Worst to first. Champions. Lex Sporting Women, 2026 Gainbridge Super League Champions.