**Leesburg, Virginia** – Down to ten players for the final 25 minutes, the Washington Spirit drew 1-1 with NJ/NY Gotham FC with goals from the Spirit’s Ashley Hatch and Gotham’s Kristie Mewis at Segra Field on Saturday night.
One of the most entertaining one-all draws, it was the Spirit who started best, creating several opportunities inside the opening 10 minutes. First it was forward Tara McKeown who was played in near the left side of the goal, but with a tight angle the forward was only able to chip an effort toward the far post that could not be bundled over the line.
One minute later, it was forward Trinity Rodman who was able to get on the end of a turnover inside the Gotham half. Surging ahead, Rodman attempted a curling effort from just outside the penalty area toward the right side of goal that ended up missing narrowly as the pressure let off for the visitors.
The tide turned in Gotham’s favor in the 22 ^nd minute when, following a corner kick, forward Margaret Purce was judged to have been fouled by the fellow forward Rodman resulting in a penalty. Stepping up to the spot, newcomer Kristen Mewis produced a calm penalty that Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury could not keep out as the visitors jumped out to a lead.
Looking for a way back into the match, the rest of the half’s momentum swung in favor of the Spirit as they created a few quality looks on goal. In the 35 ^th minute, Rodman in transition took the ball from one side of the field to the other and into the penalty area, but her powerful effort was deflected behind for a corner. The ensuing corner saw defender Amber Brooks get a head on the delivery, but it was too tame to beat Harris.
The next best chance of the half for the Spirit came in the 42 ^nd minute, when midfielder Tinaya Alexander played a great ball in from the right side for teammate Ashley Sanchez. Attempting an effort while on the turn though, Sanchez could not get enough on it to beat Harris.
At the break, Gotham clung to a one-goal advantage.
Two substitutes at the beginning of the second half saw Gotham call for Paige Monaghan in place of the goalscorer Mewis, while the energetic Alexander made way for Ashley Hatch.
Still attempting to claw their way back into the half, Spirit midfielder Ashley Sanchez put a defender on skates on the right flank and worked her way into the penalty area, but her cross could not find a teammate at the host’s frustrations grew.
However, persistence paid off just after the hour mark for Washington as the substitute Hatch equalized for her side. A deflected cross into the box eventually ended up at the feet of Hatch at the near post and she unleashed a powerful strike to beat Harris and pull her side leve.
Despite the equalizer, though, favor turned back toward Gotham as Spirit defender Amber Brooks—who had started in place of Emily Sonnett—received a second yellow card to put the Spirit down to ten players.
Still pressing ahead though down a player, the Spirit still looked the more likely of the two sides to break the deadlock and nearly did just that after 72 minutes. With Rodman continuing to push toward the Gotham goal, her fantastic run down the right flank eventually saw her pick out Hatch just a few yards out from goal. However, the goalscorer was unable to direct her first-time effort on goal as she watched it land just to the right of Harris’s goal.
Again it was Hatch who tested Harris in the 75 ^th minute after another forward run from Sanchez allowed her to play the substitute down the line, but Hatch’s snapshot did not have the power nor direction and the Spirit could only keep knocking at the door.
In the end, despite chances for both sides to separate from each other, the Spirit and Gotham would settle for a 1-1 draw. Finishing honors even leaves the Spirit in 2 ^nd place in the East Division ahead of North Carolina’s matchup against Orlando tomorrow night, with Gotham sitting bottom on one point after their respective draw against the Pride last weekend.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights