Sky Blue FC draws 1-1 to Reign FC in front of 9,415 fans at Red Bull Arena, a record setting attendance number in club history. Sky Blue midfielder Elizabeth Eddy scored in the 36th minute and Reign forward Jodie Taylor scored in the 38th minute.
Reign attempted to open up the match in the 3rd minute as Forward Jodie Taylor got behind Estelle Johnson on the right side of the box but sent her shot wide left of the far post.
Sky Blue FC earned the first corner of the match in the 10th minute with Kenie Wright standing over the ball. Wright sent the ball in and landed at the feet to Paige Monaghan, who sent her shot wide.
Caprice Dydasco had a major block in the 13th minute to stop a goal scoring opportunity. Reign midfielder Allie Long played a ball to defender Steph Catley who then set midfielder Rosie White in on goal. As White went to strike the ball, Dydasco deflected the shot.
Reign had majority of the possession in the first half with 62.6 percent. Play was mainly in the midfield with a few opportunities to break the deadlock.
Carli Lloyd had an opportunity to put Sky Blue up on the scoreboard in the 35th minute but sent the curling ball just wide of the right post.
Sky Blue went up 1-0 in the 37th minute off the foot of Elizabeth Eddy. Rookie Kenie Wright saw open space for Eddy to run into and played the ball over the backline. As the ball bounced in, Murphy came off her line, and Eddy looped the ball over the approaching keeper to net her first goal in a Sky Blue uniform.
Jodie Taylor answered back with a goal of her own in the 38thminute to tie the game up 1-1. Long was open in space at the top of the box as she sent a low cross into the feet of Taylor who quickly sent the one-touch at goal. Kailen Sheridan was able to get a touch on it up, but the ball deflected backward into the net.
Taylor almost netted another goal to put Reign on top in the second half but was denied by the post in the 47th minute. Midfielder Ifeoma Onumonu had a chance in the 54th minute to break the deadlock but Sherdian denied her shot.
Sky Blue pushed hard until the final whistle for a goal-ahead goal, with shot attempts by Amandine Pierre Louis, Dydasco, and Lloyd during the final minutes.
Captain Sarah Killion reached a huge career milestone as she hit 100 NWSL appearances. Rookie Kenie Wright notched her first NWSL career assist.
“100th in front of this crowd is just a dream come true,” stated Sky Blue FC captain Sarah Killion. “I feel very honored to be on the field with the players and with Sky Blue, I know the staff was working as hard as they could to make this happen and so it just brings a smile to my face. We almost got the win. We are scraping and we are fighting and I think we are getting better and better every week.”
Sky Blue FC returns home on Saturday, September 7th at 1 p.m. ET to face Crystal Dunn and the North Carolina Courage for the club’s Kids Club Day at Yurcak Field.
Tickets to all Sky Blue FC home games are available now by calling 888-SBFC-TIX or by visiting skybluefc.com. All fans at the game will receive a Sky Blue FC game day poster.