October 2, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – OL Reign News Release
SEATTLE, WA – OL Reign (11-4-7, 40 points, 1st place) dominated the Orlando Pride (5-10-7) in a 3-0 win to win the NWSL Shield for the first time since 2015, in front of a record-breaking crowd of 10,746 at Lumen Field.
OL Reign came out dominate in the match, maintaining around 75% of possession in the first ten minutes of the match. The team didn’t wait long before finding the back of the net. Forward Jordyn Huitema took advantage of a through ball deflected by an Orlando defender, taking one touch into the box before finding forward Megan Rapinoe, who was celebrating her 100th NWSL appearance. Rapinoe, one touched the ball into the back of the net to give OL Reign the early lead in the 8th minute of the match.
The momentum piled on for OL Reign as the home side blazed up the field with the NWSL Shield on the line. In the 24th minute, OL Reign doubled their lead. Midfielder Quinn received a ball from Lavelle in the middle of the field before taking their space and playing a ball through to Huitema up top. Huitema displayed her stellar skill, beating two Orlando defenders and the goalkeeper to find the back of the net.
Not done scoring yet, OL Reign added another, just seven minutes later when Rapinoe played a ball out wide to midfielder Jess Fishlock, who was making an overlapping run. Fishlock took one touch to beat her defender before lofting a ball into the box. Balcer flamed through the box to volley to the back post, bringing the score to 3-0.
After the halftime break, OL Reign continued to control the match, ensuring that Orlando did not find the back of the net at all, allowing just one shot on target in the match. The energy in the stadium was palpable on and off the field as OL Reign fought to control their destiny and finish in first place. The second half, though exciting, went scoreless and against all odds, OL Reign claimed the 3-0 victory and their third ever NWSL Shield.
Key Facts:
– OL Reign has won the NWSL Shield for the third time in club history (2014, 2015, 2022), finishing the regular season with the best overall record (11-4-7) and points earned (40). No other team tallied at least 11 wins in the 2022 regular season. The Reign will host a semifinal match at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 23.
– For the third time this season, OL Reign set a new club attendance record in a stand-alone game with 10,746 fans in attendance. Prior to this, the club record…