The inaugural season for the USL W League has come to an end. Across the course of the season, 47 teams across the United States competed on a platform that advanced opportunity, gender equity, and professional development and created over 750 opportunities for young women to play soccer. From first goals to an undefeated regular season, Indy Eleven players and coaches reflect on the top eleven moments in the W League team’s historic inaugural season.
- Launching the League. Indy Eleven’s 3-1 victory over Kings Hammer FC on May 6 was one for the history books, as it marked the USL W League’s Inaugural Match in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,571 fans at Grand Park Events Center in Westfield.
“I think it was really exciting, for one, the W League to open, and then for Indy Eleven to be the first game, having our fans be amazing and being able to showcase what Indianapolis has to offer. Although it was our first game together so you could see people thinking, things rolling, I think it was awesome to see what we’re capable of at such an early point as a team and as a league. It was awesome to win our first game, but to also represent the W League in their inaugural game and inaugural season in such an exciting way.” -Midfielder Grace Bahr
- Rachel Racks Up First Goal(s). In the ninth minute of the inaugural game, forward Rachel McCarthy ran into forward Katie Soderstrom’s blocked shot at the top of the area and blasted a shot from 20 yards that went inside the left post to make it the first goal in W League history – but she didn’t stop there. McCarthy scored again in the 17th minute on a penalty kick, earning her the league’s first brace as well.
“It was awesome. She’s an amazing player. We came here hoping to build the dynamic for the community and show what the McCarthy sisters can do. I love playing with her and I’m glad we had the opportunity to come out and play together for the season.” – Defender Robyn McCarthy
- Home Sweet Home. Give it up to the Brickyard Battalion for their presence. As usual, they set the tone for the electrifying atmosphere with their colorful banners, flags and songs that pumped up the crowd to the point where the players had trouble hearing Head Coach Paul Dolinsky in their opening match! Young, old, and new fans alike packed the Grand Park stands, making all the Girls in Blue’s five home games in Westfield sold out.
- Maddy’s Hatty. Indiana’s Team defeated Flint City AFC 3-0 on June 10, and the victory was a historic one for forward Maddy Williams, who scored all three goals during a 15-minute span in the first half to record the Eleven’s first hat trick in W League play.
“For me, it’s not about accolades. For me, it’s just getting back into the sport that I played for a while. And these young girls, that’s the stuff that they’ve worked for their whole lives for. I’ve done that already. I just try and provide that veteran mentorship and experience. And I feel like sometimes that I can elevate other people’s games.” -Forward Maddy Williams
- The kids are alright. Various departures and injuries towards the end of the season caused Dolinsky to call in some “reinforcements” from the Indiana Fire Juniors academy set-up, including 15-year-old Reese Sochacki and 14-year-old Emma Johnson. On July 3, Indy Eleven were up 2-1 over Kalamazoo in stoppage time, when Johnson fired a shot from 15 yards to earn her first W League goal, setting off a joyous celebration with her teammates.
- Crown the Queens of the Division. Indy Eleven defeated Detroit City FC 3-0 to conclude its final away trip of the regular season on July 1. The win improved the team’s record to 8W-0L-2D and gave them the final three points they needed to be crowned the Great Lakes Division Champions – with two games to spare. The team’s entry into the USL W League Playoffs was guaranteed with the victory and division title.
“Just to watch my teammates and just to see them so successful, and just to see how hard they were working day in and day out, they definitely deserved it. I was super proud of the team in that aspect.” – Midfielder Rachel Dewey
- Undefeated Season.
Another 3-0 win over Detroit, this time in front of 3,000 fans at Carroll Stadium on July 9,, capped an undefeated regular season for the Girls in Blue. It’s 10W-0L-2D record helped Indiana’s Team finish as one of three unbeaten teams in the 44-team nationwide league, establishing the Eleven as one of the new league’s flagship clubs.
