Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch was fined Wednesday for what the NWSL called unsportsmanlike conduct after Hatch put her cleats to an opposing player’s chest in the 76th minute of the Challenge Cup final.

Hatch was not issued a penalty for the play during the match, which the North Carolina Courage won 2-1.

Courage defender and captain Abby Erceg, who was on the receiving end of the play, tweeted after the game that the referee told her, “I clearly saw the ball hit your ribs.”

“You can tell that the players were tired,” Erceg said. “You could tell that the fatigue was setting in and it was just a matter of who was more fit. I think it’s really disappointing for a final. I think you want to see two teams that are doing really well play the best football that they can.”

According to the league, Hatch’s move violated Section 12.3.6 of the League Operations Manual, which outlines “Major Game Misconduct.” The amount of the fine has not been disclosed and the sanction is not subject to appeal under the new CBA.

This wasn’t the only questionable call in the game. Minutes earlier, Courage forward Kerolin was tackled by the Spirit’s Sam Staab and had to leave the game. No foul was called on the play.

The Washington Spirit have re-signed forward Ashley Hatch to a two-year extension, keeping the Golden Boot winner in D.C. through 2023. The deal also includes a club option for 2024.

Hatch scored 10 goals in 2021, finishing the regular season as the NWSL’s leading scorer. She added a game-winner against the North Carolina Courage in the playoffs en route to the club’s first NWSL championship.

She also added to her tally with the U.S. women’s national team this year, scoring two goals in her first two starts against Australia, including the third-fastest goal in USWNT history.

“We’re very excited to have Ashley as a part of the Spirit family,” said Spirit head coach Kris Ward. “She is an admirable player on and off the field, and is truly only at the beginning of what will continue to be a stellar career. We look forward to seeing her continued development as a part of this squad. Here’s to many more Golden Boot trophies in the future.”

Since her arrival in Washington in 2018, Hatch has led the team in goals in every regular season. In 79 total appearances with the Spirit, the forward has 23 goals.

“After the career year that Ashley had, it was only right to extend her contract,” said Spirit team president Ben Olsen. “Her work rate and ability to finish off plays was critical in our run to the cup and we are pleased she’s sticking around for a while.”

The club also signed Taylor Aylmer and Morgan Goff to contracts that run through the 2022 season.

Ashley Hatch wasted no time in making her presence felt during her first two starts with the United States women’s national team.

Days after scoring the third-fastest goal in USWNT history in the first match against Australia, a 3-0 win for the U.S., Hatch delivered another early goal in a 1-1 draw with the Matildas on Tuesday.

In her second-career start, the 26-year-old ran onto a driven cross from Midge Purce in the box and sent it past Australian goalkeeper Lydia Williams to give the USWNT a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute.

Hatch’s offensive production in the last two games of the USWNT’s 2021 season certainly helps her case for an eventual spot on the 2023 World Cup roster.

The forward picked up right where she left off with the Washington Spirit during the NWSL season. First, she won the NWSL’s Golden Boot after leading the league with 10 goals during the regular season. Then, days before the USWNT left for Australia, Hatch and the Spirit won the 2021 NWSL Championship for their first title in franchise history.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has talked about dipping into the NWSL’s talent pool for the national team roster. Kristie Mewis is a prime example of the coach’s willingness to reward strong NWSL play with a chance on the international stage.

After ending the year on a high note, Hatch has built a strong case for her inclusion in USWNT camps in 2022.

Ashley Hatch made a splash in her first start with the United States Women’s National Team, scoring just 24 seconds into the squad’s match against Australia on Friday.

The 26-year-old split Australia’s center backs to finish off a bouncing header from Lynn Williams to notch the go-ahead goal in the team’s 3-0 win.

Hatch’s finish marks her first international goal and the third-fastest goal in USWNT history.

The Washington Spirit striker is having quite the year, earning her third cap with the USWNT fresh off winning an NWSL Championship and clinching the Golden Boot award.

Next up: The USWNT will play Australia again on Tuesday at 4:05 a.m. ET on ESPN.

The United States Women’s National Team defeated Australia 3-0 on Friday, with a squad of fresh faces representing the U.S. in front of a record crowd of 36,109 in Sydney.

