Bay FC had to settle for a 1-1 draw Friday night when Seattle’s substitute midfielder Jess Fishlock took advantage of a wayward clearing attempt by scoring from close range in the 84th minute.
Bay FC (4-12-8) saw its winless streak extend to 13 matches despite a strong overall effort on the road against the fifth-place Reign (9-7-8).
Rookie Taylor Huff opened the scoring in the 31st minute at Lumen Field for Bay FC. Rachael Kundananji broke free down the right wing and crossed to the back post where a wide-open Huff finished.
Kundananji is now tied for the most assists in the NWSL this season with five. Meanwhile, Huff tied Kundananji for the second-most goals on the team this season, with four, including goals in back-to-back games.
Huff had also scored Bay FC’s lone goal last Saturday, when her goal from the edge of the box in the 36th minute provided an early lead. Bay FC, however, went on to lose 2-1 in Portland.
“That’s two games in a row that I thought we played very well and good enough to maybe have gotten three points,” said Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya, whose team is 13th in the 14-team league. “Overall, we came to Seattle and played very well. So much credit has to go to this group. Regardless of where we are in the standings, they just don’t give up — they continue to play.”
Seattle’s Fishlock was in the right place for the equalizer for Seattle with just seven minutes remaining. The veteran midfielder closed down an attempted clearance by Bay FC, settled the ball and scored from 10 yards out.
Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz denied Seattle’s offensive charges the rest of the game, though. Seattle’s Jordyn Huitema tried a header inside the penalty box that Sikowitz kept away from the goal with a leaping effort. Then, 20 minutes later, Silkowitz punched away a powerful strike from distance.
The tie puts the fifth-place Reign (9-7-8) on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot with two regular-season matches remaining.
Bay FC returns to the pitch next Friday night when it hosts the North Carolina Courage in Bay’s final home match of the season. Bay FC’s final regular-season game is at Louisville on Sunday, Nov. 2, and will be its final one with Montoya as its head coach.
Montoya announced last month that he would be resigning as head coach effective at the end of the season. Montoya, though, hinted at the possibility of him remaining with the organization.