is chasing her second NWSL Championship title with the Washington Spirit.
Hatch and the Spirit play defending champions Gotham FC within the semifinals on Saturday with a spot within the championship on the road.
Hatch performed at BYU earlier than being drafted second total within the 2017 NWSL draft by the North Carolina Braveness. And he or she isn’t the one participant on the Spirit’s roster who went to highschool in Utah.
Utah ties within the 2024 NWSL playoffs
Washington Spirit midfielders Courtney Brown and Heather Stainbrook grew up in Utah. The 2 rookies are the one gamers on both of the 4 semifinals groups from the Beehive State. Brown is from West Haven, Utah, and Stainbrook is from Sandy, Utah.
Brown performed on the College of Utah for 5 seasons and was drafted within the fourth spherical of the 2024 NWSL draft by the Spirit. She scored 14 objectives and assisted on 15 as a Ute and was a workforce captain in her final three seasons.
With the Spirit, she’s appeared in 25 video games, beginning 10 of these, and has scored one aim and brought 13 photographs.
Stainbrook performed at Utah Valley College for 5 seasons, showing in 102 video games. She completed her time in Orem because the college’s all-time aim scoring chief with 40 objectives. Her NWSL profession started as a non-roster invitee throughout preseason earlier than incomes a contract with the Spirit this season.
She grew to become the primary UVU participant to play in an NWSL common season match, based on the . Stainbrook has performed in 12 video games for the Spirit and has began the final 5. She scored her first aim on Oct. 20 and has taken 4 photographs to this point this season.
Ashley Hatch’s 2024 NWSL season
Hatch is third in objectives and assists for the Spirit this season with seven and three, respectively. She is one aim shy of tying Trinity Rodman and Ouleymata Sarr for first.
Regardless of spending a part of the season coming off the bench, Hatch has been climbing the NWSL’s all-time scoring ladder, at the moment in sixth place however just one aim shy of tying for fifth, because the beforehand reported.
She trails Sam Kerr, Lynn Williams, Christine Sinclair, Alex Morgan and Jess McDonald.
“I’ve simply been ensuring that I present up each single day and work actually onerous for no matter alternative I’m given, and so getting the chance to get extra minutes and to begin, I’ve been tremendous hungry for it and simply prepared and ready for any alternative,” Hatch informed the . “I feel that’s the place it’s coming from. It’s simply numerous onerous work each single day at coaching and simply being hungry for any alternative.”
The Spirit play Gotham on Saturday at 10 a.m. MST. The sport can be broadcast on CBS and obtainable for streaming on Paramount+.