Welsh’s winner was the first dangerous chance for either team in the second half with Sky Blue carrying the play early after halftime but failing to create dangerous chances near the goal. The goal started with a giveaway by Sky Blue in its own end of the field to the feet of Freedom right back Emily Janss, who carried the ball forward before slipping a pass to Welsh on the right. The former United States Women’s National Team player cut into the box and avoided a defender before burying a left-footed shot into the left side of the goal from 10 yards out.
Welsh nearly added to the score five minutes later but Loyden was up to the task making a sharp diving save to keep Sky Blue in the game.
In the first half, the action started slowly until the 19th minute when Sky Blue’s Gina DeMaio suprised Sandiford with a floating shot from the top right corner of the box but Freedom keeper barely reached up to touch the ball and grabbed it before it crossed the line. Three minutes later, Sky Blue defender Fanta Cooper sent a nice ball behind to Daniela Molina, who was first to the ball and poked a shot past Sandiford but her effort went wide of the left post.
Loyden came up with two big saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless. In the 24th minute, she charged off her line to stuff Tiffany McCarty on a breakaway and at the 45-minute mark exactly, she was there again as Welsh snapped a header off a Lori Lindsey corner kick that Loyden dove to her left to stop.
"This is an important win for team confidence as well as playoff positioning. We are very pleased getting a win over a tough Jersey Sky Blue team on their home field. It really came down to our ability to finish a chance; otherwise the game was very even," said Freedom coach Jim Gabarra.
LINEUPS
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Chante Sandiford, Emily Janss, Alex Singer, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kele Golebiowski (Sarah Senty 71), Lori Lindsey, Sarah Huffman (Jill Gillbeau 84), Madison Keller (Rebecca Moros 65), Jenn Parsons (Ella Masar 45), Christie Welsh (Heather Tomko 90), Tiffany McCarty (Ali Andrzejewski 57).
JERSEY SKY BLUE: Jillian Loyden, Kim Brandão, Bonnie Young, Fanta Cooper, Kelly Eagan (Christy Zwolski 85), Marisa Brown, Gina DeMaio, Domenique Esposito (Aubrey Aden-Buie 67), Leah Robinson, Michele O’Brien (Kim Bonilla 79), Daniela Molina (Taylor Walsh 52).
GOALS
WF: Welsh (Janss) 78th minute
STATISTICS
SHOTS
WF: 12; JSB: 9
SAVES
WF: Sandiford 2; JSB: Loyden 5
FOULS
WF: 11; JSB: 14
OFFSIDES
WF: 3; JSB: 2
CORNERS
WF: 1; JSB: 3
GAME INFO
CAUTIONS/EJECTIONS
JSB: Bonilla (caution) 84th minute
REFEREE
Stanley Grabowski
ASSISTANTS
Matthew Wetzel
Lauren Dearman
ATTENDANCE
387
