Sky Blue FC Playing Third Match Over the Span of A Week
Sky Blue FC (3-3-1, 10 points) will return to National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) action on Saturday, welcoming the Orlando Pride (2-2-2, 6 points) to Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J. Kickoff for the match is slated for 7:00 p.m., and tickets are available now online or by calling 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849).
“We are looking forward to playing in front of our fans again this weekend,” said Christy Holly, Sky Blue FC head coach. “We are beginning to establish a winning culture at home in New Jersey, and that is a great source of pride for us. We now look to continue the growth of that culture on Saturday when we host a very good Orlando team.”
Saturday marks the third match for Sky Blue FC over the span of a week. The New Jersey outfit began that run when it hosted the Houston Dash for the NWSL on Lifetime Game of the Week last Saturday, using an 85th minute game-winner by midfielder Raquel Rodriguez to hand the Dash a 2-1 defeat.
Sky Blue FC then traveled to North Carolina for a Wednesday road tilt against the first-place Courage, where it came out on the wrong side of a 2-0 result. In that match-up, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan put forth a stellar performance and eventually registered a total of 11 saves. That mark is the highest ever for a Sky Blue FC goalkeeper since the foundation of the NWSL, and it ranks as second best all-time behind an 13-save showing by Karen Bardsley (5/9/10) in a 1-0 win for Sky Blue FC over the Atlanta Beat in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).
Orlando enters Saturday on a three-game unbeaten streak, most recently drawing with Seattle Reign FC at Memorial Stadium this past Sunday, 1-1. Marta scored that lone tally for the Pride, which unfortunately lost starting goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris in the contest. Harris was ruled out with a quadriceps injury and is expected to miss eight weeks of action. The loss of Harris means two former Sky Blue FC goalkeepers will be heading to New Jersey this weekend in Aubrey Bledsoe and Caroline Stanley.
2016 marked the inaugural NWSL season of the Pride, and Sky Blue FC went 1-0-1 with the Florida club over two fixtures. Their lone meeting at Yurcak Field resulted in a 1-1 tally, as Alex Morgan and Sam Kerr exchanged goals for their respective clubs.
Saturday night will be the third home match of the season for Sky Blue FC at Yurcak Field, where the team has won both of its previous outings. In each encounter, Sky Blue FC saw dramatic game-winners from Rodriguez in the final minutes of the contest.
Tickets for Saturday night’s match-up are available now online or by calling 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849). For all of the latest news on Sky Blue FC, make sure to visit the team online and follow us on social media: @SkyBlueFC
