Photo by Daniel Bartel / Chicago Red Stars

By LEOPOLDO PONCE

In the final week that any team in the NWSL had its U.S. Women’s National Team players, those that did made full use of the opportunity.

Sydney Leroux scored a decisive goal for the Western New York Flash, as the club recorded its first win of the season against the Boston Breakers. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Chicago Red Stars remained unbeaten against Sky Blue FC.

A pair of Seattle Reign FC players, Merritt Mathias and Kim Little, provided the league with some offensive output and theatrics. Both end the week as possible candidates for NWSL player of the week.

Now with that in mind, let’s take a look back at this past week’s NWSL action.

PAIR OF KIM LITTLE ASSISTS LEAD SEATTLE REIGN FC TO VICTORY

Last season’s MVP and Golden Boot winner, Kim Little, continued to boost the Seattle Reign FC this weekend.

The Reign twice benefitted from the boot of Little as she provided two goals in a 3-1 win against the Washington Spirit. The victory halted the Reign’s two game losing streak, while the Spirit missed out on a third straight win.

After looking like the better team, Seattle finally netted the opening goal of the game at the 35th minute when Beverly Yanez connected on a Merritt Mathias cross, and thus scored her third goal of the season.

The most impressive showing of the game came from Little. Even though she has yet to score a goal in 3 games, she recorded an assist to make the game a 2-0 affair in favor of Reign FC. The assist came at the beginning of the second half when Little sent in a cross into the area for a Mathias header that went in for the goal.

The Spirit then cut the lead in half with a Joanna Lohman goal in the 63rd goal. All of this was in vain, because Little doubled her assist count by connecting with Jess Fishlock using a through ball that she put on for goal.

This victory places Reign FC in third, while the loss brings the Spirit hot streak to an end and brings them down to fourth.

Here are the match highlights:

FC KANSAS CITY GO ON WIN STREAK, WHILE HOUSTON DASH EXTEND WINLESS STREAK

After earning the first victory of the season last week, FC Kansas City has stayed on its winning path by defeating the Houston Dash at home, 2-0.

This loss maintains a winless streak for the Dash, who have yet to win since their impressive opening day victory against the Washington Spirit.

FCKC came into the game firing on all cylinders and almost netted the first goal of the game in the opening minutes. Dash goalkeeper Bianca Henninger managed to keep the Dash in the game with a few saves; however, FCKC’s offense was eventually too much for the Dash defense to handle.

The first goal of the game came when Elizabeth Bogus managed to get at the end of a Henninger rebound that she placed into the net in the 40th minute. Shea Groom then doubled the lead at the beginning of the second half in the 52nd minute of play.

The Dash were held scoreless in a game for the first time this season. FC Kansas City ends the week in fifth place in the standings, while the Dash fell to sixth

Here are the match highlights:

FLASH EARN FIRST VICTORY OF SEASON

The Western New York Flash came into this week being the only team to still not record a victory in the 2015 NWSL season, but that all changed when they defeated the Boston Breakers 3-1.

The Flash did not start the game off well when in only the 15th minute of play, Morgan Marlborough opened the scoring for the Breakers. This lead did not last long for Boston, as Samantha Mewis scored her first goal of the season in the 23rd minute of play to equalize.

The rest of the game was all Flash. A 62nd minute goal came off of a marvelous play between Becky Edwards and Lynn Williams that involved Edwards giving the ball to Williams into space, who then passed it back to Edwards for the goal.

The final goal of the game came when Sydney Leroux, in her last game before heading to meet up with the rest of U.S. Women’s National Team World Cup team, placed a ball past the Boston Breaker’s goalkeeper. This victory gets the Flash away from last place in standings and up to eighth, while the Breakers drop to rock bottom.

Here are the match highlights:

CHICAGO RED STARS REMAIN UNDEFEATED WITH VICTORY OVER SKY BLUE FC

The Chicago Red Stars extend their unbeaten start to the season by defeating Sky Blue FC 1-0.

Danielle Colaprico scored her first professional goal in the 55th minute of play to hand the Red Stars victory. Colaprico’s dispatched her own rebound after her initial shot from inside the box struck  teammate. Her second effort was powered past Sky Blue goalkeeper, Brittany Cameron.

This victory places Chicago in second place on the standings, just below Portland Thorns FC but only separated by goal differential. Sky Blue FC fell to 7th place, even on points with the Dash.

Here are the match highlight