Originally published on August 23, 2014
By Michelle Morrison
Sky Blue FC (10-9-5, 35 points) hosted the Houston Dash (5-16-3, 18 points) on Wednesday, August 20th, a game that was initially scheduled for July 2nd but was eventually postponed after a four hour inclement weather delay. It was a match that decided the bottom of the league table, as a win would have given Houston 21 points and pushed the Boston Breakers back into the ninth position. A Sky Blue loss would have ensured that they ended up with the first pick in the 2015 college draft, which they received from Boston prior to the season in exchange for forward Lisa DeVanna.
The Dash brought a depleted team to Yurcak Field, with five starters missing due to injury, family or school commitments, and loans to foreign clubs. Dash head coach Randy Waldrum only had two field substitutes available on his bench and admitted that he wasn’t eager to play this match, saying “I would have preferred, since we were both out of it, not to have to come here and play, but at the same time, when the league says you play, you play it and try to get a result… I knew we had to fight hard tonight but I’m proud of the effort.”
Sky Blue defender Lindsay Cutshall scored the only goal of the game in the 18th minute, a play that was started by Sophie Schmidt in the midfield. Monica Ocampo fired a shot at Bianca Henninger, which was saved, but Cutshall was waiting for the rebound and knocked it past the prone keeper. Cutshall has missed the last few matches due to injury and started in place of Christie Rampone, who was away with the US Women’s National Team.
Dash rookie Kealia Ohai nearly equalized late in the first half, but was denied by keeper Jill Loyden’s fingertips and the right goalpost. “I’ve hit the post four times, I think, in the last four games, so it’s frustrating and it’s one of those things where you’ve got to take the off season to work on it, work on finishing. It just comes down to those little moments and I think that’s happened all season.”
Both Waldrum and Ohai agreed that this game reminded them of their season as a whole, with Waldrum saying, “[This game] kind of epitomized our year, to be honest with you. We were good enough to get a result or get a point and yet the game could’ve been five goals the other way too. It was a wide open game, I felt we played well enough we could’ve come away with something.”
Ohai added, “We’ve had so many games where we’re in it to the very end and in stoppage time they score a goal, or we miss a goal, so I think that’s one thing we want to stress next season, is just those small moments where we just turn off a little bit.”
Sky Blue coach Jim Gabarra reflected on their season as well, stating that he felt that Sky Blue was “probably the most on point team at this part of the season and that’s always the goal, to be playing your best at the end of the year” and lamenting the dropped points from games early in the season.
As Sophie Schmidt put it, “We’re happy to get the win and end the season in winning form.”
Sky Blue’s season may be over, but the NWSL playoffs are just getting started. Tune in this Saturday, August 23rd, as the Portland Thorns travel to face FC Kansas City at 1 pm EST in a rematch of last year’s semifinal, and Sunday, August 24th as the Washington Spirit try to upset league leading Seattle Reign at 11 pm EST. Both matches can be seen on ESPN2.