TAMPA (Interstat) — Alyssa Walker scored in the 87th minute to give DC Power a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay Sun on Sunday. Walker, who played 11 minutes, delivered the decisive finish after Tampa Bay had equalized four minutes earlier. The win was DC Power’s second in the competition and overall, while Tampa Bay Sun remained without a victory. DC Power was the visiting team and handed the home side another difficult result.

DC Power took the lead in the 42nd minute when Loza Geinore scored. The visitors protected that advantage through halftime and deep into the second half. Tampa Bay had been warned twice before the break, with Connors booked in the 12th minute and Hendrix in the 33rd. DC Power went into the interval with the lead and kept Tampa Bay scoreless until the closing stages.

Tori Waldeck Zierenberg pulled Tampa Bay level in the 83rd minute. Waldeck Zierenberg played 29 minutes and scored during the home side’s late surge. The equalizer set up Walker’s winner in the 87th minute, which restored DC Power’s lead and held through the final whistle. Walker entered as a substitute and needed only 11 minutes to make the decisive contribution. Tampa Bay pushed for another response but could not find an equalizer before the final whistle.

Loza Geinore’s 69-minute, one-goal performance was the first listed key performance in the match. Walker followed with her 11-minute goal. Samantha Cary played all 90 minutes and recorded an assist for DC Power. For Tampa Bay Sun, Waldeck Zierenberg’s 29-minute goal was the top attacking contribution, while Jordan Zade played 24 minutes and provided an assist. Tatum Thomason contributed an assist and a yellow card in 21 minutes for DC Power. Those contributions framed a match that turned on late finishes. The match remained decided by the late goals and the key contributions on both sides.

The match produced five yellow cards. Tampa Bay Sun’s Connors was booked in the 12th minute and Hendrix in the 33rd. DC Power’s Gaynor was cautioned in the 49th minute, and Thomason was booked in the 74th. Tampa Bay Sun’s Schilte-Brown received a yellow card in the 87th minute. Substitutions shaped the second half. Tampa Bay made changes in the 61st, 66th and 80th minutes, including the introductions of Guidry, Chism and McNeill. DC Power made changes in the 69th and 79th minutes, including Jaskaniec’s entrance. Hendrix and Connors came off in the 61st for Tampa Bay, while Gaynor and Abera L. were replaced in the 69th for DC Power. The substitutions did not produce another goal after Walker’s late strike.

DC Power improved to 2-1 in this competition and 2-1 across all competitions. Tampa Bay Sun fell to 0-4-1 in this competition and 0-4-1 across all competitions. DC Power entered the match after a home win over Dallas Trinity and a road loss to Carolina Ascent. Tampa Bay Sun had lost at Brooklyn, lost at Lexington, lost at home to Carolina Ascent and drawn at home against Lexington. The result continued DC Power’s positive start and left Tampa Bay Sun still searching for its first win of the season. The home side pushed for another response after Walker’s late goal but could not find an equalizer before the final whistle. Both teams’ competition and overall records remained identical after the match, and the final whistle confirmed the road win for DC Power.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of DC Power 2, Tampa Bay Sun 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave Tampa Bay Sun a 50.4 percent probability to win. The three-goal total finished above the 2.5 over/under line.