Hartford Athletic matched the best scoreline in club history – men’s or women’s – on Wednesday night, as they thrashed AC Connecticut 7-0 to record their first win in the USL W League. Natalie Chudowsky, Ashley Reyes, Rebeca Frisk, Rachel Wygant, Shea Kelleher and Juliana Garcia were all on the scoresheet as Hartford jumped to the top of the Northeast Division.
Danny Barrera stuck with a 4-3-3, with a backline of Olivia Beauvois, Domi Richardson, Taylor Jenkins and Emma Gregorski, with Katrina Chorzepa behind them in net. Diana Baffor and Natalie Chudowsky anchored the midfield, with Ashley Reyes in front of them, and a front three of Rachel Wygant, Jocyline Koffi and Rebeca Frisk. With two games to be played in three days, Barrera emphasized that this week is an effort from the full team.
“I spoke to the team about the the size of our roster, that this week in particular two games in three days, it's a full 24 player effort and for them not to get down if they're not in the lineup and that everyone's name will be called and, and your time will come. And you know, I was so happy to get the get everybody on and, and give them the minutes that they deserve. And honestly, seeing them out there, they did a great job, and it kind of just proves to the whole roster that we've built where really anybody can plug in and continue to contribute.”
Truthfully, AC Connecticut were complete outclassed in this one, struggling to get out of their own half. Sith slightly better finishing, Hartford could have been out of sight in the first half. The chances piled up for the hosts, but they were unable to quite find the breakthrough in the opening half-hour.
Among all the chances, the first half was marred by a non-contact injury to AC Connecticut’s Grace Lent in the 18th minute. It appeared that she went down awkwardly trying to shepherd the ball out of play along her own endline, and was clearly in considerable pain. A six-minute stoppage of play ensued while she received treatment, and ultimately, she had to be carried off the field; a reminder that potentially career-altering injuries can come at every level of play.
After the resumption of play, Hartford had another great opportunity with Koffi doing all the work to get into the box but the resulting shot was deflected out of play. From the resulting corner, AC Connecticut keeper Estella Tejpaul made a great save from a Taylor Jenkins header, and the visitors survived once again.
The respite was brief, however, and Hartford were forward in numbers again in short order and finally got a well-deserved opener. Koffi was once again the engine, beating her defender down the right-hand side and putting the ball across the face of goal for Natalie Chudowsky to tap home for the first W League goal in club history.
Coming out of halftime, Hartford were on the front foot right away and put the game out of sight in just a quarter of an hour, adding four goals to the tally.
“We just went in blazing,” said Rebeca Frisk of the second-half explosion. "And it was boom, boom, boom, boom.”
The first ‘boom’ came by way of a short corner routine in the 49th minute, with Emma Gregorski playing in Ashley Reyes who was completely unmarked just inside the box and fired home from close range. AC Connecticut appealed for offside, but none was given, and while it was tight, it looked like Reyes was just about played onside by a defender on the near side of the pitch.
Hartford wasted no time in increasing the lead, with Rachel Wygant the next on the scoresheet on the 52nd minute. Rebeca Frisk was the creator this time. The forward beat her defender to the endline and whipped the ball low into the box, where Koffi may have got a touch on it to flick it on to an unmarked Wygant who slotted home for her first of the season.
Frisk got a goal of her own just five minutes later, firing home a rebound from close range. Tejpaul in the AC Connecticut had done well to parry the initial shot, but the ball dropped kindly for Frisk, and she made no mistake, taking the lead to 4-0. On a night of firsts, it makes Frisk the first player in club history to record a goal and an assist in the W League.
And speaking of firsts, Reyes became the first player in club history to record a brace when she added a second just past the hour mark. Gregorski was the provider again, driving to the endline and cutting the ball back for Reyes to smash it home off the underside of the crossbar.
The five-goal cushion inspired Danny Barrera to go to his bench, making four substitutions, with Juliana Garcia, Lydia Poulin, Alex Ackerman and Shea Kelleher all entering the game and Beauvois, Baffor, Wygant and Koffi making way. Hartford continued to be almost entirely on the front foot, but no further goals ensued immediately, with Barrera making an additional raft of substitutions in the 72nd minute, with Frisk, Gregorski and Reyes making way for Mya Johnson, Riley Prozzo and Julia Salina.
There was then one last first on the night, with Shea Kelleher becoming the first player to score off the bench when she latched onto a Mya Johnson cross in the 84th minute. And Kelleher then added an assist, poking the ball to Juliana Garcia in the box just three minutes later to complete the route.
Hartford now have a quick turnaround as the Latics host Hudson Valley Crusaders on Friday night at Trinity Health Stadium, but with a deep squad – and an easy win allowing for plenty of rest and rotation – Danny Barrera's side should be ready to go.
