Match Recap: Reign FC defeats Boston Legacy FC 2-1 in Rhode Island

On a beautiful night in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Reign FC defeated Boston Legacy FC 2-1 on goals from Sofia Huerta and Maddie Dahlien. 

The first-ever meeting between the two teams saw Seattle start the match on the front foot, blazing forward to earn a corner kick in the second minute of the match. It was clear the game would not be one-sided, as the Legacy mounted a fourth minute counterattack, which resulted in a shot that found the top netting of the goal. 

Just four minutes later, the Reign earned a penalty kick as Angharad James-Turner lofted a cross the back post for Maddie Dahlien. The attacker connected with the ball and directed it toward goal, but the shot was blocked by the raised arm of a Boston player. Captain Sofia Huerta stepped up to the spot to take the kick after video review confirmed the call and made no mistake as she hit the ball low and hard past Casey Murphy in goal to give Reign FC the lead in the 8th minute of the match and break the club’s goalscoring drought. 

Near the half hour mark of the match, Claudia Dickey was called on to make a save on a close range shot to preserve the Reign’s lead, but she was up to the task. 

In the 41st minute, Sally Menti was fouled in a dangerous position outside the 18-yard box and Huerta stepped up to serve a ball into the the area. Her service was blocked by Boston’s wall, but Menti was there to follow it up with another shot, though her attempt went high. 

The closing minutes of the match saw Boston get into the attack, putting Dickey to work in the net but the Reign held onto the lead to see out the first half. 

After the halftime break, the match resumed just as physically as before as both teams battled to claim victory. It was once against Reign FC to strike first, doubling their lead in the 51st minute of the match. 

Madison Curry lofted a perfectly placed cross to the right corner of the six-yard box, where Dahlien’s speed left Boston’s defense helpless as she volleyed the ball into the back of the net with her first touch. 

Immediately after, Holly Ward nearly added a third goal to the Reign’s tally as she unleashed a shot to upper right corner of the goal, but Murphy got a hand to it, defelecting the ball away from goal and out for a corner kick. 

As the match began to wind down, the home side saw more attacking opportunities, forcing the Reign to spend time defending. It looked as though Boston found an opportunity to pull a goal back in the 87th minute, as Josefine Hasbo’s shot was cleaned up by Boston teammate Aïssata Traoré, but Traoré was ruled offside and the Reign held on to the 2-0 lead. Boston did eventually add one goal in the match, as Emerson Elgin found Traoré in front of goal just before the final whistle.

NEXT UP: Reign FC closes out the month of May on the road against the Washington Spirit. The meeting marks Seattle’s final match until July 4, when the league returns from a long-month break in June. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

CAPTAIN HUERTA: Sofia Huerta made her 200th NWSL regular season start and scored the opening goal of the match from the penalty spot. The strike marks her first goal since her 200th NWSL appearance on October 17, 2025 vs. Utah.

TWO-GOAL GAME: Reign FC broke their goalscoring drought against Boston in a match that featured two goals from Seattle - penalty kick and run of play goal. This is the first time since March the Reign have recorded more than one goal in a match. Maddie Dahlien’s goal marked her fifth consecutive game-winning goal.

ANOTHER MILESTONE: Claudia Dickey officially became the 13th goalkeeper in NWSL history to record 200 saves with a single club, making four saves in the match.