Forward Ashley Hatch often has been the Washington Spirit’s savior in tight games in recent years. With the Spirit facing the threat of missing crucial points Friday night and tumbling further in the National Women’s Soccer League standings, Hatch — making her first appearance since June — again generated a pivotal play.
The Spirit trailed Racing Louisville early in the second half when Hatch’s strike from the top of the box sneaked into the bottom left corner of the net, knotting the score in a 1-1 draw at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville.
While the Spirit obtained a point, it will need more of those heroics in its final seven regular season games to ascend from the bottom of the league’s standings.