OL Reign x Club America

At Starfire Stadium, the OL Reign's first game of 2023 resulted in a 3-1 victory over Club América. Although it was a friendly, the level of competition was evident from the opening whistle. The OL Reign scored first in the 11th minute of a back-and-forth match. From the right side of the field, Veronica Latsko sent a long ball into the box, where Tziarra King was lurking. King took one contact and perfectly placed his shot into the net.

With the score at 1-0 and intermission approaching, OL Reign scored again. The action started when Bethany Balcer sent a gorgeously curved ball to the top of the box, but the score was declared an own goal. A recent addition to the OL Reign, Elyse Bennett occupied a prime position at the top of the box and successfully induced an own goal.

After the break, OL Reign showed off their versatility by making numerous changes and still managing to win. Second-year goalkeepers Laurel Ivory and Claudia Dickey shared time between the pipes. Kiana Palacios scored for Club América in the 74th minute to open the scoring in the second half.

The clock was winding down, but OL Reign scored a winning goal. McKenzie Weinert, a trialist for the OL Reign, outran a player from rival team Club América to the ball and then dribbled it all the way into the goal, where she sliced the ball past the goalie with impressive agility and speed.

Following their 3-1 triumph, OL Reign honored the beginning of a groundbreaking multinational collaboration.

[Photography by ICONIC photographer Jackie Shinstrom]