Playoff PK shootout at Audi Field? Well, that’s a likely place for one to be.

For the third time in NWSL history, a playoff game ended in a shootout – and in every single one, the Spirit have been at the scene of the crime. In fact, all five home playoff games for Washington have gone into extra time.

PK-stopping machine Aubrey Kingsbury saved two of Racing Louisville’s four shots and her teammates did their part, converting all three shots, to advance the Spirit, 1-1 (3-1).

After a first-half Rosemonde Kouassi goal was called back, the Spirit didn’t get on the board until the 72nd minute when a Gift Monday header made it past an outstretched Jordyn Bloomer. Monday, in her first NWSL season, now has nine goals in all NWSL competitions to her name.

Racing Louisville’s first playoff appearance may have ended in heartbreak, but the underdogs went down fighting. Racing came roaring back with renewed life, forcing the No. 2 seed fight for that semifinal spot.

Just as Washington pulled off a stoppage-time equalizer in the teams’ last regular season meeting, Louisville’s Kayla Fischer returned the favor. After subbing on in the second half, Fischer chased a bouncing ball into the box and chipped it by Kingsbury.

Two periods of extra time ticked on with both teams applying pressure but failing to break through, sending a quarterfinal game to a shootout for the first time in NWSL history.

It was the tale of two talented ‘keepers in net with wildly different journeys. It was Bloomer, in a breakout year, who made history by stopping two PKs in the same regular season game, against Kingsbury, who had the most PK saves in NWSL history coming into this game.

This time, experience won.

Kingsbury added two more shoutout saves to her career total, which now stands at nine saves in 26 attempts. Her save percentage in shootouts is 34.6%. Every other keeper in the league combined, with 20 saves in 156 attempts, has a save percentage of 12.8%.

She’s putting the “king” in Kingsbury.

The Washington Spirit will host the winner of tomorrow’s quarterfinal match between the Portland Thorns and the San Diego Wave. You can watch that match at 3 p.m. EST on ABC.

Check out the 2025 NWSL Playoffs Hub.