OL Reign vs. Washington Spirit

Tacoma, Washington – Fans were treated to a thriller on Saturday as OL Reign hosted Washington Spirit and the visitors walk away victorious after a 2-0 win.

Side-by-side in the table, three vital points were on the line as these two teams battled in out at Cheney Stadium. Throughout the first 45 minutes Washington Spirit made their presence known which arguably came as a shock for OL Reign. Despite a plethora of veteran talent on the pitch, the breakthrough came through Taylor Aylmer who scored her first NWSL goal on her first start after chipping Sarah Bouhaddi. Before the break, however, Rose Lavelle and Jess Fishlock ramped up the pressure but neither could impact the scoreline. One effort from the USWNT star hit off the crossbar The hosts brought on Quinn and Dzsenifer Marozsán coming out after the break to try and find an equalizer. But despite a spell of possession, a long-range strike from Ashley Hatch doubled Washington’s lead. Hatch is now the top goal scorer in the NWSL (10). Visibly shaken, the hosts then almost conceded a third, but Trinity Rodman’s strike was somehow cleared off the line by Fishlock. With around half an hour to go, OL Reign lunged forward and brought on Bethany Balcer to try and add some extra power up top. However, strong defensive work from the Spirit’s back line and Aubrey Bledsoe in goal saw the visitors win their last road match of the regular season. Third-place Washington now sit three points behind second-place OL Reign.