Brace for Impact: OL Reign’s Five Braces in 2023
When it Reigns, it pours. This season, OL Reign players recorded braces on five separate occasions – the most in the league. Four different OL Reign players earned a brace in the 2023 regular season. Forward Bethany Balcer was the only player in the league to earn two braces, while midfielder Jess Fishlock, forward Veronica Latsko and forward Megan Rapinoe each picked up one.
Three of OL Reign’s five braces were earned against the Chicago Red Stars across the two regular season meetings with the team, while the other two braces were earned against the Reign’s west coast foes – San Diego Wave FC and Angel City FC. In every match where the Reign recorded a brace, the team earned a win.
First Half Brace – Bethany Balcer on April 22 vs. Chicago Red Stars:
OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer not only earned the first brace of the season for the Reign, but also was the only player to score both goals in the first half of the match. Scoring in the 15th and 20th minute of the Reign’s match against Chicago, she took just five minutes to kickstart the momentum the team would have the entire match.
First Career Brace – Veronica Latsko on May 27 vs. Angel City FC:
Forward Veronica Latsko recorded her first-ever brace since entering the league in 2018. The goals were scored just 2 minutes 16 seconds apart, making her the second-fastest player to record a brace for the Reign since Nahomi Kawasumi in 2014 (2:13).
Final Career Brace – Megan Rapinoe on October 15 vs. Chicago Red Stars:
October 15, 2023 vs. Chicago Red Stars – Megan Rapinoe [47 and 50]
To conclude her NWSL regular season career, forward Megan Rapinoe recorded a brace in OL Reign’s 3-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars. She scored her goals just three minutes apart, opening the second half with a 47th minute and 50th minute goal.
Longest Time Between Goals – Bethany Balcer on June 24 vs. San Diego Wave FC:
Forward Bethany Balcer put on a stunning performance for the entire 82 minutes she was on the field. She started the game off strong for the Reign, scoring a goal just eight minutes into the match. She kept her head in the game (literally – both goals were scored with her head) to add a second goal 69 minutes after her first.
One Match, Two Braces – Jess Fishlock on April 22 vs. Chicago Red Stars:
OL Reign never quits. It would be easy to sit back after a teammate recorded a brace in the first half of the match, but Jess Fishlock continued to shine, netting a brace of her own with a goal just before halftime and a goal in the final 15 minutes of the match. This was one of two OL Reign braces in 2023 that featured a goal in each half.