**ORLANDO, Fla.** – The Orlando Pride earned a big 1-0 win over OL Reign on Friday night to earn their second consecutive victory, thanks to Messiah Bright’s goal in the opening quarter of an hour. Despite multiple attempts for the visiting Reign as well, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse did her best to keep the visitors at bay as she held on to help Orlando to another clean sheet in the end.
The Reign were actually the first between the two sides to create an attacking chance, with forward Elyse Bennett firing on Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse within the game’s opening 30 seconds. Bennett played a quick one-two with teammate Olivia Athens as she broke through the left side of the penalty area. From a tight angle, Bennett attempted a low, curling drive as Moorhouse got both hands behind it and shoved it away from goal.
Two minutes later, Orlando got the benefit of a few bounces in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, and eventually the ball was nodded on toward goal as it hit the post before eventually being cleared by the Reign defense.
A couple of chances later, Orlando would eventually find their opening goal as forward Messiah Bright headed home in the 15 ^th minute. Forward Julie Doyle was on the ball on the left side of the field when she cut back away from goal from the flank, curling a ball into the penalty area that the forward Bright sprinted onto and powered home from just a few yards out. With the goal, Bright leads all rookie goalscorers with four to her name this season.
Orlando’s push for another goal intensified throughout the first half with both Doyle and midfielder Kerry Abello having fantastic looks in the 25 ^th and 27 ^th minutes. Abello came closer between the two, picking up a loose ball outside the box and stinging a line drive toward the far post with her left foot that forced Tullis-Joyce into a great save.
Both Bright and Abello would have one more respective opportunity for each before the end of the half, but neither one were able to pile on to the one goal lead as Orlando went into the halftime break up a goal through some quality attacking play.
Into the second half, Orlando came out firing with Tullis-Joyce collecting an early ball in the 50 ^th minute and midfielder Mikayla Cluff coming close after a one-two passing move just outside the box in the 54 ^th minute, but her lifted shot ended up going high over the crossbar and out.
OL Reign did continue to test Moorhouse and the Orlando goal a few times between the 72 ^nd and 81 ^st minute, but Moorhouse made a pair of saves and put her body on the line in a collision in the left side of the penalty area to help preserve her side’s lead late into the game.
In the 85 ^th minute, Bright came close to doubling Orlando’s lead as she hit the post again with an effort from the right side of the field. Bright was on the ball and dribbled in between two Reign defenders in order to get in position to shoot from eight yards out. Bright then unleashed a strong low drive toward goal, but the shot ricocheted off the outside of the near post and was out of danger.
That would be the last of the quality chances between the two sides, though, with Messiah Bright’s 15 ^th minute headed goal good enough to lift the hosts over the visiting Reign at Exploria Stadium. The win keeps the Pride in 8 ^th place after 15 games played, while the Reign are in 3 ^rd place still with 24 points from 15 games played.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights