Yet Another Debut
Goalkeeper Brittany Wilson made her NWSL debut last Friday against the Houston Dash, playing the entirety of the match in between the sticks for the Pride. Wilson registered five saves in the match, including swatting effort in the 56th minute to keep the Dash advantage at one. That save went on to win NWSL Save of the Week. A graduate of the University of Denver, Wilson joined the Pride in March as a preseason trialist and was later signed to a full contract ahead of the Fall Series.
She Back
Forward Sydney Leroux found the back of the net in the Pride’s last outing, getting on the end of a ball from Abby Elinsky and hammering her shot in for the score. The goal marked the first for Leroux since July 11, 2018 after missing the majority of the 2019 season due to pregnancy. The 2015 FIFA World Cup Champion has now found the back of the net seven times for the Pride since joining the Club ahead of the 2018 season.
Last Time Against the Courage
The Pride’s last match against Saturday’s opposition resulted in a scoreless stalemate at WakeMed Soccer Park on Sept. 19, a match that served as the Pride’s first in the calendar year. Five members of the Pride made their NWSL debuts in that match in defenders Carrie Lawrence and Courtney Petersen, along with midfielders Jordyn Listro, Deneisha Blackwood and Chelsee Washington. Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris registered four saves in the match, including an NWSL Save of the Week effort in the 53rd minute, to record her first clean sheet of the year.
Back Home With a Purpose
Saturday will mark the Pride’s first match at Exploria Stadium since October 12, 2019, a night that served as the Club’s first ever Breast Cancer Awareness Match. The fixture saw Pride defender Toni Pressley return to the field for the first time after receiving treatment for that very disease, entering the game in the 72nd minute. This weekend’s match will also serve as the Pride’s Breast Cancer game, with the players set to wear warm-up tops that will later be raffled off following the match.
For The Kids
Orlando Pride has selected Parramore Kidz Zone to play for in the 2020 Verizon Community Shield, a program located in the heart of downtown Orlando, just a block from the Pride’s home at Exploria Stadium, with the mission of leveling the playing field for Parramore’s children. In addition, the Pride will also be raising funds for Parramore Kidz Zone by raffling off the signed Black Lives Matter warm-up tops the team has been wearing throughout the Fall Series. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to PKZ to amplify the impact on the Club’s local community.
The First for Abby
Pride forward Abby Elinsky registered the first goal contribution of her NWSL career last Friday against Houston, recording the assist on Sydney Leroux’s finish in the 47th minute. Elinsky joined the Pride as a National Team Replacement Player ahead of the 2018 season before signing a contract with the Club on April 10, 2019. In total, she has appeared in 20 matches for the Pride.
