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MATCH RECAP: Pride Shutout by North Carolina Courage

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Pride (0-2-0, 0 points) fell to the defending National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) champion North Carolina Courage (1-0-1, 4 points) on Wednesday night, by a 5-0 scoreline. The Pride will next turn its attention to Sunday’s match in Tacoma, when they play their third game in a week, this time on the road at Reign FC.

Head Coach Marc Skinner:
“I think the first half was better. You can’t give away goals like that; it’s a simple rule of football. [North Carolina are] champions and they are a set piece team. They are direct, set piece, in-your-face, counter-attacking team. And they are very good at it, it’s nothing negative, that’s just what they’re good at. But you can’t give the goals away that we’ve given away and expect to get anything out of the game. Look at the times we’ve given the goals away. I’m pretty pleased on the ball with what the girls did. And there was some really good performances off the ball. But you’ve got to have the whole group doing it.”

Scoring Recap:

45’ Lynn Williams (Crystal Dunn) – NC 1, ORL 0
Just before the halftime break, Courage forward Crystal Dunn strippped the ball from forward Alex Morgan deep in the Pride half. Dunn pushed forward before sending the ball wide right to Lynn Williams who beat Ashlyn Harris in close.

55’ Jessica McDonald (Lynn Williams) – NC 2, ORL 0
The Courage doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second half after Williams blocked a pass out of the back that landed directly at the feet of Jessica McDonald, who was unmarked inside the box.

70’ Crystal Dunn – NC 3, ORL 0
Dunn gets on the board to make it 3-0 on a scramble after a corner kick, with her shot taking a deflection off the crowd in close.

77’ Crystal Dunn – NC 4, ORL 0
Dunn scores her second on the night in similar fashion, putting in a bouncing ball off a corner kick.

88’ Julia Spetsmark (Kristen Hamilton) – NC 5, ORL 0
Second-half substitute Julia Spetsmark added the home side’s final goal in the evening with a shot that Harris was able to get a hand on, but one that deflected off the underside of the crossbar and in.

Match Notes:

  • After missing the season opening match due to illness, Australians Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond made their first starts of the season on Wednesday. Kennedy lined up at right center back while van Egmond started in the midfield.
  • Wednesday was the 24th birthday of forward Rachel Hill. Hill earned the start and played 81 minutes for the Pride. Teammate Bridget Callahan celebrated her 23rd birthday just a day before, on April 16.
  • With the start on Wednesday, Alex Morgan now sits at 49 all-time appearances for the Pride. Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris earned her 97th NWSL appearance, across all competitions.
Next Match:
Orlando wraps up an eight day stretch that includes three games with a trip to Tacoma, Wash. to face Reign FC. Kickoff for the Pride’s first-ever match at Cheney Stadium is set for 10 p.m. ET.
Teams12F
North Carolina145
Orlando Pride000
Scoring Summary:
NC –
Lynn Williams (Crystal Dunn) 45’
NC – Jessica McDonald (Lynn Williams) 55’
NC – Crystal Dunn 70’
NC – Crystal Dunn 77’
NC – Julia Spetsmark (Kristen Hamilton) 88’

Misconduct Summary:
NC –
Denise O’Sullivan (Yellow Card) 45+1’
NC – McCall Zerboni (Yellow Card) 64’
ORL – Marta (Yellow Card) 85’

Lineups/Substitutions:

Orlando Pride – GK Ashlyn Harris ©; D Ali Krieger, Alanna Kennedy, Shelina Zadorsky, Carson Pickett; M Rachel Hill (Kristen Edmonds 81’), Dani Weatherholt, Emily van Egmond, Chioma Ubogagu (Camila 73’); F Marta, Alex Morgan

Substitutes Not Used: GK Haley Kopmeyer; D Erin Greening; M Joanna Boyles, Bridget Callahan, Marisa Viggiano

North Carolina Courage – GK Stephanie Labbe; D Merritt Mathias, Abby Dahlkemper, Abby Erceg ©, Jaelene Hinkle; M Crystal Dunn (Kristen Hamilton 84’), McCall Zerboni, Samantha Mewis, Denise O’Sullivan; F Lynn Williams (Julia Spetsmark 74’), Jessica McDonald (Leah Pruitt 79’)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Sam Leshnak; D Kaleigh Kurtz; M Liz Eddy, Heather O’Reilly

Details of the Game:
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear
Date: April 17, 2019
Attendance: 4,292

Stats Summary: NC / ORL
Possession: 53.4% / 46.6%
Shots: 30 / 9
Shots on Goal: 13 / 0
Saves: 0 / 8
Corner Kicks: 7 / 2
Fouls: 10 / 13
Offside: 1 / 3

Officials:
Referee: Danielle Chesky
Assistant Referee 1: Amilcar Sicaju
Assistant Referee 2: Jeremy L. B. Smith
Fourth Official: Hicham El Bariqi

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Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

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NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

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UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

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Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

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