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NWSL Seattle Reign FC

Reign FC Falls 1-2 to Chicago Red Stars

May 23, 2016 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Seattle Reign FC News Release


SEATTLE - Seattle Reign FC (2-3-1, 7 pts) fell 1-2 to the Chicago Red Stars (4-1-1, 13 pts) at home at Memorial Stadium this evening in front of a crowd of 4,056.

A brace from Chicago forward Jen Hoy, with goals in the 56th and 67th minutes, put the Red Stars in command of the match. Though Seattle narrowed the lead in the 89th minute thanks to a penalty kick from midfielder Kim Little, they were unable to get the equalizer before the final whistle sounded, leaving the club with only their second home loss over the last three seasons.

The early action favored Chicago, who pinned Seattle into its own half for most of the first ten minutes of the match. Reign FC goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer saw her first minutes this season and was called into action in the 13th minute when she dived and punched away a shot by defender Casey Short. Seattle's first chance to get on the board came in the 19th minute when defender Elli Reed sent a cross from the right side of the box to midfielder Kim Little, but Little's header soared wide.

Kopmeyer kept the Red Stars at bay throughout the first half. She deflected a shot from midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo in the 42nd minute and then punched away an incoming corner from midfielder Danielle Colaprico.

Coming back from a scoreless first half, Chicago took the lead in the 56th minute when forward Christen Press took the ball into the box and fired a shot from just above the six-yard line. Kopmeyer made an outstanding save, but the ball fell in front of the onrushing Jen Hoy, who buried a shot past Kopmeyer.

Hoy extended Chicago's lead in the 67th minute when she ran onto a perfectly placed ball from DiBernardo into a wide-open box, firing a strike from ten yards out, past Kopmeyer into the top of the goal.

The fifteen minutes following the second Chicago goal turned into a listless affair, with the Red Stars maintaining the majority of possession and the Reign appearing resigned to their fate.

The momentum quickly shifted in the 80th minute, when Paige Nielsen, Seattle's third-round pick in the 2016 College Draft, entered the match. Nielsen, who was making her professional debut, infused the side with some much needed enthusiasm.

The late-match resurgence paid off in the 89th minute, as a ball from Little sent Yanez into the Chicago box, where she was pulled to the ground by Chicago defender Julie Johnston. Little buried the ensuing PK, firing the ball into the bottom right corner of the frame while sending Naeher the other way, bringing the score to 1-2. After two minutes of stoppage time, the match ended with Chicago at the top of the NWSL standings on 13 points, while Seattle fell to the sixth slot on the table with 7 points over six matches.

The absence of three players has taken a toll on Reign FC, forcing the team to adapt while midfielders Jess Fishlock and forwards Megan Rapinoe and Manon Melis recover from their injuries.

"When you lose three world-class players, it's difficult," said Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey. "But I thought there were things today that we could've done and we didn't. We were sloppy in possession and gave the ball away too much, and we got punished for that."

Reign FC will welcome Arsenal Ladies FC to Memorial Stadium for an international friendly on Thursday, May 26, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. PT. Arsenal is Harvey's former club, where she and Reign FC midfielder Kim Little led the team to a FA Women's Super League championship title in 2011. Tickets to the friendly begin at $18 and can be purchased at reignfc.com/arsenal or by calling (855)-REIGN-FC.

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 23, 2016


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