Photo by Tia Lee courtesy of Seattle Reign FC
Seattle Reign secured a crucial three points on Saturday night, celebrating a thrilling 3-2 victory against Bay FC. Veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock, who has announced her retirement at the end of the current season, made a dramatic impact after coming on in the 84th minute by netting the decisive goal just a minute later. This was a landmark moment for Fishlock, as her strike marked her 50th career goal in the National Women’s Soccer League. She joins an exclusive club as the 10th player in league history to reach this milestone.
The match saw a swift start from Seattle, who initially raced to a two-goal lead within the first 10 minutes. Mia Fishel opened the scoring just five minutes in, marking her first NWSL goal from open play with a skillful finish, having previously scored from the penalty spot. Maddie Dahlien assisted Fishel’s goal and doubled Seattle’s advantage shortly after with a goal of her own.
However, Bay FC quickly regrouped and managed to respond. Hannah Bebar scored her first NWSL goal in the 13th minute, showcasing her creativity with a remarkable solo effort from outside the box. Ten minutes later, the home side almost leveled the score, but a potential equalizer was ruled out due to an offside infringement.
Heading into this match, both Bay FC and Seattle had exhibited difficulties in scoring during the second half of games while thriving in the first. However, the evening delivered an unexpected surge of offensive action for both teams.
In the 75th minute, Bay struck back with an expertly crafted set-piece, finished off neatly by Keira Barry to bring the score to 2-2. But Fishlock wasn’t finished, reclaiming the lead for Seattle just 10 minutes later with her late-game heroics.
This win positions the Reign just outside of playoff contention, sitting in ninth place on tie-breakers while remaining level on points (23) with both Orlando Pride and Angel City FC. Meanwhile, Bay FC remains in 14th place with 19 points.
With Fishlock’s late goal, alongside the contributions from Dahlien and Fishel, Seattle Reign continues to show resilience and determination as they push for a playoff spot in the competitive NWSL landscape.
