Spirit Draws Louisville After Late Goal From Visitors

Washington Spirit  |   June 18, 2022
Spirit Draws Louisville After Late Goal From Visitors Featured Image

Sam Pittman
WashingtonSpirit.com
Leesburg, VA (06/17/2022) – The Washington Spirit tied Racing Louisville FC tonight 2-2, extending the side’s winless streak to 11 matches. After taking a 2-0 lead into halftime, the Spirit conceded two goals in the final 25 minutes to settle for a draw.

In the third minute of action, captain Andi Sullivan was able to put a stop to a Louisville threat when she cleared a close-range free kick with a header. After 18 minutes of play that didn’t see many scoring opportunities, Julia Roddar looked to have a good shot at the net when she fired a 21st-minute shot from out front in the box that was blocked out for a corner. On the ensuing corner kick, Emily Sonnett appeared to have netted her first goal of the season but was ruled offside in a similar fashion to her disallowed goal in Portland last month. The sudden burst from the Spirit attacking third concluded after Maddie Elwell sent a shot over the crossbar in the 22nd minute.

The Spirit connected with the back of the net in the 34th minute when Trinity Rodman received a through ball from Ashley Sanchez on a fast break and crossed a shot from the right side of the box past Louisville keeper Katie Lund. Just four minutes later, Sanchez nearly doubled the Spirit lead when her shot from the right side of the box was saved. In the 43rd minute, rookie Maddie Elwell tallied her first professional goal to put the Spirit up 2-0. After Ashley Hatch had her header attempt saved, Elwell corralled the rebound and buried the ball into the top of the inside of the net. In first half stoppage time, Andi Sullivan nearly netted a highlight goal when she ripped a shot from deep outside the box that went just out of reach of Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund and off the top of the right goalpost.

In the 60th minute, Rodman beat her defender to the end line and sent a cross in front of the net to Elwell, whose shot went just high over the crossbar. Five minutes later, with Racing Louisville FC attacking, Aubrey Kingsbury jumped up to intercept a free kick cross. In the 66th minute, however, Louisville substitute Nadia Nadim fired a shot from the center of the box into the lower right corner of the goal to cut the Spirit lead in half.

Despite conceding the goal to Nadim, the Washington attack looked determined to re-capture its two-score lead over the course of the following 20 minutes. In the 70th minute, Hatch beat her defender with a turnaround shot from the top of the box that went just high. Two minutes later, Hatch had another great look when she fired a shot toward the top right corner but Louisville’s Lund was able to make the save.

In the 84th minute, the Spirit had a barrage of scoring chances highlighted by a blocked Anna Heilferty shot and a blocked Ashley Hatch shot from close range in the center of the box. Two minutes later, Hatch put another shot on goal that was stopped by Lund. As the final minutes before stoppage time ticked away, Kingsbury was able to make a save on a Kirsten Davis shot to the top of the goal but wasn’t able to stop Jessica McDonald and Nadia Nadim from connecting on the duo’s second score of the night. In the 89th minute, McDonald crossed a ball to Nadim who headed the ball home from close range.

After three minutes of stoppage time, the Spirit’s sixth draw in its first ten matches went final. The defending champs will now have a 16-day break from game action until they will be forced to take the field without eight national team players against league-leading San Diego Wave FC on Sunday, July 3. The Spirit will be back at home next on Sunday, July 10 when it takes on the Kansas City Current at Segra Field.

-NWSL Match Report-

Match: Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville FC

Date: June 17, 2022

Venue: Segra Field

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET

Weather: mostly sunny, high-80s

Scoring Summary:

Goals 1 2 F
Washington 2 0 2
Louisville 0 2 2

WAS – Trinity Rodman – 34’

WAS – Maddie Elwell – 43’

LOU – Nadia Nadim – 66’

LOU – Nadia Nadim – 89’

Lineups:

WAS: 1- Aubrey Kingsbury; 16- Julia Roddar (22- Amber Brooks 60’); 3- Sam Staab; 6- Emily Sonnett; 30- Camryn Biegalski; 12- Andi Sullivan (7- Taylor Aylmer 61’); 10- Ashley Sanchez; 29- Maddie Elwell (21- Anna Heilferty 60’); 13- Bayley Feist (5- Kelley O’Hara 46’); 2- Trinity Rodman; 33- Ashley Hatch

Unused Substitutes: 17- Tinaya Alexander; 28- Nicole Barnhart; 14- Morgan Goff; 27- Audrey Harding; 4- Karina Rodriguez

LOU: 1- Katie Lund; 11- Emily Fox; 15- Julia Lester; 4- Gemma Bonner; 17- Nealy Martin (10- Nadia Nadim 56’); 8- Freja Olofsson (21- Parker Goins 78’); 6- Jaelin Howell; 27- Alex Chidiac (13- Emina Ekic 6’, 22- Kirsten Davis 56’); 7- Savannah DeMelo; 2- Lauren Milliet; 14- Jessica McDonald

Unused Substitutes: 24- Jordyn Bloomer; 25- Rebecca Holloway; 19- Taylor Otto; 9- Ebony Salmon

Stats Summary: WAS / LOU

Shots: 26 / 8

Shots On Goal: 8 / 4

Saves: 2 / 6

Shots Blocked: 10 / 2

Fouls: 13 / 9

Offsides: 7 / 5

Misconduct Summary: 

WAS – Julia Roddar – 8’ – Yellow Card

WAS – Kelley O’Hara – 51’ – Yellow Card

LOU – Emily Fox – 74’ – Yellow Card

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