With an average age of 26-years-old, the starting lineup was the USWNT’s youngest since April 2018.

Goalkeeper Casey Murphy earned her first start and first cap, while Bethany Balcer, Morgan Weaver and Ashley Sanchez all subbed on for their international debuts.

The USWNT didn’t waste much time getting on the scoresheet, with Hatch scoring just 24 seconds into the match for her first international goal. Running onto a pass headed forward by Lynn Williams, Hatch bodied down the ball to slot through a finish from close range to go up 1-0.

The U.S. kept the scoreline at 1-0 throughout the first half, with Murphy making several crucial saves to deny Australian star Sam Kerr.

Rose Lavelle added her name to the scoresheet in the 49th minute, getting on the end of a pass from Margaret Purce, who beat her defender down the flank to send a well-placed ball into the box to double the USWNT’s lead.

The team’s last goal came in the 68th minute, with Lindsey Horan converting a penalty kick from the spot to clinch the 3-0 win. The game was Horan’s first wearing the No. 10 jersey, which was passed down to her from a retiring Carli Lloyd.

Next up: The USWNT will play the Matildas again in Newcastle, airing Tuesday at 4:05 a.m. ET on ESPN.

Across social media, the Washington Spirit have been using the phrase “#RiseUpDC,” but behind the curtain, the team’s theme is “Together.”

At practices, before games, in the locker room and on media calls, the players have intentionally used the word through the second half of the season following a chapter of abuse allegations against former coaches, COVID-19 cases that resulted in forfeited games and ownership changes.

“Staying together, really just focusing on that,” defender Sam Staab said. “[It] switches our mentality to be like, ‘Let’s just send it.’ We’ve had a pretty tough year, so we’re just going for it.”

The Spirit exemplified that approach Sunday, with their deep bench playing a key role in a 1-0 extra-time win over the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL quarterfinals.

“It takes every one of us, and we’ve really come together and relied on each other throughout this entire season and especially tonight,” goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe said after the game.

‘We’re so deep’

North Carolina controlled much of the game in the opening 45 minutes, forcing Bledsoe to make multiple challenging saves and reminding everyone why she is a nominee for NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year.

Washington’s six substitutions rolled in through the second half, giving them a boost in momentum.

45’ M Tori Huster in for M Tayor Aylmer
70’ M Julia Roddar in for D Tegan McGrady
70’ F Tara McKeown in for F Ashley Sanchez
98’ D Anna Heilferty in for M Tori Huster (injury)
115’ D Paige Nielsen in for M Dorian Bailey (injury)
118’ M Saori Takarada in for F Trinity Rodman

The first sub to start the second half was Tori Huster, the only remaining player from the Spirit team that advanced to the NWSL finals in 2016, and she made her veteran presence felt immediately. The Spirit fired off multiple shots in the first five minutes of the half, taking the pressure off of Bledsoe and repeatedly testing Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy.

Tara McKeown, the 22-year-old who started 11 of 21 games this season, helped turn Washington’s offensive energy around with multiple runs up the field that were not there in the first 45.

When Huster went down just outside North Carolina’s box a few minutes into extra time, with what is expected to be a serious injury, the Spirit had to send on a sub for their sub. In this case, it was 22-year-old Anna Heilferty. The rookie was entering her first playoff game when the stakes were highest, but the Spirit didn’t flinch, even against an experienced team like the Courage.

“We’re so deep, the amount of talent that we have,” Bledsoe said of the bench.

After the Spirit had registered 13 shots on target, Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch buried the golden goal in the second period of extra time. The 2021 MVP candidate had been having a quiet game up until that point.

“I believe in every single one of our players and every single girl that steps on the field,” Hatch said. “Our subs made a huge difference in the game today. … That belief in each other is what helped us win this game.”

‘They’re the Little Engine That Could right now’

Spirit interim coach Kris Ward describes himself as someone who’s “not afraid to use the bench.”

“We’ve got an unbelievable bench and they proved that in so many ways,” he said.

Ward has taken a hands-off approach this season since being named interim coach in August, recognizing the players have needed emotional support and space to come together, more than they’ve needed coaching.

“I think once we made the [coaching] change in August, everyone’s been a little bit more laidback and it really helps when we’ve got a young, creative team,” Bledsoe said. “It’s just been a good time of everyone just trusting in each other’s abilities, and you’re really seeing us start to play free and play together and it’s really exciting.”

