**Washington, District of Columbia** – The Washington Spirit advanced to the Challenge Cup Final after outlasting OL Reign in 10 rounds of a penalty shootout following 90 minutes of scoreless action at Audi Field on Wednesday night.
OL Reign were the first to produce a quality opportunity, forcing a big save from Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury after a turnover in the defensive third saw Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle step into space. Taking aim a couple of yards outside the 18-yard box, Lavelle sent a powerful drive at Kingsbury’s goal but the netminder was equal to the shot and parried it away for a corner kick.
The pair of semifinalists continued to settle into the match as the half wore on, but a blitz of chances for both sides brought the end of an even keeled first half to another level. In the 42 ^nd minute, Lavelle played a fantastic first-time pass into the center of the penalty area toward an onrushing Jess Fishlock, but the midfielder’s outstretched leg was a hair shy of reaching the ball as the Spirit escaped. Two minutes later, the Spirit earned a corner kick as they looked to respond on the other end. Rising high to meet the delivery, forward Trinity Rodman was able to nod it down toward a pair of teammates in the center of the box but no one was ultimately able to meet it. Then, into stoppage time, Spirit midfielder Ashley Sanchez cut inside on a defender and opened up her foot to test Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce but the effort ended up an easy collection for the netminder.
The contest remained scoreless into the halftime interval, with each team producing just one shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes.
Into the second half, OL Reign again had the best first look on goal of the half through Lavelle who struck a stinging effort just a few minutes into the second half. In the box on the left side of goal, Lavelle produced a left footed shot that was dipping back toward goal and forced a good save out of Kingsbury to keep things level. Ten minutes later, Lavelle was again involved for the visitors as Reign’s Olivia Van der Jagt rose up to meet a header twice that then allowed Lavelle to flick on to goal, but the Spirit breathed a sigh of relief as the close ranged effort fell into the palms of Kingsbury.
Beginning to create chances on the other end, in the 71 ^st minute, Sanchez turned in a cross at the near post that forward Ashley Hatch attempted to latch onto. Getting in front of her defender, Hatch flicked a shot toward Reign goalkeeper Tullis-Joyce’s goal but the effort missed wide. Then, a flurry of additional chances for Sanchez and the Spirit’s Julia Roddar also came close but Sanchez’s shot was saved at Roddar hit the bar as the match remained scoreless.
Still looking to break the deadlock, arguably the best chance of the game came for OL Reign in the 77 ^th minute. Lavelle produced a brilliant slide pass on her first touch that sent forward Bethany Balcer in on goal, but Balcer’s high effort was tipped just over the crossbar by Kingsbury as the chance went missing.
Right at the death just seconds away from closing out three minutes of stoppage time, OL Reign produced one more half-chance as substitute Ally Watt hit a ball on the turn that looked as if it would sneak underneath the crossbar and was pushed over the bar by Kingsbury for a corner. Controversy ensued after the corner into the penalty area as the ball appeared to have struck the arm of a Spirit player, but the referee whistled for fulltime.
Despite both clubs’ best efforts, neither were ultimately able to find a difference maker after 90 minutes of play plus stoppage meaning the match went directly to a penalty shootout.
In that penalty shootout scenario, Washington shot first and both teams converted their opening five penalties to bring it to sudden death. The teams’ penalty streaks continued all the way until the 8 ^th round when substitute Tinaya Alexander had her penalty saved by Reign goalkeeper Tullis-Joyce. However, in an attempt to finish off the shootout, Reign substitute Nikki Stanton also failed to convert as Kingsbury saved her spot kick to extended the shootout. In the 10 ^th round and after the Spirit had converted, up stepped OL Reign’s Jess Fishlock who had her penalty saved by Kingsbury to help the Spirit advance.
Washington now travels to the home of the North Carolina Courage, who defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 at Children's Mercy Park, on Saturday, May 7 for the 2022 Challenge Cup Final.