Reign host Dash on Mother’s Day

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

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

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