Ward’s guidance has helped the Spirit advance the furthest they’ve been as a program since 2016. Before the playoffs began, Staab said she and the team were ready to move on from the turmoil of the season and focus on themselves.

Ward was in hands-on coaching mode after Sunday’s quarterfinal, pleased with the second-half energy but challenging the offense to slow down the attack. As much as the young team lets him, at least.

“Sometimes, youth is just going to youth, and they’re just going to go and that is an advantage in and of itself,” Ward said with a laugh.

Going into Washington’s semifinal against OL Reign next Sunday, there will be coaching, but Ward won’t lose sight of the togetherness that got the Spirit to this point in the first place.

“That’s been a big key for us, just getting through things together,” he said. “They’ve always had each other’s backs, and so it’s just trying to keep the train rolling. They’re the Little Engine That Could right now.”

Jessa Braun is an editorial intern for Just Women’s Sports. She is also the Head of North American Content for the Women’s Sports Alliance. You can find her on Twitter @jessabraun.

The Washington Spirit advanced to the NWSL semifinals after downing the North Carolina Courage 1-0 in extra time on Sunday night.

The quarterfinal game was filled with chances on both sides, with the Spirit firing 13 shots on target and the Courage letting off eight. North Carolina’s Casey Murphy and Washington’s Aubrey Bledsoe each came up clutch in goal, making multiple difficult saves and keeping the game even at the end of regulation.

Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch ended the scoreless stalemate 22 minutes into extra time.

Spirit forward Trinity Rodman got off a low shot that Murphy deflected back into the box. Hatch pounced on the rebound and sent it into the upper netting for the go-ahead finish and the win at home.

Next up: Washington will travel to Seattle to take on No. 2 OL Reign in the NWSL semifinals on Nov. 14.

Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch is the NWSL’s 2021 Golden Boot winner as the top goal scorer in the league this season.

In 20 appearances for the Spirit during the regular season, Hatch scored 10 goals to secure the Golden Boot. It’s the fewest goals a player has needed to win the Golden Boot in NWSL history.

Hatch is just the second Spirit player to claim the honor after Crystal Dunn won it in 2015. Gotham FC’s Midge Purce, OL Reign’s Bethany Balcer and Houston’s Rachel Daly finished just behind Hatch with nine goals each.

Hatch lit up the highlight reel this season, but no goal was perhaps as stunning as her strike in the 59th minute of the Spirit’s win over OL Reign on Oct. 16 that marked her 10th of the season.

Hatch and the Spirit will host the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL quarterfinals on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Trinity Rodman and Ashley Hatch put on a show Saturday night, linking up twice to lift the Washington Spirit over Racing Louisville 3-0.

The attacking duo opened up scoring in the eighth minute with Rodman dishing out a perfectly placed long ball for Hatch, who beat Michelle Betos to give Washington an early 1-0 lead.

The Spirit doubled their lead in the 52nd minute with Ashley Sanchez drawing a foul in the box before Andi Sullivan beat Betos from the spot.

Rodman and Hatch connected once again in the 79th minute, with Rodman breaking up a Louisville miscue in the back before finding Hatch in front of an open net to make the game 3-0. Hatch’s late-game finish marks her ninth goal of the season, tying Bethany Balcer for the league leader.

Washington’s win catapults the team to fourth in the NWSL standings with 30 points and eliminates Racing Louisville from playoff contention.

The Spirit notched three crucial points in the NWSL standings with their 2-0 win over No. 1 North Carolina on Saturday night. The Spirit’s home win marked their third victory of the season.

Washington grabbed control of the match early. In the 12th minute, Ashley Hatch slotted home a deflected ball in the box to give the Spirit a 1-0 lead.

Hatch struck again off a two-on-two break during stoppage time of the first half. Andi Sullivan intercepted the ball and strode past midfield as Hatch raced past North Carolina’s back line. Sullivan split the Courage defenders to find Hatch, who one-timed the ball into the far post to double the Spirit’s lead.

With the win, the Spirit moved past the Houston Dash for fourth place in the standings.

Next up: Washington will host Gotham FC on July 18. The Courage will face the Houston Dash on July 17.