Monthly Archives: May 2025

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Spirit hand Reign a home loss

Seattle Reign FC 1
Washington Spirit 2
May 23, 2025
Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
NWSL Regular Season

Seattle Reign FC hosted Washington Spirit on Friday night in Seattle.

The two clubs have played numerous important matches over the years as NWSL originals. Once again, both clubs find themselves jockeying for position in the table; entering the match only a few points apart and above the playoff line.

2025 Reign FC matches have been tense, low scoring affairs. A gritty ability to fight through single goal games and grab points has set this season already apart from the 2024 campaign.

The Spirit have been involved in a number of high scoring shoot outs. Goals scored and conceded have been in big numbers of late.

Something had to give.

A brisk pace set the tone early. The Spirit took it right at the hosts, nearly going up early on a VAR overturned goal, and then grabbing the actual lead a few minutes later from Croix Bethune that VAR confirmed.

The Reign would equalize quickly. Shae Holmes wold capitalize with a close range blast. It appeared the race was on.

Washington would continue its high pressure and pace and keep the hosts on their heels for the bulk of he first half. Reign keeper Claudia Dickey saw much activity in front of her goal as her defense was hustling to disrupt and defend the Spirit attack. Dickey signed a three year extension and was announced as a national team call up earlier in the week.

All that Spirit pressure allowed them to retake the lead in the 35th minute. Ashley Hatch would get on the end of a Gift Monday low drive from short range to make the match 2-1.

The first half would end with the single goal lead.

Not much changed as the second half got underway insofar as pace of play. Seattle managed more of the early play but could not get a clean chance to pressure Spirit keeper Aubrey Kingsbury.

The young Seattle line up gave way to the veterans off the bench with Lynn Biyendolo and the return of Jessica Fishlock. Despite a few chances and set pieces, the second goal for Seattle wold not come.

The single goal would hold up and Washington leaves Seattle with three huge points as the international break ebbs closer.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Reign FC 1 – Washington Spirit 2
Friday, May 23, 2025
Venue: Lumen Field
Referees: Brad Jensen
Assistants: Fernando Fierro, Eric Krueger
Fourth Official: Miles Crumley
VAR: Anya Voigt
Attendance: 7,080
Weather: 61 degrees and sunny

SCORING SUMMARY

WAS – Croix Bethune (Casey Krueger) 11’
SEA – Shae Holmes 17’
WAS – Ashley Hatch (Gift Monday) 35’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

WAS – Narumi Miura (caution) 50’
SEA – Shae Holmes (caution) 55’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Reign FC – Claudia Dickey; Lauren Barnes ©, Phoebe McClernon, Jordyn Bugg, Madison Curry, Shae Holmes (Nérilia Mondesir 74’); Angharad James-Turner (Ji So-Yun 74’), Sam Meza; Maddie Dahlien (Sally Menti 89’), Jordyn Huitema (Lynn Biyendolo 62’), Emeri Adames (Jess Fishlock 61’)
Substitutes not used: Maddie Prohaska, Emily Mason, Ainsley McCammon, Hanna Glas

Total shots: 7
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 6
Offside: 2
Corner-Kicks: 3
Saves: 2

Washington Spirit – Aubrey Kingsbury ©; Casey Krueger (Kiley Dulaney 81’), Rebeca Bernal, Tara McKeown, Gabby Carle, Esme Morgan (Kysha Sylla 66’); Narumi Miura, Croix Bethune (Hal Hershfelt 66’); Rosemonde Kouassi (Brittany Ratcliffe 89’), Gift Monday (Makenna Morris 81’), Ashley Hatch
Substitutes not used: Sandy MacIver, Courtney Brown, Heather Stainbrook, Meg Boade

Total shots: 17
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 9
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 3
Saves: 1

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Reign host Dash on Mother’s Day

Seattle Reign FC 0
Houston Dash 0
May 11, 2025
Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
NWSL Regular Season

Lee Pate Photos

Seattle Reign FC hosted Houston Dash on Mother’s Day at Lumen Field.

Houston is near the bottom of the table in the early going. A road win or point would be a big result.

Reign FC look to continue their resurgence in 2025. Positive results and clean sheets have put Seattle in a position to jump up in to the top tier of the table with three points.

The first half was a spirited, but ultimately goalless affair.

Much of the half was spent with both sides moving the ball about quickly, looking for openings, but not breaking through. The pressing and pressure did not lead to many chances until well into the half.

It was in the 33rd minute that the first real dangerous chance on goal would come for either side. Reign rookie Maddie Dahlien would manage a quick cut in and near post blast that would just go wide.

From there, the pace would pick up even more, and chances started to happen. Dash pressure on the counter was getting them into the Seattle third, but only to be dealt with by the Reign defenders.

There were a few more dangerous chances for Seattle on the counter and through a few corner kicks. The field turf and Houston team defenses would be enough.

With the match still level and goalless, the second half would also start off briskly.

The Dash continued to bend, but not break. Houston defenders were steadily able to deflect, intercept, and disrupt passing lanes. The Reign offense continued to press, attacking from either flank, unable to get clean looks.

Houston’s patience would be rewarded and Seattle’s inability to break through would be punished in the 57th minute. Maggie Graham would get on the end of a low cross from Ryan Gareis, finishing the chance with a low drive from close range. With that, the Dash were suddenly up a goal.

In a presser on Saturday, Reign coach Laura Harvey had remarked that the success of recent matches against the top of the table teams was great, but they needed to do better against the teams below them.

The Reign would throw fresh legs and numbers forward. The crossbar, some good team defense, and solid goalkeeping from Houston’s Abby Smith continued to stifle each wave of the Seattle attack.

