July 8, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Kansas City Current News Release
KANSAS CITY – More than 50 media members of varying athletic ability took the field at halftime of the Kansas City Current’s match against Orlando Pride Saturday for the team’s third annual media game. Saturday’s event marked the first-ever media game played at CPKC Stadium.
KC Sports Network’s Chris Wright delivered the game’s lone goal in the penultimate minute of the match, guiding Team Storm – led by team captain Misti Mundae, from 90.9 The Bridge – to victory over Team Heartland with team captain Lindsay Shively, from KSHB 41.
“It’s unbelievable, it gave us the win,” Wright said postgame. “It was great supporting our team.”
The match, which lasted six minutes, began with pomp and circumstance. Hartzell Gray of KC Morning Show rubbed powder between his palms and threw it into the air, akin to the pregame ritual of LeBron James, before hyping up supporters in the crowd.
Celebrity referee and Sporting KC legend Roger Espinoza blew the whistle signaling the start of play and both teams, forgoing any semblance of tactics, converged on the ball. Several members of Team Heartland mustered shots on net early, but Lee’s Summit Tribune reporter Fred Liggett stood firm in net for Team Storm. On the other side of the pitch, KSHB 41’s Kevin Holmes’ domineering frame formed a brick wall in goal for Team Heartland.
After a few unsuccessful runs toward the net by FOX4 KC’s Marcus Officer for Team Heartland, the ball found its way to Wright, who tapped it into the net to raucous applause.
Wright won the media game’s Most Valuable Player Award, taking home a swag bag of various Current items. Several other awards were given to media members who demonstrated exceptional team spirit, trash-talking ability and creativity on social media.
KC Sports Network’s Jimmy Mack, who posted a picture of his dog dressed in a Current uniform for Team Storm, won the award for best social media smack talk.
For Team Storm, 98.1 KMBZ’s Dan Weinbaum took home honors for most creative social media post, crafting a training montage during a beach vacation.
On Team Heartland’s end, KMBC’s Jamie Weiss earned a nod for most creative after she posted a TikTok chronicling the Media Game Team Reveal event on June 26.
The all-encompassing team spirit award was split between three. Karla Gil, Adan Manzano and Elynor Martinez — the Telemundo KC representatives — received prizes for their Instagram content in…