Key Transactions
The Washington Spirit recently signed their 15th overall pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft midfielder/forward Maddie Elwell to the active roster. Elwell has seen minutes in the Spirit’s last two games after signing with the squad, coming on as a substitute in both matches. The Pennsylvania native attended Vanderbilt University and tallied 12 goals and 29 assists for the Commodores in her five seasons there.
Recent Form
The Spirit are currently eighth in the NWSL standings with one win, one loss and two draws. In their most recent matchup against the OL Reign, Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury made nine saves and kept a clean sheet as the game finished in a 0-0 draw. Washington have drawn their last two consecutive matches with both games also being on the road.
Who’s Hot
Washington forward Ashley Hatch has scored two of the Spirit’s three goals in the 2022 NWSL regular season. She also tallied a goal for the Spirit in their 2-1 defeat in the Challenge Cup Final to the North Carolina Courage. Her two regular season goals currently puts her in a tie for second-most among all NWSL players during this year's regular season. Her first came in the team’s opening league victory over OL Reign and her second came in a 1-1 draw with Portland.
Head-to-Head
The Pride and the Spirit squared off against one another twice during the 2022 Challenge Cup. Their first meeting was the opener of the Cup and the first competitive match of the 2022 season for both teams, which ended in a 0-0 draw at Exploria Stadium. The return match resulted in a 4-1 defeat for the Pride at Audi Field, with the lone goal from Orlando scored by Gunny Jónsdóttir.
Rasmussen University Fun Fact
A major milestone occurred in the Spirit's game against the Thorns on May 18 as defender Amber Brooks officially hit 10,000 career minutes played. Brooks became just the 29th player in NWSL history to hit that mark and joined teammates Tori Huster and Nicole Barnhart as the only current Spirit players with 10,000 minutes played.
