• FINAL STATS

The gang working on the road tonight at 9:00 on @go90!#SEAvORL | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/LmzDV1hSOn

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 4, 2018

Goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer had yet to see a single minute of regular-season action in 2018. But when a United States women’s national-team call-up took away three-year Orlando Pride starter Ashlyn Harris, Kopmeyer got her poetic return to the pitch.

It was only fitting that her first game since leaving Seattle, Washington, was against Seattle Reign FC. She helped the Pride to the best-possible defensive result a team could want, as Orlando (4-3-4, 16 points) and Seattle (5-2-3, 16 points) drew 0-0 at Memorial Stadium on June 3.

The Reign didn’t allow Kopmeyer to ease into her first match minutes since Aug. 26, 2017. They tested her from the first minute to the 90th, sending in 15 shots (five on-goal), 13 crosses and two corners.

Forward Nahomi Kawasumi posed two of the Reign’s best scoring threats in each half.

In the 18th minute, Kawasumi received a leading pass that narrowly escaped left back Carson Pickett and her intercepting attempt. She, then, dribbled into the right part of the box–with Pride center back Shelina Zadorsky flanking her–before unleashing a rising shot that Kopmeyer hopped to stop.

Kawasumi showed off her range in the 51st minute with another attempt, this time from outside the top of the box. Reign midfielder Jessica Fishlock delivered an overextended leading ball to the top of the box where Zadorsky deflected it away. The ball, however, landed to Kawasumi, who took two dribbles to center the ball before testing Kopmeyer again.

Kopmeyer aided in the shutout by helping the Pride defense recover from a high-pressure turnover.

In the 13th minute, Seattle midfielder Beverly Yanez pressured midfielder Alanna Kennedy the moment she received a pass from forward Chioma Ubogagu. Forward Jodie Taylor also flanked Kennedy’s right, as the pressure eventually resulted in a weak backward pass to Kopmeyer, who beat Taylor to the ball for the clearance.

In the week of training leading up to the matchup with Seattle, Pride head coach Tom Sermanni reiterated the quality he sees in Kopmeyer.

“I mean, Haley, again, is a starting goalkeeper in this league,” Sermanni said after training on May 31. “She just happens to be a little bit unfortunate that we’ve got Ash Harris here. But, you know, there’s probably, I would say, four or five teams in this league where Haley would be starting.”

The Pride were not without their scoring chances, totaling 12 shots (two on-goal), one corner and 10 crosses.

In the 22nd minute, Pickett delivered a free kick from near the left sideline toward the far post. She accurately found Kennedy between two defenders, as the Australian’s headed attempt bounced off the crossbar. The ball eventually landed softly on forward Sydney Leroux’s head, but she knocked it just left of the net.

Fellow Australian midfielder Emily van Egmond presented another Pride scoring chance.

In the 74th minute, midfielder Kristen Edmonds received an inbounds pass toward the left end line and spun off her defender to the ball. Her ensuing cross knocked deflected off a defender and landed toward the center of the box for van Egmond and her low, on-target shot that was saved by keeper Lydia Williams.

With the draw in Seattle, the Pride’s road unbeaten streak extends to five games. The streak started with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars on May 2.

Who’s Next?

The Pride won’t play another match for almost two weeks, as their next match will be a home bout with Sky Blue FC (0-8-1, 1 point) on June 16 at 7:30 p.m. That match will be the first matchup between the two teams this season.

For more on the Pride, as they rest and recover, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com, or you can tweet at him.