Hartford Athletic’s long-awaited W League time will finally kick a ball on Tuesday night, as they welcome Vermont Green FC for the first of a slate of ten games to be played this May and June. It’s been a long time coming for a squad that had a false start in 2021, when they were announced as one of the W League’s inaugural teams, but ultimately delayed their participation before finally taking the plunge for this season.
The W League – like any amateur league – doesn’t afford quite the same opportunities to grind tape on your opposition, figure out their tendencies, or any of that particular genre of preparation that would be de rigeur for a professional team. With that in mind, manager Danny Barrera and his side are focused less on their opposition than on themselves.
“In this type of ecosystem you get all these players from different parts of the country, even parts of the world really," he told The Blazing Musket. "There's internationals in this league and they all come together in a short period of time, so it's so hard to know what to expect. But really we're more focused on what we have to execute and our game plan and what we got to do. And I think when we don't worry about other teams or other people, when we worry about what we have to do, I think we'll be fine.”
Bringing that game plan together has been challenging, with the team having had just over a week’s worth of a preseason. It’s been a big ask for Barrera, who is coaching at the highest level he ever has; but also requires the players to trust in what he’s asking them to do. Sam Halligan emphasized that bringing everything together requires trust in the coaches:
“I'd say it's really believing in the presentation that is given to us from the coaches and also seeing it work on the field, you know, intersquad scrimmages and then implementing it and seeing the success of that implementation," she told The Blazing Musket. "And then past that, it's just helping your other teammate out with whatever they may need.”
For Olivia Beauvois, a native of Windsor CT who has played at Seton Hall but will transfer to UConn this upcoming season, the challenge is a familiar one.
“I think as a soccer player we kinda are through those challenges all the time, especially with the preseason that we have in college," she told The Blazing Musket. "And being able to adapt with new players and new techniques and new coaches definitely has been a struggle. But it's something that we're used to adapting to and I think that's really exciting to be able to play tomorrow.”
It’s not surprising that, with limited time for preparation and a short season, the W League is a league for scoring goals. In 2025, league-wide, there were an average of 3.86 goals per game. That’s down a little from 2024, which saw an astonishing 4.52 goals per game, but in line with 2023 (3.90) and 2022 (3.68).
That’s significantly above what you’d expect at the pro level for the women’s game. The USL Super League saw just 2.55 goals per match in its inaugural season, about the same level as both the competing pro women’s league, the NWSL, or the men’s USL Championship.
And it’s also above the scoring level of the equivalent men’s amateur league, where USL League 2 has seen an average of about 3.5 goals per game each season since 2022. For attacking midfielder Halligan, that’s exactly the opportunity she wants.
“Well, from my perspective, it just gives me more opportunities to go up against the defenders 1v1 and to try to score more goals," she said. "I know my teammates are going to yell at me to get back on defense and I'm going to need that support, but it's really exciting.”
At the other end of the pitch, defender Beauvois welcomed the challenge of an attacking league, taking it as an opportunity to prove herself under challenging circumstances.
“I think that's definitely something to look forward to as a defender, being able to kind of prove myself and kind of deny those goals, but also still help in in the attack," she said. "I think that it's definitely going to be hard and difficult, but I think that's what we're kind of expecting, being able to go into this team and being able to see that that competition and grow as individually as players. So I'm excited to see how it goes and definitely trying not to let up any goals against us.”
It might not be clear exactly what Vermont Green will bring on the pitch, but the club has established itself as one of New England’s premier amateur organizations in just a short time, with its men’s side winning USL League Two in 2025. With that in mind, there’s little doubt that they will bring a challenge to Hartford on Tuesday night, an ideal test to see exactly where Danny Barrera’s side is as they open a new chapter in Hartford’s soccer history.