“We knew on paper that we had a good roster put together from the get-go, but to be undefeated in the manner in which we have and beat the competition that we have beat, it’s been nothing short of fantastic up to this point. For me personally, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s a great group of girls.” – Head Coach Paul Dolinsky
- Clash of Titans in Playoffs. Indy Eleven drew the toughest possible match to open the postseason – an away affair at fellow unbeaten side Minnesota Aurora FC, which led the W League with remarkable crowds routinely over 5,000 fans throughout the season. Despite carrying a 1-0 lead into halftime, Indy’s campaign came to an abrupt end in the Quarterfinal Round after a 1-2 loss. Despite the outcome, Indy Eleven will be remembered for its historic, ground-breaking season for women’s soccer in the Hoosier State.
“Getting to make it to the playoffs in the first season ever and being undefeated in the first season ever, I think it’s a testament to how hard the girls worked. They definitely deserved that. I think next year, we’ll come back better and stronger and hopefully get a playoff win.” – Midfielder Rachel Dewey
- Team’s Defense. One of the key components to Indy’s successful season was the team’s defense. On the season, goalkeepers Mackenzie Wood, Nona Reason, and Kate Phillips made a combined 54 saves, collected an impressive 0.64 goals-against average, and had a .885 save percentage. In front of the goalkeepers, stalwart defenders the likes Robyn McCarthy, Julia Leonard, and Grace Bahr were supplemented by up and comers Karyn Cherry, Jenna Chatterton and others to set a tone that made attacking the Girls in Blue a tough task across the field.
“I think our roster kind of showed the depth we had with the defense and I think it showed on the field with Julia as the center back and the youngest players such as Jenna and Karsyn. I think it was amazing to give them an opportunity to play with us. But also, they’re so good that I love having the opportunity to give them my perspective of the game and my expertise as an older player, and I hoped that kind of rubbed off on them a lot. It was honestly just because we built the chemistry even in a short amount of time.” – Defender Robyn McCarthy
- Maddy and Katie Chase Golden Boot. It was a scoring battle for the ages between Katie Soderstrom and Maddy Williams, as both played a pivotal part in the Eleven women’s team’s success. The dynamic duo both combined for 21 of the team’s 32 goalsleading the team to a Great Lakes Division title. After trading the lead across the team’s final four games, Soderstrom’s brace in the regular season finale against Detroit City FC ultimately pushed her ahead to finish on 11 goals, one more than Williams. The duo finished second and third in the Great Lakes Division in scoring, sitting behind only Kalamazoo FC forward Bailey Korhorn’s 12 tallies.
“It’s super exciting, but it comes a lot from great play for my teammates and them setting me up. And I’m just trying to do my part to help us win games. It’s all on them for putting me in those positions to succeed. And in winning all the scramble moments that allow me to have the looks that I have.” -Forward Katie Soderstrom
- The Girls in Blue. Indy’s roster included a wide range of talent from across Indiana, the United States and overseas, including Australia, Spain and Serbia. The club was able to achieve a lot of success in their first season thanks to the diversity of talent mined from a variety of sources, including last December’s open tryouts at Grand Park; the collective nationwide contacts between coaches Paul Dolinsky, Grace Bahr and Brandon Kim and Sporting Director, Academy and W League Operations Phil Presser; and the club’s close relationship with the Indiana Fire Juniors program that more than half of the 30+ members of the squad throughout the season had previously played for at one time during their development in the sport.
“I think the roster is awesome because you have a lot of girls who are local, and then you have a lot coming in from out of town, from different colleges, different ages. We had towards the end of the season players as young as 14-15, high schoolers, to myself and my fellow center back (Robyn McCarthy) being out of college, so 23-24. So I think for us, it was incredibly special to see how we grew as people on the field and how we understood each other’s tendencies and personalities.
But also, it was how we got along off the field; plenty of long bus rides, plenty of late nights after the games, being able to talk to people and talk about different life experiences. It was amazing to see. We did have quite a rotation as the games went on because a lot of us have other jobs and other responsibilities; to see how the rotation can work with people who we met two months ago was amazing. And I think it goes to show how well (Paul) and (Brandon) built a roster so that we were able to play against and withstand any competition
