Match Recap: Reign FC Splits Points with Bay FC
Seattle Reign FC drew 1-1 with Bay FC on Saturday night at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. After going down a goal in the first half, the Reign battled back to earn a point on the road. Forward Jordyn Huitema scored the Reign’s lone goal of the night on a cross from midfielder Sam Meza.
The match got off to a blistering start from the opening whistle. Forward Maddie Dahlien set the tone, taking Bay’s defense head-on in the first minutes of the match. It wasn’t long before Bay FC followed suit, forcing goalkeeper Claudia Dickey to make a diving save, her 100th all-time, to keep forward Racheal Kundananji’s headed shot out of the goal.
The Reign enjoyed 69.5% of possession in the half, earning five shots, seven corners and 23 crosses, but struggled to find the back of the net. In the 26th minute, forward Jordyn Huitema received a pass from midfielder Sam Meza and turned on her defenders in the box, but her shot went high.
Huitema had another opportunity just three minutes later, when a Bay FC defender miss-hit a pass. The Canadian-international intercepted the ball and dribbled into the box, but Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz did just enough to push Huitema wide of the goal and clear the danger.
One minute later, Kundananji opened the scoring, receiving a ball from forward Caroline Conti and taking a shot that pinged off both posts before hitting the back of the net to give Bay the lead.
Attempting to level the score, the Reign pushed forward, continuing to control the match. The 39th minute brought an opportunity for defender Madison Curry, who was stationed at the top of the box for a corner kick. The ball popped out to her feet, and she fired off a powerful shot that forced Silkowitz to push the ball over the bar. Dahlien managed one more shot for the Reign before the halftime whistle, but Bay held the edge going into the break.
Returning to action, the Reign had a renewed sense of energy and found an equalizer just five minutes into the half. On a corner kick, midfielder Ji So-Yun received the ball inside the 18-yard box and immediately played Meza, who was lurking outside the box. Meza made no mistake as she lofted a perfect ball to the back post, where Huitema used her height to beat the defense and head the ball into the back of the net to level the score.
The home side gained momentum as the half went on, forcing the Reign to lock in defensively. Bay had a solid chance on goal in the 80th minute when a cross was headed toward the feet of substitute Rachel Hill, but defender Emily Mason got a toe on the ball, thwarting the attack.
The Reign defended as a unit to see the match out to the final whistle, picking up a point on the road.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
BARNES: Defender Lauren Barnes hit 20,000 minutes played in this match. She is the first-ever NWSL player to reach this milestone.
DICKEY: Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey earned her 100th save for the Reign on her fifth minute save against Racheal Kundananji.
HUITEMA: Forward Jordyn Huitema scored her first of the season to level the score in the 50th minute on an assist from midfielder Sam Meza. The goal marks her 11th regular season goal with the Reign.
UP NEXT: The Reign return to Lumen Field to take on the Kansas City Current on Friday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. PT. Get tickets HERE.