OL Reign’s Best Moments in 2022
OL Reign’s 2022 season was packed full of moments to remember. From an admirable Challenge Cup run, to winning The Women’s Cup in Louisville, to securing the club’s third NWSL Shield, there were moments, small and large, that set this team apart.
Going into the semifinal, head coach Laura Harvey said, “We’re all right with the journey we went on because I think one thing that I've loved about this year, and I've reflected on it a lot throughout the last 10 days, I don't think I've ever been part of a team and with this club, where I feel like pretty much every person has had a moment throughout the year that we'll all remember, whether it be something that happened in the locker room or something that happened on the field that was game winning, whether it be, I think of Olo scoring against Angel City, Liv coming and starting against Portland and scoring her first goal and Tobin against LA. All these narratives that have just been storylines all year and for us, it's been super cool to celebrate that.”
Here’s a list of our top moment for each OL Reign player this season:
Angelina – The young midfielder had an incredible performance against Angel City FC in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, where she earned a goal and assist. Angelina served a great cross into the box, setting Alana Cook up to score the second goal of the match, before finding the back of the net herself, scoring her first goal with OL Reign.
Olivia Athens – Making her first start with OL Reign in a rivalry match against the Portland Thorns on July 10, midfielder Olivia Athens tied the game with her first-ever NWSL goal in the 13th minute, just one minute after the Reign conceded the opening goal.
Bethany Balcer – Forward Bethany Balcer tallied a goal and an assist in the team’s 2-0 win over North Carolina on July 1 at home, keeping the Reign undefeated at Lumen Field through six home games. Balcer assisted midfielder Jess Fishlock in the 52nd minute to give the Reign a 1-0 lead and sealed the victory with a goal in the 74th minute, her first assist and third goal of the season.
Lu Barnes – In her 184th appearance, captain and defender Lu Barnes became the first player in NWSL history to reach 15,000 minutes played in the regular season all-time in the team’s shutout against the Washington Spirit on May 22. In addition to the clean sheet, Barnes tallied 32 successful passes, three duels won, two clearances, two interceptions and one block.
Marley Canales – After making two appearances in her first season with the Reign, midfielder Marley Canales had her first NWSL start against the Portland Thorns on July 10. The rookie midfielder finished the match with 64 minutes played, one shot and a team-leading three interceptions.
Alana Cook – The reliable center back started the season off strong with a goal in the 2022 Challenge Cup on March 26 against Angel City FC. Known for her tenacity in the backline, Cook showed off her offensive skill, getting on the end of a cross from Angelina and flicking the ball into the back of the net.
Claudia Dickey – The rookie started and played all 90 minutes of The Women’s Cup final on August 20 against Racing Louisville. She conceded just one goal, helping OL Reign to the 2-1 victory.
Jess Fishlock – Midfielder Jess Fishlock opened the scoring in the Reign’s 2-0 win over North Carolina on July 1 in the 52nd minute and then proceeded to get an assist in the 74th minute. The goal and assist marks the 10-year veteran’s fifth time tallying at least one of each in a game and helped her earn NWSL Player of the Week.
Tobin Heath – In her second appearance with the Reign, forward Tobin Heath scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute against Angel City FC on July 30, just five minutes after stepping on the field. The late winner was the veteran’s first goal since the 2019 season.
Sam Hiatt – Defender Sam Hiatt scored OL Reign’s third goal in the team’s 3-1 Challenge Cup win over San Diego Wave FC on April 14. Hiatt cleverly lofted a ball to the far post, showing her technical skill and awareness.
Sofia Huerta – Being a major contributor in the Reign’s first regular season road win in 2022, defender Sofia Huerta scored a jaw-dropping game-tying goal in the 64th minute and continued the momentum into the final minutes of the match by sending in a cross to forward Tobin Heath, earning the game-winning assist in a dramatic second-half comeback victory.
Jordyn Huitema – In forward Jordyn Huitema’s sixth start with the Reign, the 21-year-old scored her first-ever NWSL goal at home against the Chicago Red Stars on September 9 in the 18th minute.
Laurel Ivory – In the semifinal of The Women’s Cup on August 17 against Club America, goalkeeper Laurel Ivory made her OL Reign debut and helped the team advance to the final.
Tziarra King – After going down 0-1 in the 23rd minute at home against Racing Louisville FC on May 8, forward Tziarra King tallied back-to-back goals within four minutes of each other (33’ and 37’), giving the Reign a 2-1 lead before halftime. King finished the season as just one of 19 players to record a brace in the 2022 regular season, joining forward Megan Rapinoe.
Veronica Latsko – Making her ninth start of the season against her former team, the Houston Dash, forward Veronica Latsko scored her first-ever Reign goal in the 76th minute, extending the Reign’s lead to 2-0 and securing the third consecutive win on the road in the final road game of 2022 in Houston on September 24.
Rose Lavelle – In her sixth consecutive start since the beginning of the regular season, midfielder Rose Lavelle registered the game-winning goal in the 75th minute against San Diego Wave FC on May 29 to put the Reign ahead, 1-0. The goal was Lavelle’s second of the season and extended the team’s unbeaten streak to five games.
Jimena Lopez – Starting in The Women’s Cup Final on August 20 against Racing Louisville FC, defender Jimena Lopez made a crucial pass to forward Jordyn Huitema in the 65th minute to assist the game-winning goal and secure the club’s first trophy since 2015 as the Reign defeated Louisville 2-1.
Phoebe McClernon – In the Reign’s first game of the 2022 regular season – on the road against the Washington Spirit, defender Phoebe McClernon made her first regular season start with the Reign and tallied a team-leading 50 successful passes – the 10th-most by any Reign player in a game all season.
Sinclaire Miramontez – In her first regular season start with the Reign on July 1 against North Carolina, defender Sinclaire Miramontez played all 90 minutes, helping the team to a 2-0 win, finishing second in touches (69), third in passes (37), tied for first in passes in the final third (15), tied for second in crosses (three), tied for second in tackles won (four) among all Reign players.
Quinn – In the final regular season game of 2022, midfielder Quinn connected with fellow Canadian forward Jordyn Huitema in the 24th minute, tallying an assist on the second goal of the match and marking their first assist with the Reign.
Megan Rapinoe – The 10-year veteran and OL Reign original had a standout season but scored a particularly notable game-winning goal in the Reign’s match against the Orlando Pride on August 26. Her stoppage time stunner sealed the 2-1 win for the Reign, securing three points that were essential to OL Reign’s NWSL Shield win.
Nikki Stanton – After signing with OL Reign and returning back to Washington, the state she was born and raised in, Stanton scored a memorable goal in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup against San Diego Wave FC on April 14. The second minute goal came off a corner kick and was the first of the match and the first of Stanton’s NWSL career.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce – The only OL Reign player to play every minute of every NWSL match this season, Tullis-Joyce was a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year. Notably, she reached a season-high 10 saves in OL Reign’s opening game of 2022 in Washington D.C. on May 1.
Jodi Ulkekul – After originally joining OL Reign as a National Team Replacement Player, Ulkekul signed a contract through the 2022 season on August 17 and immediately made an impact in the lineup, debuting for the team during The Women’s Cup.
Olivia Van der Jagt – Rookie Olivia Van der Jagt, a Washington local, scored the game-winning goal in OL Reign’s Challenge Cup win over Angel City FC on April 17, in stoppage-time of the match. This marked Van der Jagt’s first-ever professional goal.