The three points for Houston was a reward for smart play and collective defense. They took their chance and held on against a number of chances.

The missed opportunity for the Reign was a call back to the 2024 campaign. It was a good performance with some chances, but they didn’t finish and paid for it.

BOX

SCORING SUMMARY
HOU – Maggie Graham (Ryan Gareis) 57’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA – Maddie Dahlien (caution) 16’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Reign FC – Claudia Dickey; Lauren Barnes ©, Phoebe McClernon, Jordyn Bugg (Maddie Mercado 86’); Angharad James-Turner (Ainsley McCammon 71’), Sam Meza, Ji So-Yun (Madison Curry 57’); Lynn Biyendolo, Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (Shae Holmes 71’), Maddie Dahlien (Emeri Adames 71’), Jordyn Huitema
Substitutes not used: Maddie Prohaska, Emily Mason, Hanna Glas, Olivia Van der Jagt

Total shots: 6
Shots on goal: 1
Fouls: 5
Offside: 5
Corner-Kicks: 5
Saves: 1

Houston Dash – Abby Smith; Natalie Jacobs, Avery Patterson, Christen Westphal (Paige Nielsen 64’), Katie Lind; Delanie Sheehan (Sarah Puntigam 83’), Ryan Gareis (Michelle Alozie 78’), Maggie Graham, Danielle Colaprico; Messiah Bright (Barbara Olivieri 46’), Yazmeen Ryan
Substitutes not used: Jane Campbell, Evelina Duljan, Kiki Van Zanten, Sophie Schmidt, Rebeca

Total shots: 3
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 12
Offside: 3
Corner-kicks: 2
Saves: 1

Referees: Alyssa Nichols
Assistants: Tiffini Turpin, Melissa Gonzalez
Fourth Official: Yannick Rothfuss
VAR: Mark Verso
Attendance: 6,841
Weather: 58 degrees and rainy

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Reign grab three huge points over KCC in Seattle

Seattle Reign FC 1
Kansas City Current 0
May 2, 2025
Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
NWSL Regular Season

Lee Pate Photos

Top of the table Kansas City Current visited Seattle on Friday evening to face the resurgent Reign FC.

Kansas City came into the match after dropping their first points of the season last week. Still top of the table, Kansas City presents a series of issues for opposing defenses while solidly defending and being stingy on defense.

The Reign are a mix of youth and solid veterans with international experience. Early results of the 2025 mix have been good for Laura Harvey. Rooking Maddie Dahlien and other youngsters like midfielder Sam Meza have played like veterans in recent weeks, blending in with the veterans to return hope to Reign faithful after a brutal 2024 campaign.

The hosts had much of the early play, but the Current were able to fend off attacks. The Kansas City defense steadily handled the Seattle attempts down either flanks, forcing Reign attackers to cut back and switch with limited lanes to play through.

The opening goal would come in the 37th minute. Lu Barnes would send a long far post cross in on a corner kick that striker Jordyn Huitema would be able to redirect back to midbox. Lynn Biyendolo would manage a control touch and volley in from the six. For a Reign side that had been struggling to find the net at times, grabbing a first half goal was a fitting reward for their patience.

The match would remain a single goal affair into the second half. Eventually, Kansas City would bring on Temwa Chawinga in the 61st minute, who had been listed as questionable on the availability report and not started.

Adding Chawinga to the attack added a spark to the Current attack. Within minutes there was a long run into the Seattle box that led to a Debinha shot that grazed the cross bar.

The long history of Laura Harvey versus Vlatko Andonovski came into play as the match moved into the late stages. The Current used up all five of their allotted subs by the 76th minute, while Harvey and the Reign were still with a goal lead and their starting eleven. The coaching chess match was on.

Kansas City through it all forward in the late going and stoppage time, testing the Seattle defense a number of times. The Reign would hold on for a one goal victory, three important points, and more evidence 2024 is behind them.

Kansas City drops a tough one on the road, but their status as a top of the table team will always be tested in the hyper competitive NWSL.

BOX

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Lynn Biyendolo (Jordyn Huitema) 37’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SEA – Lauren Barnes (caution) 57’
KC – Lo’eau LaBonta (caution) 69’
SEA – Ji So-Yun (caution) 70’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Reign FC – Claudia Dickey; Lauren Barnes © (Emily Mason 90+4’), Phoebe McClernon, Jordyn Bugg; Angharad James-Turner (Ainsley McCammon 79’), Sam Meza, Ji So-Yun (Shae Holmes 84’); Lynn Biyendolo, Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (Madison Curry 79’), Maddie Dahlien (Maddie Mercado 90+4’), Jordyn Huitema
Substitutes not used: Cassie Miller, Hanna Glas, Olivia Van der Jagt, Emeri Adames

Total shots: 4
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 9
Offside: 0
Corner-Kicks: 5
Saves: 3

Kansas City Current – Lorena; Hailie Mace, Alana Cook, Kayla Sharples, Flora Marta Lacho (Izzy Rodríguez 61’); Lo’eau LaBonta, Claire Hutton (Rocky Rodriguez 75’), Vanessa DiBernardo (Temwa Chawinga 61’), Debinha; Bia Zaneratto (Mary Long 75’), Haley Hopkins (Ellie Wheeler 75’)
Substitutes not used: Laurel Ivory, Elizabeth Ball, Bayley Feist, Katie Scott

Total shots: 13
Shots on goal: 3
Fouls: 14
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 3
Saves: 1

Referees: Calin Radosav
Assistants: Bennett Savage, Rachel Smith
Fourth Official: Christopher Calderon
VAR: Jamie Padilla
Attendance: 5,912
Weather: 60 degrees and sunny