Reign FC earn first road point of the season against Sky Blue FC
Seattle Reign FC grabbed its first road point of 2015 with a 1–1 tie against the Sky Blue FC on Saturday, May 9 on Yurcak Field in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Reign FC looked as if it would tally the opening goal in the 8th minute, after midfielder Kim Little settled a ball at the top of the box and dished it out to midfielder Jessica Fishlock whose shot was saved by Sky Blue goalkeeper Brittany Cameron.
One minute later, midfielder Keelin Winters headed a chance on that looked destined for the goal but midfielder Sarah Killion cleared it off the line to keep the game knotted up at nil-nil.
After dominating the attack throughout the second half, Seattle found the opening goal of the match courtesy of defender Lauren Barnes.
In the 76th minute, a corner played in by Little was cleared out and Barnes finished with a low hard shot into the net from 25 yards out. The tally was good for Barnes first-ever NWSL career goal.
As the match entered stoppage time, a scramble in the box ensued and Reign FC appeared to had made two goal-line clearances to preserve the lead. After the center ref spoke to the assistant referee, Fishlock was sent off for a handball in the box and a penalty kick was awarded to Sky Blue.
Forward Nadia Nadim buried the ensuing kick past goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer and solidified a point for the home team.
With the tie, Seattle earned its first road point of the 2015 campaign and currently sits tied for third place in the NWSL standings, 3 points behind first-place Chicago Red Stars.
Reign FC returns to Seattle for two home games, starting with an international friendly against the China Women’s National Team on Friday, May 22 at 7 p.m. followed by a visit from the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, May 30.
Fans looking to see Reign FC take on the China WNT can purchase tickets here. Great seats are available for just $19.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Seattle Reign FC vs. Sky Blue FC
Date: May 9, 2015
Venue: Yurcak Field, Piscataway, N.J
Kickoff: 4 p.m. PT
Scoring Summary
SEA — Lauren Barnes
NJ — Nadia Nadim
Misconduct Summary
NJ — Caution — Nadia Nadim, 78
NJ — Caution — Kristin Grubka, 82
SEA — Ejected — Jessica Fishlock, 90
Lineups & Stats
SEA: GK Haley Kopmeyer, D Elli Reed, D Kendall Fletcher, D Lauren Barnes, D Stephanie Cox, M Keelin Winters, M Jessica Fishlock, M Kim Little, F Kiersten Dallstream (F Danielle Foxhoven, 57'), F Beverly Yanez (M Mariah Nogueira, 86’), F Merritt Mathias (M Amber Brooks, 86')
NJ: GK Brittany Cameron, D Kristin Grubka, D Hayley Haagsma, D Cami Levin (Kim DeCesare), D Lindsi Cutshall, M Meg Morris, M Shawna Gordon, M Taylor Lytle (Maya Hayes, 85’), M Katy Freels, M Sarah Killion, F Nadia Nadim
Referee: Matthew Kreitzer
Assistant Referees: Joshua Zawistowski, Logan Brown
Fourth Official: Ernie Constantine
Stats Summary
Shots: SEA 13, NJ 6
Shots on goal: SEA 9, NJ 3
Saves: SEA 2, NJ 8
Corner kicks: SEA 6, NJ 2
Fouls: SEA 14, NJ 3
Offside: SEA 2, NJ 1
