Reign Secure Playoff Spot with Win Over Royals
Oct 18, 2025, 01:04 AM ET – Associated Press
Sofia Huerta successfully netted a penalty in the 67th minute, leading the Seattle Reign to a 2-1 victory against the Utah Royals and securing a place in the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs on Friday night.
With this win, the Reign improved their record to 10 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses, moving them to third in the league standings and extending their unbeaten streak at Lumen Field in Seattle to seven matches.
Ainsley McCammon opened the scoring for Seattle in first-half stoppage time, converting a header from a cross delivered by Maddie Dahlien. This marked the first goal for the 18-year-old player.
The Royals managed to equalize in the 61st minute, thanks to a left-footed strike from Paige Monaghan at the edge of the penalty area that found the top corner, out of reach for Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey.
Shortly after, Utah’s Bianca St-Georges committed a foul in the box, allowing Huerta to score from the spot, regaining the lead for the Reign.
Seattle’s captain, Lauren Barnes, who announced her retirement at the end of the season, participated in the match. Last week, she became the first player in league history to reach 250 regular-season appearances, having been with the Reign since its inaugural season in 2013, featuring in 251 out of the club’s 277 games.
In another match, Manaka Matsukubo of the North Carolina Courage scored a hat trick, propelling her team to a 4-1 victory over Bay FC and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Matsukubo’s first goal occurred just three minutes into the game, where her shot slipped past Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz. She quickly added a second goal in the eighth minute.
Penelope Hocking brought Bay FC on the scoreboard right before halftime at San Jose’s PayPal Park.
Shinomi Koyama extended the Courage’s lead to 3-1 in the 74th minute, before Matsukubo sealed her hat trick with a goal in the 80th minute.
With this victory, North Carolina improved to 8 wins, 8 draws, and 9 losses, positioning themselves just outside the playoff cut line, one point behind Racing Louisville for the last postseason spot with one regular-season match remaining. This win ended a three-game stretch without a victory for the Courage.
Meanwhile, Bay FC’s chances for the playoffs have already ceased, as their record stands at 4 wins, 13 draws, and 8 losses.
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