**Seattle, Wa.** – The OL Reign earned the No. 1 seed in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup playoffs after earning a point against Portland Thorns FC on Sunday night in the penultimate game of the Challenge Cup divisional stage. The West Division had already wrapped up with OL Reign out of reach to any of their divisional rivals, but the draw lifted OL Reign (14) a point above the Kansas City Current (13) for the No. 1 seed.
The hosts Reign jumped out to a fast attacking start with attacker Tziarra King testing Portland goalkeeper Shelby Hogan with a strong effort in the 3 ^rd minute. King was streaking down the left side of the field when teammate Veronica Latsko slid a through pass in her direction. Taking the ball in stride, King then broke toward goal and drove a strong effort low in an attempt to sneak the ball past Hogan. However, the goalkeeper produced a solid save to repel the effort and clear the chance.
The two sides then traded chances in the 7 ^th and 13 ^th minutes when Portland’s Olivia Moultrie and OL Reign’s Bethany Balcer both had a look on goal. First, in the 7 ^th minute, Olivia Moultrie sent a shot just high after a blocked shot allowed her to collect the ball just outside the box. Moultrie then took a touch to her right and launched a curling effort toward goal, but the ball whistled through the air high and wide. Then, six minutes later, a well-worked Reign team move saw the ball eventually worked out wide to Latsko on the right flank. She then lifted a cross to the back post that Balcer rose to meet, but her looping header landed on the roof of the net.
In the 24 ^th minute, OL Reign then came the closest they would all night to finding a first goal as Latsko produced what would have been a goal of the tournament contender. The attacker received a pass on the right flank again, but this time she cut inside and onto her left foot as she angled just inside the box for a glimmer of space. Latsko would end up doing just that, but her left footed finessed effort smacked the far post and was eventually seen away, much to Latsko’s frustration.
That would wrap up the best of the first half as the two sides remained scoreless heading into the halftime interval.
The second half certainly brought enough excitement on its own, too, beginning right after the hour mark with a chance for Portland. Moving from one end to another quickly, the Thorns worked the ball from the left side through to the center of the field, eventually sliding a through ball into the box that forced San Diego goalkeeper Laurel Ivory to come out and smother in the 61 ^st minute.
One minute later, the Reign worked the ball down to the other end and hit the post for a second time, this time through forward Elyse Bennett. Another rapid move down the left saw a cross driven into the box toward the run of Latsko just ahead of the penalty spot. As a Portland defender stepped up to cut out the ball in, the half-clearance rolled to Bennett’s feet just to the left. Bennett then rolled a right footed shot toward the far post, but that too deflected off the post and was cleared in the end.
The home side would produce two more threatening attacks through the second half, one in the 68 ^th minute and one in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time. First, Latsko demonstrated her speed and agility in cutting up field through a defender. She then burst toward the box and onto her left foot again, looking to find a goal near the center of the 18-yard box line. However, that shot landed wide in the end.
In the final minute of added time, the Reign then had a last look as substitute Marisa Viggiano was on the ball and in space just outside the top of the box. Viggiano opted to go from goal after receiving a pass from teammate Olivia Van der Jagt, but her shot from distance also sailed over the bar and out.
In the end, a valiant effort by the Reign was rewarded with a point in the latest edition of the Cascadia rivalry.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights