Saturday, June 23, 2018

NWSL 2018 Week 13

Four games on this weekend across the league, with the first one on Friday in...

Houston, as the Dash host the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch returns to action and faces Jane Campbell in goal. Portland opened in the ninth minute on a Tobin Heath goal, set up by Christine Sinclair with an excellent dummy by Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic. Houston tied it in the twelfth minute on a Sofia Huerta goal after the Thorns' Emily Sonnett and Franch failed to deal with a Kyah Simon cross. Portland retook the lead in the thirty-third minute on a Crnogorcevic goal, heading in a rebound off her initial shot that evaded multiple Dash defenders. The Thorns added on in the eighty-third minute with a Sinclair goal, set up by Tyler Lussi and Meghan Klingenberg. In the eighty-fifth minute, Simon took a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 3-1, with Sinclair as the woman of the match. Also good for the Thorns were Klingenberg, Celeste Boureille, Heath, and Crnogorcevic, while the Dash's best were Ohai, Huerta, and Simon.

On Saturday, the Seattle Reign FC welcome the North Carolina Courage. Katelyn Rowland and Lydia Williams make the starts in goal. Seattle started in the eighteenth minute with a Megan Oyster goal after Megan Rapinoe's free kick rebounded off of the keeper Rowland. North Carolina tied it with a Lynn Williams goal, set up by Jaelene Hinkle. The Courage took the lead in the thirty-third minute with a Crystal Dunn goal, via Williams. North Carolina added on in the forty-eighth minute with a Merritt Mathias goal. The Courage extended the lead as Dunn scored again, thanks to Williams. The final held at 4-1, with the woman of the match being Dunn for her brace. Also good for the Courage were Williams, Mathias, and Abby Erceg, while the Reign's best were Oyster, Rumi Utsugi, Rapinoe, and Elizabeth Addo.

Back east, the Washington Spirit bring in the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Aubrey Bledsoe are the former teammates in goal. Orlando led off in the eleventh minute with an Alanna Kennedy midfield goal. Washington's Caprice Dydasco had a yellow card for a foul in the eighteenth minute. The Spirit saw a yellow card for a Meggie Dougherty Howard foul in stoppage time. The final stood at 1-0, with Kennedy as the woman of the match. Also strong for the Pride were Carson Pickett, Christine Nairn, Emily Van Egmond, and Chioma Ubogagu, while the Spirit's best were Taylor Smith, Andi Sullivan, Rebecca Quinn, and Francisca Ordega.

Finally, the Chicago Red Stars host the Utah Royals FC. Abby Smith and Alyssa Naeher are the American goalies. Chicago got going in the sixty-second minute with a Katie Naughton goal, assisted by Danielle Colaprico. The Red Stars added on with a Vanessa DiBernardo goal in the seventieth minute, set up by Sam Kerr. Chicago's Yuki Nagasato received a yellow card for an eighty-seventh minute foul. The Red Stars took the 2-0 win, with the woman of the match being Kerr, while Naughton, Julie Ertz, Arin Gilliland, and Nagasato also played well for Chicago. The Royals' best were Becky Sauerbrunn, Katrina Gorry, and Amy Rodriguez.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Ashlyn Harris
RB Merritt Mathias
CB Katie Naughton
CB Megan Oyster
LB Meghan Klingenberg
DM Alanna Kennedy
DM Christine Nairn
AM Crystal Dunn
AM Christine Sinclair
AM Yuki Nagasato
FW Lynn Williams

Sunday, June 17, 2018

NWSL 2018 Week 12

All four games kick off within an hour of each other as the NWSL returns to action. We begin with...

The Washington Spirit hosting the Seattle Reign FC. Lydia Williams and Aubrey Bledsoe play in goal. Seattle's Elizabeth Addo had a yellow card for a forty-seventh minute foul. Rebecca Quinn of Washington had a yellow card for a sixty-third minute foul. The Reign's Jodie Taylor had a yellow card for her foul in stoppage time, as did the Spirit's Ashley Hatch. The game stayed at 0-0, with the woman of the match being Bledsoe (six-save clean sheet). Also good for the Spirit were Estelle Johnson, Andi Sullivan, Quinn, and Francisca Ordega, while the Reign's best were Steph Catley, Lauren Barnes, Theresa Nielsen, Rumi Utsugi, and Addo.

Down in North Carolina, the Courage welcome the Utah Royals FC. Abby Smith and Katelyn Rowland draw the starts in goal. Utah's Desiree Scott had a yellow card for a twenty-sixth minute foul. The Royals won 1-0 in stoppage time on a Brittany Ratcliffe goal following disorganization in the box from the Courage on a Diana Matheson free kick. The woman of the match was Ratcliffe, while also starring for the Royals were Becky Sauerbrunn, Gunnhildur Jonsdottir, and Katrina Gorry. For North Carolina, Abby Erceg, Jaelene Hinkle, McCall Zerboni, Samantha Mewis, and Jessica McDonald had good performances.

Further to the south, the Orlando Pride bring in Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Ashlyn Harris protect the nets. Orlando began in the second minute with a Sydney Leroux goal, made possible by Chioma Ubogagu. Sky Blue tied it in the sixteenth minute with a Savannah McCaskill goal on a rebound from Imani Dorsey's shot. The Pride retook the lead in the thirty-first minute with another Leroux goal, assisted by Christine Nairn. Sky Blue tied it again in the thirty-seventh minute on a Madison Tiernan goal, after Katie Johnson's shot was parried away poorly by the keeper Harris. Christina Gibbons of Sky Blue had a yellow card for dissent in first half stoppage time. Leroux had a yellow card in the seventy-fifth minute for a foul for Orlando. The Pride took the lead in the eighty-third minute with a Rachel Hill goal, passed from Alex Morgan and Marta. In the eighty-fifth minute, Carli Lloyd of Sky Blue received a yellow card for a foul. The final stood at 3-2, with the woman of the match being Leroux. Also strong for the Pride were Carson Pickett, Alanna Kennedy, Ubogagu, and Nairn, while Sky Blue's best were Mandy Freeman, Tiernan, Johnson, and McCaskill.

Finally, the Chicago Red Stars host the Portland Thorns FC. Britt Eckerstrom is mismatched with Alyssa Naeher in goal. Kelli Hubly of Portland had a yellow card for a forty-second minute foul in the box. Yuki Nagasato missed the penalty kick for Chicago, but buried the rebound to lead off the scoring. The Thorns tied it in the forty-eighth minute with a Lindsey Horan goal on a deflected free kick from Andressinha. In the fifty-fourth minute, Portland's Horan received a yellow card for a foul. In the sixty-second minute, the Red Stars' Nikki Stanton took a yellow card for a foul. Tyler Lussi of the Thorns took a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Nagasato as the woman of the match. Also starring for the Red Stars were Sarah Gorden, Julie Ertz, Arin Gilliland, and Sam Kerr, while the Thorns saw good games from Emily Menges, Horan, and Eckerstrom (six-for-seven in saves).

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Aubrey Bledsoe
RB Theresa Nielsen
CB Lauren Barnes
CB Julie Ertz
LB Arin Gilliland
DM McCall Zerboni
DM Andi Sullivan
AM Yuki Nagasato
AM Chioma Ubogagu
AM Savannah McCaskill
FW Sydney Leroux

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

MLS 2018 Week 16

Six games on Wednesday this week, and then a World Cup break begins for MLS play. The first is in...

Montreal, as the Impact host Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Evan Bush protect the nets. Montreal started in the fifth minute with an Ignacio Piatti penalty kick goal. Orlando City saw yellow cards for fouls by Dominic Dwyer in the seventeenth minute and Cristian Higuita in the nineteenth minute. Orlando City's Oriol Rosell had a yellow card for his foul in the forty-ninth minute. The Impact added on with an Amro Tarek own goal in the fifty-fifth minute. Montreal extended the lead in stoppage time as Piatti scored again, thanks to Saphir Taider and Daniel Lovitz. This made it 3-0, the final, with the man of the match being Piatti.

Down in Columbus, the Crew SC welcome Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Zack Steffen man the nets. Atlanta had yellow cards for fouls by Michael Parkhurst in the eighth minute and Mikey Ambrose in the twenty-seventh minute. Atlanta opened in the thirtieth minute on a Josef Martinez goal, via Ezequiel Barco. Franco Escobar of Atlanta took a yellow card for his dissent in the seventy-second minute. Wil Trapp of Columbus received a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul. Atlanta added on with a Hector Villalba goal in the eighty-second minute, courtesy of Miguel Almiron. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the man of the match being Guzan (three-save clean sheet).

Back in Canada, Toronto FC brings in DC United. David Ousted and Alexander Bono are in the six-yard boxes. DC began in the twelfth minute with a Yamil Asad goal, via Luciano Acosta and Paul Arriola. DC added on with an Arriola goal, coming off of Zoltan Stieber. Auro of Toronto had a yellow card for a thirty-ninth minute foul. DC extended the lead as Darren Mattocks scored in the forty-fifth minute. Toronto got on the board with a fifty-sixth minute Jonathan Osorio goal, assisted by Ryan Telfer and Victor Vazquez. Toronto got closer on a Vazquez goal in the sixty-fourth minute. Toronto tied it on a Nick Hagglund goal in the eighty-sixth minute, guided in by Justin Morrow and Sebastian Giovinco. Arriola of DC took a yellow card for dissent in the eighty-ninth minute. DC regained the lead in the ninetieth minute on an Asad goal, helped along by Patrick Mullins and Ian Harkes. Toronto equalized again as Hagglund scored in stoppage time, thanks to Osorio and Vazquez. This produced the 4-4 final, with Hagglund as the man of the match.

Stateside, the New York Red Bulls host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Luis Robles tend the nets. New York led off in the thirty-seventh minute with a Daniel Royer goal, passed from Florian Valot and Ethan Kutler. The Red Bulls added on in the fifty-second minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, set up by Kutler and Sean Davis. Seattle had yellow cards for fouls by Jordan McCrary in the seventy-fourth minute and Harry Shipp in the seventy-sixth minute. The Sounders got on the board with a Shipp goal in the eighty-seventh minute, coming off of Will Bruin and Waylon Francis. Seattle's Cristian Roldan took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final held at 2-1, with Kutler named man of the match.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids welcome the Chicago Fire. Richard Sanchez and Tim Howard are set to start in goal. Colorado struck first in the seventh minute with a Dominique Badji goal, set up by Tommy Smith. The Rapids added on in the fifteenth minute with a Smith goal, coming off of Jack Price and Sam Nicholson. Chicago got on the board when Colorado's Danny Wilson committed an own goal in the twenty-first minute. The Fire tied it on a twenty-fourth minute goal by Aleksandar Katai, assisted by Brandt Bronico. Chicago took yellow cards for fouls by Bastian Schweinsteiger in the twenty-ninth minute and Johan Kappelhof in first half stoppage time. The Rapids' Johan Blomberg took a yellow card for a fifty-sixth minute foul. The Fire went down to ten men in the eighty-fourth minute as Kappelhof received a straight red card for a foul. Colorado's Wilson had another rough moment in the eighty-ninth minute when he took a yellow card for a foul. Diego Campos of Chicago took a yellow card for time wasting in second half stoppage time. The final held at 2-2, with the man of the match honors going to Smith.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Andrew Tarbell are the gloved men. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the seventeenth minute with a Danny Hoesen goal, via Florian Jungwirth. New England tied it on a Diego Fagundez goal in the thirty-first minute. The Earthquakes saw a yellow card for a foul by Francois Affolter in the thirty-fifth minute. The Revolution took the lead in the forty-third minute with a Cristian Penilla goal, passed from Fagundez. San Jose retied it on a Hoesen goal in the fifty-first minute, coming off of Nick Lima and Yefferson Quintana. New England's Antonio Mlinar Delamea received a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. The final stood at 2-2, with the man of the match being Hoesen for his brace.

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Saturday, June 9, 2018

MLS 2018 Week 15

A full week of games before the World Cup break begins on Friday in...

Philadelphia, as the Union host Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Andre Blake man the nets. Warren Creavalle of Philadelphia had a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul. Toronto began in the nineteenth minute with a Jonathan Osorio goal, assisted by Victor Vazquez and Michael Bradley. Jay Chapman of Toronto had a yellow card for time wasting in the thirty-seventh minute. The Union saw Raymon Gaddis take a yellow card for his foul in the forty-seventh minute. Toronto added on in the seventy-ninth minute with an Osorio goal, his second of the game, made possible by Sebastian Giovinco. The final held at 2-0, with the man of the match being Osorio.

On Saturday, the other ten games go, beginning with New York City FC hosting Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Sean Johnson are the goalies. Ben Sweat of New York City had a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul. Atlanta got going in the forty-eighth minute with a Josef Martinez goal, assisted by Julian Gressel. Jo Inge Berget of New York City took a yellow card for a fifty-eighth minute foul. Atlanta saw yellow cards for Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the sixty-fourth minute and Romario Williams in the seventy-third minute. New York City tied it on an Alexander Callens goal in the seventy-seventh minute, set up by David Villa and Maximiliano Moralez. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Guzan (nine for ten in saves) as the man of the match.

West to Ohio, as the Columbus Crew SC welcome the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Jon Kempin protect the nets. Columbus led off in the twenty-sixth minute with a Gyasi Zardes goal, via Harrison Afful and Federico Higuain. New York tied it in the fifty-seventh minute with an Alex Muyl goal, coming off of Marc Rzatkowski. This stood for a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Robles (five for six in saves in return from injury).

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Whitecaps bring in Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Brian Rowe are given the starts in goal. Orlando City saw yellow cards for Will Johnson in the twelfth minute and Mohamed El-Munir in the twenty-seventh minute, for a foul and persistent infringement, respectively. Brek Shea of Vancouver took a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. The Whitecaps opened in the thirty-sixth minute on a Kei Kamara goal, passed from Alphonso Davies. Orlando City saw more yellow cards as Cristian Higuita got booked in the forty-fifth minute and RJ Allen received one in the fiftieth minute, both for fouls. Orlando City went down to ten men in the fifty-eighth minute as El-Munir took a second yellow card for a foul. Orlando City tied it on a Sacha Kljestan goal in the sixty-fourth minute, made possible by Tony Rocha and Josue Colman. Jose Aja of Vancouver received a yellow card for his foul in the seventieth minute. The Whitecaps gained the lead with a Davies goal in the seventy-sixth minute. Vancouver added on with a Kamara penalty kick goal in the eighty-fifth minute. The Whitecaps extended the lead as Yordy Reyna scored in the eighty-seventh minute, thanks to Davies. Vancouver padded the lead on a Nicolas Mezquida goal in the ninetieth minute, helped along by Davies, who earned a sock trick. Orlando City got one back in stoppage time on a Dominic Dwyer goal, courtesy of Chris Mueller and Colman. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the man of the match being Davies, who played a role in four of his team's goals.

Back to the southeast, FC Dallas hosts the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Jesse Gonzalez are between the sticks. Dallas got a gift early in the game when Montreal's Matteo Mancosu committed an own goal in the fifth minute. Dallas added on with a Mauro Diaz goal in the eighteenth minute from the penalty spot. Chris Duvall of Montreal had a yellow card for his twenty-second minute foul. Dallas' Carlos Gruezo took a yellow card for a twenty-fifth minute foul. Rudy Camacho of the Impact had a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute foul. Dallas keeper Gonzalez took a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. Daniel Lovitz of Montreal received a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. Dallas won 2-0, with Diaz as the man of the match.

Up in Chicago, the Fire welcome the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Richard Sanchez are the less-experienced keepers. Claude Dielna of New England received a yellow card for his thirty-first minute foul. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the sixty-third minute with a Bastian Schweinsteiger goal, via Aleksandar Katai. The Revolution tied it on a Teal Bunbury goal in the eighty-second minute, coming off of Diego Fagundez. New England's Bunbury had a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-third minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Bunbury for the equalizing goal.

Back in Texas, the Houston Dynamo bring in the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Joe Willis are the gloved men. Houston started in the thirtieth minute with a Tomas Martinez goal. The Dynamo added on in the thirty-sixth minute with a Mauro Manotas penalty kick goal. Colorado went down to ten men in first half stoppage time when Yannick Boli took a straight red card for violent conduct. Deklan Wynne of the Rapids had a yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute foul. The Dynamo won 2-0, with the man of the match being Martinez.

Northwest to Seattle, where the Sounders FC host DC United. David Ousted and Stefan Frei protect the woodwork. DC struck first in the fifty-third minute with a Darren Mattocks goal. Seattle tied it on a Nicolas Lodeiro goal in the fifty-seventh minute. The Sounders saw a yellow card for an Osvaldo Alonso foul in the seventieth minute. Seattle took the lead with a Magnus Wolff Eikrem goal in the eighty-third minute, helped along by Cristian Roldan and Alonso. The Sounders won 2-1, with the man of the match being Lodeiro.

In California, the Los Angeles Galaxy welcome Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and David Bingham are in the six-yard boxes. Los Angeles saw a yellow card given to Jorgen Skjelvik in the fifty-third minute for a foul. The Galaxy drew first blood in the sixty-first minute with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal. Brooks Lennon of Salt Lake had a yellow card for his sixty-fourth minute foul. Los Angeles added on with another Ibrahimovic goal in the sixty-seventh minute, set up by Servando Carrasco. The Galaxy's Ola Kamara received a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. Los Angeles extended the lead as Kamara scored in the seventy-sixth minute, thanks to Chris Pontius. Marcelo Silva of Real had a yellow card for his seventy-ninth minute foul. The final stayed at 3-0, with the man of the match being Ibrahimovic.

Back north, the Portland Timbers bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Jeff Attinella are manning the goals. In stoppage time Kansas City's Ike Opara took a yellow card for dissent and Sebastian Blanco of Portland got booked for a foul. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being Melia for a four-save clean sheet.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes host Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Andrew Tarbell guard the nets. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the eleventh minute with a Valeri Qazaishvili goal, assisted by Danny Hoesen and Jackson Yueill. Los Angeles tied it on an Adama Diomande goal in the fifteenth minute. Los Angeles gained the lead in the nineteenth minute with a Steven Beitashour goal. Kevin Partida of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for a twenty-second minute foul. In the twenty-sixth minute, Los Angeles' Walker Zimmerman took a yellow card for his foul. San Jose retied it on a Chris Wondolowski goal in the fifty-second minute, passed from Hoesen. The Earthquakes took the lead in the sixty-third minute with another Wondolowski goal. Los Angeles tied it again in the ninetieth minute with a Diomande goal, coming off of Zimmerman and Beitashour. Partida of San Jose received a second yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. Los Angeles took the lead with a Joao Moutinho goal in stoppage time, guided in by Latif Blessing and Lee Nguyen. Moutinho took a yellow card for delaying the game after the goal. Los Angeles won 4-3, with the man of the match being Diomande.

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Friday, June 8, 2018

NWSL Special Edition: Sky Blue FC v. Washington Spirit

We've got only one game this week, on Friday, as Sky Blue FC hosts the Washington Spirit. Aubrey Bledsoe and Kailen Sheridan are the solid keepers. McKenzie Meehan of Sky Blue took a yellow card for a thirty-ninth minute foul. In the fiftieth minute, Washington's Meggie Dougherty Howard received a yellow card for a foul. Sky Blue's Sarah Killion had a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul. Caprice Dydasco of the Spirit had a yellow card for delaying the restart of play in the eighty-eighth minute. The game ended at 0-0, with the woman of the match being Whitney Church of the Spirit. Also strong for Washington were Bledsoe (seven save clean sheet), Estelle Johnson, Andi Sullivan, and Estefania Banini, while Sky Blue's best were Sheridan (four save clean sheet), Domi Richardson, Killion, Shea Groom, and Katie Johnson.

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Thursday, June 7, 2018

Stanley Cup Finals: Vegas Golden Knights VS. Washington Capitals

The NHL season is set to close within a couple of weeks, and there will be a first-time champion. This is the last post of the season, with each game in the series included.

Game 1: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. In goal: Braden Holtby for the Capitals and Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights. Vegas started in the first period with a Colin Miller power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Erik Haula. Washington tied it on a Brett Connolly goal, his fifth of the playoffs, via Michal Kempny and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals took the lead on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fifth of the postseason, guided in by T.J. Oshie and Jakub Vrana. The Golden Knights retied it with a William Karlsson goal, his seventh of the playoffs, helped along by Reilly Smith and Deryk Engelland. Vegas retook the lead in the second period on a Smith goal, his third of the postseason, fueled by Engelland and Jonathan Marchessault. Washington tied it again on a John Carlson goal, his fourth of the playoffs, made possible by Oshie and Backstrom. The Capitals pulled ahead in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Golden Knights equalized with an unassisted Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the playoffs. Vegas regained the lead on a Tomas Nosek goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights iced it at 6-4 with a Nosek empty net goal, his third of the playoffs and second of the game, set up by David Perron. The three stars belonged to Nosek, Smith, and Backstrom, while Engelland and Oshie get the honorable mentions. The Golden Knights lead the series 1-0.

Game 2: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. In goal: Braden Holtby for the Capitals and Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights. Vegas opened in the first period with a James Neal goal, his fifth of the postseason, helped along by Luca Sbisa and Colin Miller. Washington tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his sixth of the playoffs, assisted by Michal Kempny and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals took the lead in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirteenth of the postseason, powered by Eller and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington added on with a Brooks Orpik goal, passed from Eller and Burakovsky. The Golden Knights got one back with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his third of the playoffs, with assists provided by Reilly Smith and William Karlsson. They couldn't get closer, leaving the Capitals with a 3-2 win. The three stars were Eller, Holtby (37 for 39 in saves), and Burakovsky. The series heads to the nation's capital tied at 1.

Game 3: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC. In goal: Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights and Braden Holtby for the Capitals. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fourteenth of the postseason, made possible by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a Kuznetsov goal, his twelfth of the playoffs, via Jay Beagle and T.J. Oshie. Vegas got on the board with a Tomas Nosek goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the third period. Washington replied with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his fifth of the playoffs, with a lone assist by Beagle. This secured a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Kuznetsov, Beagle, and Holtby (21 for 22 in saves). The Capitals have taken a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC. In goal: Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights and Braden Holtby for the Capitals. Washington began in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his eighth of the postseason, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Tom Wilson goal, his fifth of the playoffs, made possible by Kuznetsov. Washington extended the lead as Devante Smith-Pelly scored his sixth of the postseason, thanks to Alex Ovechkin and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals padded the lead in the second period on a John Carlson power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Kuznetsov, who got a sock trick, and Oshie. Vegas got on the board in the third period with a James Neal goal, his sixth of the postseason, coming off of Erik Haula and Colin Miller. The Golden Knights got closer with a Reilly Smith goal, his fourth of the playoffs, via Jonathan Marchessault and Luca Sbisa. Washington answered with a Michal Kempny goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Backstrom and Oshie. The Capitals struck again on a Brett Connolly power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, courtesy fo Backstrom and Kuznetsov. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars being Kuznetsov, Oshie, and Backstrom. The Capitals head on the road a win away from glory with the 3-1 series lead. 

Game 5: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. In goal: Braden Holtby for the Capitals and Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Tom Wilson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Vegas tied it on a Nate Schmidt goal, his third of the playoffs, via Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The Capitals took the lead back with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his fifteenth of the postseason, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Golden Knights tied it again with a David Perron goal, passed from Tomas Tatar and Colin Miller. Vegas took the lead with a Smith power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Alex Tuch and Shea Theodore. Washington tied it on a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his seventh of the postseason, assisted by Brooks Orpik. The Capitals iced it at 4-3 with a Lars Eller goal, his seventh of the playoffs, guided in by Brett Connolly and Andre Burakovsky. The three stars went to Eller, Smith, and Smith-Pelly, while the Conn Smythe for Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP belongs to Ovechkin. The Capitals are Stanley Cup champions by a 4-1 series win margin. 

I don't know at this time if I will be covering the NHL here come October. My job search continues now, and there is a growing concern I will not be writing professionally at first. I may have to take some of my coverage out to accommodate a job as well, which would obviously see significantly less attention paid to blogging on the whole. However, I have a few more options to explore before I adjust my dreams. I will not talk about any of them here, but I will let all of you know if things start happening over the summer. MLS and NWSL coverage will continue for now. I've enjoyed this fresh NHL season, and we'll see what the future holds. As always, you can find me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, June 3, 2018

NWSL 2018 Week 10

We've got four games on over two days this weekend, beginning with...

The Washington Spirit hosting the Chicago Red Stars. Emily Boyd and Kelsey Wys are the backups in goal. A long lightning delay pushed the start time back by approximately five hours, actually making this game start after the next listed game. Joanna Lohman of Washington took a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Chicago capitalized on the free kick with a Sam Kerr goal on a rebound from Yuki Nagasato's service. Nikki Stanton of the Red Stars received a yellow card for her foul in the thirty-second minute. The Red Stars added on in the forty-ninth minute with a Nagasato goal, made possible by Alyssa Mautz on a give-and-go. Mautz took a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute foul for Chicago. The final stood at 2-0, with Nagasato named woman of the match. Also good for Chicago were Kerr, Mautz, Katie Naughton, and Boyd (four-save clean sheet). The Spirit had good performances from Andi Sullivan, Ashley Hatch, and Estefania Banini.

In New Jersey, Saturday's other game has Sky Blue FC welcoming the Utah Royals FC. Nicole Barnhart and Kailen Sheridan protect the nets. Utah began in the third minute with a Diana Matheson goal, passed from Gunnhildur Jonsdottir and Taylor Lytle. Sky Blue tied it in the tenth minute on a Shea Groom goal, helped along by Katie Johnson and Amanda Frisbie. The Royals took the lead as Sky Blue's Mandy Freeman put the ball in her own net while trying to defend a cross from Jonsdottir. Madison Tiernan of Sky Blue had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final was 2-1, and the woman of the match was Jonsdottir, with other good performances for Utah from Brooke Elby, Rachel Corsie, Desiree Scott, Matheson, and Katie Stengel. For Sky Blue, the best players were Rebekah Stott, Sarah Killion, Janine Beckie, and Groom.

On Sunday, the Houston Dash bring in the North Carolina Courage. Katelyn Rowland and Jane Campbell play in goal. Lynn Williams of North Carolina had a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Houston got going in the forty-ninth minute on a Kealia Ohai goal, helped along by the keeper Campbell. Rachel Daly of the Dash took a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-eighth minute. The Courage tied it on a Frannie Crouse goal in the eightieth minute. In second half stoppage time, Thembi Kgatlana received a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 1-1, with the woman of the match being Ohai. Also good for the Dash were Amber Brooks, Allysha Chapman, Mana Shim, Daly, and Kyah Simon, while the Courage's best were Abby Erceg, Elizabeth Eddy, Cari Roccaro, Debinha, and Crouse.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Orlando Pride. Haley Kopmeyer faces her former team and Lydia Williams in goal. Seattle's Jasmyne Spencer had a yellow card for not retreating in the seventieth minute. Orlando had a yellow card for a foul by Shelina Zadorsky in the seventy-ninth minute. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the woman of the match being Jess Fishlock. Also good for the Reign were Lauren Barnes, Lydia Williams (two-save clean sheet), Beverly Yanez, and Nahomi Kawasumi, while the Pride saw good efforts from Zadorsky, Carson Pickett, Alanna Kennedy, and Sydney Leroux.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Emily Boyd
RB Brooke Elby
CB Abby Erceg
CB Amber Brooks
LB Allysha Chapman
DM Gunnhildur Jonsdottir
DM Jess Fishlock
AM Yuki Nagasato
AM Kealia Ohai
FW Shea Groom
FW Sam Kerr