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Williams Strikes in 90th Minute to Grab a Point for the Flash

August 12, 2015 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Western New York Flash News Release


BOYDS, M.D. (Wednesday, August 12, 2015) - The Western New York Flash continued its push for the postseason on Wednesday night, earning a point in a 1-1 draw at the Washington Spirit. The Flash (5-8-4, 19 points) leveled the game in the 90th minute on a goal from Lynn Williams, while Chantel Jones made key second-half saves to keep the Flash in contention throughout the final 45 minutes. Jones finished with a career-high eight saves in the match.

"I thought we came down here and the response was really good after letting ourselves down in the game before. We came down to very good team and I thought we controlled game," said Flash general manager and head coach Aaran Lines. "We didn't create a ton of chances but we created dangerous opportunities. I think a point was more than deserved. This was a big game that keeps us right in the playoff mix."

Entering the game at the start of the second half, Williams scored her fourth goal of the season, a team-high, beating Ashlyn Harris just before stoppage time. Jaelene Hinkle started the play with a long, lofted cross from the left side that Elizabeth Eddy and Michelle Heyman both got a head on, before the ball fell to Williams just outside the goal line. Williams took a quick shot that Harris initially saved, but the keeper was unable to stop the rookie a second time when she found the back of the net.

Washington's goal came 16 minutes in, with Diana Matheson taking advantage of a mishandled ball by Jones. After Crystal Dunn sent a shot in at Jones, the ball got away from the goalkeeper and Matheson came in to tap the rebound over the goal line.

Jones, however, responded with a strong second half, making five saves and numerous big plays to keep the Spirit from adding to their total.

"[Jones] was brilliant in the second half. She made a few really good saves at 1-0 that kept us in the game and allowed us to pick up the point," Lines said of the performance.

In the 55th minute, Dunn was able to find a lane in the box and took a quick shot at the net but Jones made a spectacular diving save to tip the ball over the crossbar. On the ensuing corner kick, the keeper made another big stop, this time denying Whitney Church on the doorstep.

Twelve minutes later, Francisca Ordega tested Jones with a header but she made a full-extension save to palm the ball away at the near post.

Minutes before Williams' equalizer, the Spirit nearly added a second goal with Jones first making a stop on Dunn and then the Flash defense blocking away a rebound opportunity from Ordega.

Though Williams' shot was the only second-half shot on goal for the Flash, the team came close to tallying a number of times. In the first half, Heyman made a great individual play to steal the ball away from a Washington player. Despite having two defenders in front of her, Heyman got a shot off that Harris had to make a quick kick save on.

Just before the half, Samantha Mewis tested Harris on a corner kick header that the goalkeeper was able to punch away. Later, in the second half, Hinkle had eyes on her second goal of the season with a rocket from outside the box but she was denied by the crossbar.

Christine Nairn also made a big first-half defensive stop for the home team, clearing a Heyman header off the line after Harris had been beat.

The Flash closes out its four-game road trip with a on Saturday, August 23 at second-seeded Chicago Red Stars. The game will kickoff at 5:00 p.m. ET at Benedictine University.

Western New York returns to Sahlen's Stadium on August 29, facing the same Red Stars team in the Flash's annual Pink Game, this season benefiting Roswell Park Cancer Institute. More information on that game can be found here.

Tickets for all remaining Flash home games can be purchased at wnyflash.com or by calling the Flash at (716) 655-PLAY or the Sahlen's Stadium Box Office at (585) 454-KICK.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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