BOYDS, MARYLAND (March 31, 2018) — Ashley Hatch took some notes from Megan Rapinoe’s play last weekend.

After starting off the season with a loss against the Seattle Reign FC, Hatch and the Washington Spirit hosted the Orlando Pride Saturday. A week ago, in Seattle, Rapinoe scored a goal and provided an assist.

The match earned Rapinoe NWSL Player of the Week honors.

This week, Hatch assisted Mallory Pugh’s 80th-minute goal and scored an unassisted goal eight minutes later.

Ashley Hatch Pivotal in Washington Spirit’s Surprise Win Over Orlando Pride

The goals came after Washington was forced to play a defensive first half. Sydney Leroux, Chioma Ubogagu, and Rachel Hill pressured the Spirit defense.

However, in the second half, Washington’s front three of Francisca Ordega, Hatch and Pugh began to find a rhythm together.

Both sides finished the match with 14 shots. However, Orlando had four on goal while Washington found three hitting the frame.

Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe — who featured for Orlando last season — earned her first shutout with the Spirit.

Meanwhile, Ashlyn Harris made one save.

Three Takeaways

1. Hatch is the star of the show: Ashley Hatch won the 2017 NWSL Rookie of the Year award over Pugh, Rose Lavelle, and Houston Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell. Hatch might not have a big name like the other three, but her consistent play has carried over from North Carolina to Washington.
2. Tori Huster hits 100 appearances: Despite hitting 100 NWSL regular-season appearances, Tori Huster did not see any playing time against Orlando. Huster has featured 100 times for Washington throughout her entire NWSL career, beginning in 2013.
3. Joanna Lohman is a model teammate: After the match, Lohman was asked about her role on the team. Instead of bragging about being the veteran of a young squad, Lohman stated that she just wants to be a player that “allows other players to be better.”

.@jgordon1987 asked @JoannaLohman about what she thought her role was on this @WashSpirit team. What a classy response. Props to Jo. pic.twitter.com/NlEqvLTd1v

— Jordan Small (@jols98) March 31, 2018

Before today’s game, Spirit owner Bill Lynch presented @ToriHuster with a jersey in recognition of her 100th regular season appearance!

OG23 hit the century mark last week in Seattle.#SpiritFam // #WeWill pic.twitter.com/ZFWIqApWw7

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) April 1, 2018

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