Two Teams Set to Clash this Saturday Night at Memorial Stadium
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) officially kicks off its historic fifth season this weekend, with Sky Blue FC opening on the road against Seattle Reign FC this Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The action gets underway at 10:00 p.m. ET, and fans can watch the game live via NWSL streaming partner go90.
“Since the schedule was announced, we have been looking forward to April 15th,” said Christy Holly, Sky Blue FC head coach. “We feel that we had a very successful preseason, and we now aim to translate our performances from training into the league where it really matters.”
Sky Blue FC starts the season in Seattle for the second consecutive year after handing Reign FC its first-ever loss at Memorial Stadium in 2016, 2-1. The result ended a 22-match unbeaten streak for Seattle on their home pitch, as Christy Holly began his tenure as head coach with the pivotal win. In the Starting XI that day for Sky Blue FC were five players who had never logged a minute in the NWSL, including four rookies who were making their professional debuts.
Sky Blue FC figures to have more players making their NWSL debuts on Saturday night, beginning with free agent acquisition Daphne Corboz, who joins the New Jersey midfield after spending the past two seasons playing overseas with Manchester City. Five 2017 NWSL College Draft selections also earned professional contracts with Sky Blue FC after successful preseasons, with those being Canada international Kailen Sheridan, 2016 NCAA College Cup champions Kayla Mills and Mandy Freeman, as well as prolific college goal-scorers McKenzie Meehan and Madison Tiernan.
Defensively, Sky Blue FC will once again be anchored by captain Christie Rampone in 2017. Sharing time with her on the back line will be second-year players Erica Skroski and Erin Simon, with Mills and Freeman joining veteran Domi Richardson as the defensive player pool. Behind them will be a pair of young goalkeepers in rookie Sheridan, who was allocated by the Canada Women’s National Team, and second-year returner Caroline Casey, who recorded the win in net against Reign FC a year ago in her professional debut.
The Sky Blue FC midfield appears to be exceptionally strong, beginning with the return of veterans Sarah Killion, Raquel Rodriguez, Taylor Lytle and Nikki Stanton. New players who are arriving into the midfield include New Jersey natives Corboz and Tiernan.
The Sky Blue FC attack looks to be extremely intriguing this season. The focal point will be Australia international Sam Kerr, who has led the team in goals during each of the past two seasons despite playing in just 18 total matches (15 starts). In four NWSL seasons, Kerr has registered 36 goals and 11 assists in only 59 appearances, not to mention the elite striker is still just 23-years-old. Fully healthy ahead of the 2017 campaign, Kerr now looks to firmly establish herself as one of the best goal-scorers on the planet.
Another exciting aspect that Sky Blue FC fans will see in 2017 is the movement of U.S. international Kelley O’Hara to forward. A prolific playmaker at Stanford University (57 goals, 32 assists), O’Hara has spent most of her professional career at defender for both club and country.
Rounding out the Sky Blue FC attack will be second-year England international Leah Galton (three goals, four assists in 2016), along with veterans Maya Hayes (three goals in 2016), Kim DeCesare and rookie Meehan. Tasha Kai will begin the 2017 season on the 45-day disabled list after undergoing offseason procedures on her left and right ankles.
By winning the 2016 season series with Reign FC (1-0-1), Sky Blue FC leveled the all-time series to a cumulative 3-3-4 record. Entering its fifth season in the NWSL this year, Sky Blue FC has never lost on opening weekend.
After starting the year with consecutive road games, Sky Blue FC will play its 2017 regular season home opener when it hosts FC Kansas City on Sunday, April 30, at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. Kickoff for that match is slated for 6:00 p.m., and tickets are available now online or by calling 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849).
Sky Blue FC season, group and individual game tickets are on sale now! For any questions or to purchase tickets, call the Sky Blue FC tickets department at 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849), and a team representative will be happy to assist you. Additionally, tickets can also be purchased online.
For all of the latest news on Sky Blue FC, visit the team online and follow us on social media: @SkyBlueFC
