Kosuke Kimura's first two games as head coach couldn't have gone much better. The club picked up six points on the road in the span of a week, extending their unbeaten streak to 17 matches and proving the coaching change didn't slow them down one bit. The second half of the season opened on January 31st in Fort Lauderdale, where Lex Sporting jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Goals in the 8th and 26th minutes put the visitors up 2-0 at halftime, and a third goal in the 58th minute sealed the deal. Fort Lauderdale managed a consolation goal from Jasmine Hamid in the 80th minute, but the 3-1 final never felt in doubt. It was a statement performance to kick off Kimura's tenure, showing the team could turn draws into wins like everyone hoped they would. A week later, the club traveled to Charlotte to face Carolina Ascent in much colder conditions than they expected. Carolina struck first in the 36th minute through Riley Parker, but Lex Sporting responded before halftime when Alyssa Bourgeois launched a long ball that Catherine Barry cleverly screened from the goalkeeper. The ball trickled into the net in the 43rd minute for Bourgeois' first professional goal. Just seven minutes into the second half, McKenzie Weinert put the club ahead for good with her fifth goal of the season, finishing off a perfect pass from Barry to make it 2-1. The win marked the first time the club had beaten Carolina after two wins and three draws favored the North Carolina side in their previous meetings. The back-to-back road victories moved Lex Sporting to 7-0-9 on the season with 30 points, keeping them in the thick of the race at the top of the table. More importantly, they showed that Kimura's promotion from assistant to head coach hasn't changed what makes this team successful. The unbeaten streak now sits at 17 matches dating back to last season, and with the defense still rock solid and the attack finally converting chances into wins, the second half of the season is shaping up to be something special.