The Portland Thorns secured a 1-0 victory against the Denver Summit on Saturday night, with Sophia Wilson delivering the decisive goal in the 44th minute. Wilson’s strike, assisted by midfielder Jessie Fleming on a through ball, marked her 10th goal of the season and represents the fourth time in her NWSL career that she has reached double digits in scoring.
Portland’s defensive performance proved equally impressive, with goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold recording three saves to earn her eighth clean sheet of the campaign. The shutout was particularly significant for the Thorns, who had gone seven games without one. The victory improved Portland’s record to 11-6-4, while Denver fell to 6-8-6 and played without midfielder Lindsey Heaps due to a knee injury. The team also paid tribute to former player Tobin Heath before the match at Providence Park.
Elsewhere in the National Women’s Soccer League, the North Carolina Courage outlasted the Boston Legacy 2-1 with a dramatic stoppage-time penalty goal from Ashley Sanchez. Sanchez, who also scored in the 10th minute, now leads the league with 13 goals this season. Boston’s penalty allowed in the 107th minute was their eighth of the season, the most in the NWSL.
In a third matchup, the Kansas City Current and Seattle Reign finished their contest in a 1-1 draw. An own goal from Seattle in the 11th minute gave Kansas City an early advantage, which the Current equalized through Debinha’s penalty conversion in the 51st minute.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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