Orlando, FL

The Orlando Pride defeated the Seattle Reign 2-0 today in front of over 8,200 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. The Pride move to 2-2 on the season and 6 total points for a 5th place standing, while the Seattle Reign move to 2-2. The Pride got on the board early with a goal from forward Sarah Hagen and while a win is always exciting, this one was even more memorable for the Pride for a very different reason.

For Sarah Hagen, today marks her 11th year of a cancer free life. It also marks her first cap of the season. “It felt great,” Hagen said reflecting about her goal, “It was fitting that it happened today and I was able to celebrate such a big part of my life.” The Pride’s forward was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was just 15 years old. It is fitting that today of all days Hagen gets her first cap of the season, a fantastic goal, and was rewarded as the notable player of the game.

Hagen’s goal for the Pride came off a fantastic cross by Alex Morgan in the 11th minute of play. The goal sparked momentum for the Pride and allowed them to control the tempo from that point on. In the second half, the Pride kept the ball in the offensive third and only allowed two shots on goal.

Seattle’s defense struggled to communicate effectively throughout the contest, which caused defensive breakdowns and exposed Solo. The Pride took advantage of one of these defensive breakdowns when Alex Morgan was able to break through the back line and take a shot on goal. The shot missed, but Lianne Saderson was able to follow up on the rebounded shot and drill one into the back of the net in the 86th minute to seal the victory.

The Pride will return home on May the 14th to face off against the New York Flash and the Seattle Reign return home to face the Portland Thorns on May 14th.