Seattle Reign FC Defeat the University of Washington 3–1 in First Match of Preseason
In their first match of the preseason, Seattle Reign FC came out on top with a 3–1 victory over the University of Washington. Reign FC improved their all-time record to 5–0–0 against the Huskies.
Reign FC started off the scoring in the 21st minute when Kiersten Dallstream netted her first preseason goal after she pressured the UW right back into a turnover deep in their own half. Seattle continued to apply a high press and controlled the match for the remainder of the first half, but couldn’t find the back of the net again before the break.
The second half started off much more evenly matched, with the UW gaining some positive spells of possession. In the 50th minute, UW found themselves one-on-one with Reign FC goalkeeper Michelle Betos, but she was able to come up with a crucial save. The match began to open up, and in the 64th minute defender Lauren Barnes sent in a perfectly-placed cross that midfielder Morgan Andrews headed into the net for the second goal of the match. UW was able to equalize on a counter almost instantly, scoring their lone goal of the match in the 65th minute. Reign FC were able to put the game away in the 69th minute with their third and final goal of the match when Stephanie Verdoia collected the ball near the halfway line and made a brilliant run, trading multiple passes before having the ball returned at the top of the box, which set Verdoia up for a beautiful finish for the last goal of the match.
Reign FC were without 8 players who have yet to return from international duty, including USWNT forward Megan Rapinoe and Welsh international Jess Fishlock. This match provided Reign FC head coach Vlatko Andonovski the perfect opportunity to showcase the depth of the squad that he constructed this past offseason. Reign FC veteran forwards Nahomi Kawasumi, Kiersten Dallstream and Bev Yanez, as well as defenders Lauren Barnes and Maddie Bauer all featured in tonight’s match. This was also the first chance for fans to see new additions to the Reign FC squad, including Megan Oyster, Morgan Andrews, and Christen Westphal — acquired from Boston in the dispersal draft — as well as forward Jasmyne Spencer, who was acquired in a trade with the Orlando Pride. In total, 11 new Reign FC players saw the pitch, including rookie defender Ally Haran and UW alumni Dominque Bond-Flasza.
“It was a great game overall. The University of Washington gave us a good challenge because they play a good brand of soccer,” said Seattle Reign FC head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “At times, we looked very good and we were able to execute well. At other times, we didn’t look as solid as I was hoping for. But, these preseason games are for seeing what areas we need to work on and to get better at the things we do well.”
Next week, Reign FC will head to Norco, CA for their second and final preseason match as they take on UCLA at the SilverLakes Sports Complex on Tuesday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m. PT.
