ORLANDO, Fla. – When many thought of the Orlando Pride last season, big names like Alex Morgan, Marta Vieira da Silva, Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger came to mind. But about halfway through the 2017 season, forward Rachel Hill began making a name for herself.
In her rookie campaign, Hill’s impact was felt from the first time she stepped on the field. She played the full 90 minutes in her National Women’s Soccer League debut on June 3, 2017, in a 2-0 win over the Boston Breakers. Hill went on to play in 13 more matches, starting in eight of them and tallying three goals and an assist in 713 minutes.
As the 14th-overall pick in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, the hype around Hill was there. It took almost two months for her to see the field, though. Now, despite Orlando’s depth at the forward position, Hill will be competing for a starting spot.
“She started several games for us last year. She came on in a lot of games where she didn’t start, and, you know, she’s in there fighting for a starting position [this season],” head coach Tom Sermanni said after training on March 19. “Secondly, she is such a dynamic player and such an impact player off the bench, and that makes her become useful as a player to come on for the last 20 or 30 minutes.”
To improve on her game, Hill moved to Australia this past NWSL offseason on loan with Perth Glory FC. She led the Australian W-League in assists with six and was third in the league in scoring with nine goals, playing all 90 minutes of every game in her time overseas.
In addition to her productivity on the field, her work ethic in training has caught the attention of her teammates.
“I mean, I love Rachel’s work ethic. She’s amazing—can run for days,” new Pride forward Sydney Leroux said after training on March 19. “I think we all have, like, a certain way about us, and I think that everyone brings something to the table, so it’s great.”
Orlando drew with Utah Royals FC 1-1 in both teams’ season opener, as Hill subbed on for 17 minutes. She was nursing a lower-body injury for most of preseason, but Morgan potentially suffering a concussion against Utah could free up more playing time for Hill.
The Pride return to action on Saturday when they travel to face the Washington Spirit at 3:30 p.m.
For more on the Pride, as they start a two-game road trip, follow Sarah Kelliher on Twitter at @sarahkelliher4.
