Orlando

Orlando Pride Fall 2-1 in Disappointing Loss to Washington Spirit

Published

9 years ago

August 26, 2016

ORLANDO (FNN SPORTS) - The Orlando Pride faced an uphill battle against the Washington Spirit Friday. Photo: Orlando Sentinel.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Orlando Pride battled the Washington Spirit–currently the number one team in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)–at Camping World Stadium Friday. The team, now reunited with captain Alex Morgan, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, and defender Monica Hickmann Alves post-Olympics, had a strong defense and fought vigorously for the ball, with forward Jasmyne Spencer making Washington Spirit forwards Crystal Dunn and Cheyna Williams work hard to gain any traction. However, the team’s offense was found wanting.

In the first half, the Pride made three shot attempts: midfielder Kaylin Kyle in the eighth minute, forward and captain Alex Morgan in the 28th minute, and defender Kristen Edmonds in the 31st minute, but none connected. In the 22nd minute, Morgan stole the ball and quickly passed it, but there was no one to receive it.

To the team’s credit, they understood that they were playing against the top team in the league, and it showed on defense. Defender Toni Pressley was issued a yellow card for defensive handling in the 29th minute. Washington’s Ali Krieger was issued a yellow card for the same infraction in the 35th minute. Washington got its first goal in the 36th minute thanks to several through-the-legs maneuvers by Williams with defender Caprice Dydasco assisting. Washington led 1-0 at the end of the half.

The second half brought a surge of energy to both teams, thanks to their substitutions. For Washington, forward Katie Stengel came in for forward Cali Farquharson at the beginning of the second half, and midfielder Christine Nairn scored their second goal in the 55th minute. For Orlando, forward Sarah Hagen came in for midfielder Becky Edwards in the 63rd minute and Monica came in for midfielder Dani Weatherholt in the 64th minute. Washington subbed in forward Francisca Ordega for Dunn in the 66th minute.
Hagen was able score Orlando’s one point with Cami Levin assisting in the 71st minute. Following that goal and the roar of the Orlando fans, Washington answered in rapid succession with three goal attempts, all of which Harris blocked.

The remainder of the half saw a final substitution for each team: forward Jamia Fields in for midfielder Sam Witteman (Orlando) in the 80th minute and defender Alyssa Kleiner in for Williams (Washington) in the 82nd minute. Morgan used her go-to runaway tactic to get the ball across the field as quickly as possible, but none of her four shots connected, including the three assists with Spencer in the 86th, 90th, and extra minutes. Levin tried a shot on goal in the extra minutes, but to no avail, making the final score 2-1.

Head Coach Tom Sermanni and Alex Morgan were frank about the team’s biggest challenge during the post-game press conference. “The next stage in our development is looking at the quality of the execution, decision-making, the tempo of our passing, and our support play,” Coach Sermanni said. “Those are all things we need to refine and do better with.”

”We had a lot of holes midfield and defensively,” Morgan said. “When we did win possession, we gave it up too easily and were broken down…We need to take advantage of half-chances and create more opportunities.”

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Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 weeks ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

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.

NFL

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

Published

5 months ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

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.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

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.