After the Western New York Flash dropped the season opener on Sunday against the Reign, the reaction from fans ranged from deeply concerned to cautiously optimistic (though much more of the latter than the former). While the match certainly did highlight some of those concerns for the Flash, there is much more to be optimistic about as the season moves forward.
Despite the scoreline, this Flash team has a lot of potential. Yes, there are plenty of things to work on, but there were plenty of good takeaways from the opening match as well. This is almost an entirely new Flash team, it was expected that there would a learning curve. Going against a dominant, mostly unchanged team in the opening match of the season might have been one of the best things for the Flash, as it very much exposed the areas that need the most work early on in the season.
Sunday’s game exposed weaknesses on both sides of the ball, but they are issues that are easy to identify and work on in training and matches in the coming weeks. On paper, the Flash have many strong components that will hopefully fall into place. If they can make the needed adjustments and gel together as a team, the Flash have to potential to really challenge the other teams in the league, especially when as teams lose players for international duty.
Even with Whitney Engen and Sydney Leroux being named to the 2015 WWC roster, the Flash still have a solid lineup that can be effective in producing results. Returners Brittany Taylor, Kristen Edmonds and Jasmyne Spencer provide the leadership and skill to help integrate new players into the team and the experience to help guide those playing in their first professional season. Spencer has speed and awareness and proved she could put the ball in the net last season. Taylor has been a stalwart of the Flash back line the last few seasons and Edmonds is a quick and versatile player that is good on both sides of the ball.
The new additions to the team have also shown a lot of promise in preseason and in the first game of the NWSL season. Jordan Angeli made a solid impact when she entered the match, scoring the lone goal for the club. Her positivity and high energy will be vital to the team throughout the season. Also joining the midfield are rookie Samantha Mewis and veteran Becky Edwards. Mewis, rounded out her collegiate career a Hermann Trophy finalist and placing 9th on the UCLA scoring list and 2nd in assists. Mewis also has valuable time internationally as she has represented youth national teams on several occasions including the team that won the U-20 WWC in 2012 and has spent time with the full team as well.
Edwards returns to the Flash who she helped win the 2011 WPS championship. She signed as a free agent for the Thorns in 2013 and recovered from an ACL injury to play for the Houston Dash. Edwards also brings leadership and a variety of professional and international experience as well.
Lynn Williams also had a successful preseason with the Flash and could very well wreak havoc with Spencer with Camilla Kur, skilled in her own right, potentially rounding out the trio of forwards up top. On the defensive side, the Flash have some options. Though listed as a midfielder, Abby Dahlkemper can, and appeared to be initially expected to play in a center back position. The Flash have the ability to insert her into the back line as needed or keep her in more of a defensive midfield role that she played on Sunday.
Rounding out defensive options for the Flash are Jaelene Hinkle and Toni Pressley. Hinkle had a highly successful collegiate career, contributing to a school record in shutouts and led the team with six assists in her junior season at Texas Tech. Hinkle also has extensive youth national team experience. Pressley started eight games in each of the last two seasons for the Washington Spirit after she returned from playing internationally in Russia. Prior to going abroad, Pressley played for the Flash in the WPSL Elite where she scored the equalizer in stoppage time to help the team win the championship. Pressley also has youth national team experience including playing for the U-23 team and playing in the U-20 WWC.
The Flash roster also holds some very talented players that we either haven’t seen yet, or have seen very little of. Kristen Hamilton was initially signed by the Flash in the 2014 draft but suffered an ACL injury in preseason and did not play last season. A 2013 Hermann Trophy semifinalist at University of Denver, Hamilton is a proven goalscorer and helps to provide depth at the forward position that the Flash have not previously enjoyed.
Another tremendously talented player who missed 2014 due to injury is Amanda Frisbie, who the Flash acquired in the the trade that brought Leroux to the Flash for Amber Brooks and the rights to Abby Wambach. Frisbie was drafted 7th overall in the 2014 draft by Seattle Reign FC but suffered an early injury and missed the season. Listed as a midfielder on the Flash roster, Frisbie had great success at both forward and defense at the University of Portland where she was also a Hermann Trophy semifinalist and could be a great utility player for the club.
Though she did not suit up for the opening match of the season, the Flash also signed defender Chelsea Stewart as a discovery player. Stewart was allocated to the Boston Breakers for the 2014 season and featured in 10 matches. In addition to that Stewart has over 40 caps for the Canadian national team and was selected for the 2011 WWC team and the 2012 Olympics team where she won a bronze medal. Stewart is another player who can provide experience for the Flash.
Another strong point for the Flash? Goalkeeping. Sabrina D’Angelo got the nod on Sunday and despite the scoreline, was absolutely outstanding in her professional debut. D’Angelo made some incredible saves during the match including two major moments where she first denied Kim Little and almost magically, Merritt Mathias, preventing the goal tally from possibly being much higher. The Flash also have Chantel Jones who proved herself to be a more than capable backup for the Spirit last season and provides another excellent option for the Flash, both in skill and prior NWSL experience.
The 2015 Western New York Flash, is a young and almost entirely new team from previous years, and on Sunday against the Reign, it showed. However, they are also a team with a lot of promise, full of players who work hard and want to earn results, and look pretty solid on paper. The challenge now is moving from paper, to practical application, and if the team can do that, they have the potential to be successful.
As the beat reporter covering the Seattle Reign for ProstAmerika.com, I’d echo much of what you say here. This was both the most closely-fought 5:1 match I’ve ever seen, and at the same time, only the outstanding performance by d’Angelo kept the tally that close.
The back four looked somewhat suspect, but with Kim Little and Jess Fishlock making runs down the middle while Megan Rapinoe and Merritt Mathias do so from the flanks, I’d think many back line quartets will, and taking time to figure out coverages will make the defence in front of d’Angelo look better.
Jordan Angeli coming off the bench was definitely a strong plus, and she brings that drive and energy every time I’ve seen her on the field. I don’t know if she’ll log many starting minutes, but decidedly brings a jolt of adrenaline coming on in relief.
Our press corps will miss young “Ultimate” Frisbie. Hopefully you’ll get to see her talent everywhere needed and she’ll serve in good health and fitness. She’s definitely the sort of player Laura Harvey likes to cultivate and keep whenever possible – even with Sydney Leroux-Dwyer being part of the USWNT and nominally a key factor in the trade you’ll see drive and competition from Amanda whether it’s in practice or games. I hope Syd can be more consistently productive in Rochester than she was in Seattle.