Behind their third goalie of the season, Reign FC manages tie against Houston

If not for a late goal by the Houston Dash, it would have been a perfect Sunday for Reign FC.

All things considered, the Reign’s 1-1 tie with Houston in front of 3,063 at Cheney Stadium wasn’t bad under the circumstances. The Reign, like all teams in the NWSL, are missing eight of their top players away on World Cup duty.

The team has also been hard-hit with injuries and sustained two more. Kristen McNabb and Darian Jenkins both ended the day early with first-half injuries. Following the game, Reign FC head coach Vlatko Andonovski said both players will be out for the next few weeks with undisclosed injuries.

So even though their two-game win streak was snapped, gaining a point was key considering for the Reign, now 2-1-4. A big reason for that was newly acquired goalie Casey Murphy.

Houston Dash head coach James Clarkson offered praise for Murphy’s performance, just her second start with the team.

“I think she’s been a great edition to the club,” Clarkson said. “All clubs have been looking to add those players during that World Cup window and they’ve truly hit the jackpot.

“With all those other injuries, I’m sure they (Reign FC) can’t believe their luck there.”

The Reign had scored in the 32nd minute when Bethany Balcer scored her third goal of the season to make it 1-0. That held for almost an hour. Minutes from her first shutout, former Reign FC midfielder Cristine Narin’s scored in the 90th minute.

“She’s a great player,” Narin said of Murphy. “She kept us out of this game. I think Kristie (Mewis) had a shot that she (Murphy) made look easy. I think she (Murphy) is a great pick up for Reign FC.”

Of the 24 players that were listed on Reign FC’s April 14 opening day roster, 15 have missed some time either because of injuries or participating in the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

One spot that seemed to be locked up was the goalkeeper position.

Michelle Betos had been the easy choice to step in goal as Lydia Williams was away with the Australian national team. However, Betos ruptured her right Achilles’ with just minutes left in the Reign’s May 18 match against Sky Blue FC, ending her season.

So enter Murphy, goalie No. 3.

A college star at Rutgers University, Murphy had 67 starts for the Scarlet Knights while winning Big Ten goalkeeper of the year honors twice and was a Mac Hermann Trophy Semifinalist in 2017. She collected a school-record 45 shutouts, second in Big Ten history.

She then went and played in France’s top women’s league, making 27 appearances in two season for Montpellier HSC. She decided to return home, hoping to catch on with Sky Blue FC before the Reign signed her.

“This wasn’t something we did quickly or did overnight, this took about four months to bring her over here,” Anodovski said.

Andonovski feels confident in Murphy’s ability, and she proved that in her first start last week.

With just days to work with her new teammates, Murphy helped preserve a 2-1 victory over the North Carolina Courage, saving four shots in the match.

In Sunday’s match vs. Houston, she was again solid.

“I have to give credit to the coaching staff for helping me out and getting me prepared for those moments,” Murphy said. “Penalties, set plays, corners, and studying the other team’s tendencies. I feel confident when I’m in those situations thanks to the coaching staff and my teammates getting me prepare for those moments.”

This story was originally published June 2, 2019 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Behind their third goalie of the season, Reign FC manages tie against Houston."