1. Kailen Sheridan shines again
This knockout round has been a great opportunity for goalkeepers to shine. Three of the four games went to penalties, all of which ended as 0-0 draws. This match saw two of the best goalkeepers in the league up against one another: Kailen Sheridan for Sky Blue and Aubrey Bledsoe for the Spirit.
Sheridan ended the match against Washington with seven saves in the regular 90 minutes and made one more in the shootout to clinch Sky Blue’s win. The Clemson graduate keeper is already earning shouts to become the next starter for the Canadian national team, and her performance against Washington and in the tournament so far has shown that her dream isn’t that far away.
Sheridan currently leads the league with 20 saves in the competition, two ahead of the Chicago Red Stars’ Alyssa Naeher. She came into this competition with high hopes as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world and has delivered on such expectations.
As Sky Blue advance to the semi-finals and hope to make a surprise visit in the final, the defense will need Sheridan to keep up her world-class effort in goal for two more games to win the trophy.