Hartford Athletic grabbed a dramatic late winner in their W League clash with Hudson Valley Crusaders on Friday night, with Ashley Reyes scoring in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to secure all three points. It’s the first stoppage time winner for the club in the W Leauge.

Manager Danny Barrera made a couple of changes to his starting eleven, with Julia Salina coming into the backline, partnering Taylor Jenkins in the center of defense, and Lana Gibbs starting in goal. Olivia Beauvois and Emma Gregorski were the fullbacks once again. Domi Richardson moved up into the midfield alongside Natalie Chudowsky, with Diana Baffor also moving further upfield to play on the right-hand side, with Rachel Wygant on the left and Ashley Reyes in the middle. Jocyline Koffi moved inside to lead the line to complete the alterations.

Through the opening quarter of an hour, Hartford were largely on the front foot, but struggled to manufacture a real chance on goal until the 21st minute, when Koffi and Reyes combined to force a turnover in a dangerous position, with Reyes then firing just over from distance. The hosts continued to have the better of the play, and Baffor had perhaps their best chance of the half when she brought a long ball under control and burst into the box, but Hudson Valley keeper Kayla Kalbaugh was out quickly and did well to deny her effort from close range.

Hartford had another good chance  in the 38th minute, when Domi Richardson was fouled somewhat cynically on the edge of the box by Amanda Dasilva, but despite the promising position, Taylor Jenkins could only put her free kick into the wall. The ball rebounded kindly for her, but her follow-up effort was blocked as well, and the chance came to nothing.

Hudson Valley then served notice that it was still in the game, with a bad giveaway by Salina resulting in Riley Pettigrew geting the pall in a very dangerous area, and Gibbs had to be alert and of her line very quickly to snuff out the chance.

The game was finely poised as the team’s went down the tunnel, and it did seem that Hartford might want to make a change, as despite being on top of the game, it was sruggling to consistently manufacture high-quality chachances. And Barrera did go to his bench from the restart, bringing on Rebeca Frisk for Rachel Wygant.

There was a little more back-and-forth in the second half, but it was Hartford that ultimately broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when Jenkins forced the ball home from a corner. It’s the first time the defender has found the net for Hartford on the season.

The lead lasted just eight minutes, with Hudson Valley finding a equalizer from a corner as well. Hartford failed to properly clear the line and the Crusaders kept up the pressure, with Abigal Danso eventually forcing the ball home. It was a reminder that the danger of a corner is not only the initial ball.

“What we'll talk about is, it's never the first header,” said Hartford manager Danny Barrera after the game, “It's always the second one. It's always the second bounce, the second phase. That's where a lot of the action happens…you always have to stay tight and just going through the ball and clearing it.”

It was the first time in over 300 minutes of play this season that Hartford have conceded, and now faced some adversity in a competitive match for the first time on the season. But the team responded well, pushing forward and creating chances, with Reyes thinking she had perhaps scored after chipping the keeper, but an excellent goal-line clearance from Hudson Valley kept the scores level.

As the game entered second-half stoppage time, Hudson Valley rattled the crossbar with Gibbs stranded before Hartford found the game-winner in almost the very next sequence of play. Natalie Chudowsky forced a turnover in the Crusaders half and played Rebeca Frisk in behind, with the forward sliding the ball into the box for Reyes. The midfield kept her cool with a Hudson Valley defender right in her face, switching to her stronger right foot and firing the ball past Kalbaugh to give Hartford a late lead.

Hartford did have to do some desperate defending in the closing minutes, but hung on for all three points.

Six points in 48 hours takes the team to eight points in the Northeast Division – top of the table and with a healthy goal difference to boot – and they now have some well-earned rest before traveling to take on AC Connecticut in 11 days time.