It was a natural consequence of the club’s decision to loan out the majority of the team for the rest of 2020. The holes left by the 13 players on loan were filled by short-term contract players, most of whom were local college graduates.
It left a heavy burden on the six most experienced players who remained — captain and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, defenders Ali Krieger and Toni Pressley and attackers Marta, Kristen Edmonds and Sydney Leroux.
With the numbers stacked against them, the group was forced to adapt its approach to make the most of the fall series.