Lynn Williams and Sam Mewis on the 2016 Goal That Started It All

We have another bite of Snacks for you to digest.

While you can listen to the entire first episode of the Snacks podcast here, which includes the story behind Sam Mewis’ “Tower of Power” nickname, one highlight of the hour featured a flashback to Western New York’s title run in 2016, when both Lynn and Sam played for the team.

“We have no business being in the playoffs,” Mewis says. “We were a hodge podge group of people who, somehow, our tactic was to kick it and run. I don’t think we strung more than 10 passes together all season long.” 

They were playing Portland, in Portland, in the semifinal of the NWSL playoffs. Naturally, the atmosphere was off the charts.

“I think Paul [Riley, the head coach] came up to me before that game and was like ‘don’t be nervous, this is the biggest game you’ll ever play,’” Williams says. 

“I was like, crying in the pregame meeting because I wanted to win so bad that I was sitting there with tears,” Mewis adds.

Come regulation, the game was tied 2-2. Portland had a throw in at New York’s half. That’s when Mewis managed to steal the ball and dribble it up the field.

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“When Sam gets going, there’s no stopping her,” Williams says.

“After training we would practice this exact play, every day,” she adds. “And all year long we wouldn’t get it right, and this one time Sam plays a perfect ball to my run, and this one time I finish it.”

“I would just add that notoriously we seem to be on different pages at times, where you’ll check and I’ll play it behind, or I’ll play it behind to your feet that are no longer there,” Mewis continues. “This one miracle time it just worked out, and we won and then we went on and we won the final, and there was another miracle. It was just one of those miracle seasons.”

The photo, seen above, is still one of their favorites.

A key moment in their friendship, Williams claims that this play is what set them up to live together. Prior to that, the two didn’t really talk to each other aside from the occasional drink, despite living across the hall from one another.

“It is near and dear to my heart,” Mewis added. “I have one memory, and it’s [that moment].”

Watch the full highlights of that memorable match below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Snacks so you don’t miss an episode: