November 27, 2023 • 17 mins
Aly Wagner connects with Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch to discuss her inclusion in NWSL's 2023 Best XI presented by Mastercard, her 2023 season with the Washington Spirit, and what she's looking forward to next season and beyond.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
During her seven year professional career, Ashley Hatch has been.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Bringing home the hardware.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
She's been the NWSL's Rookie of the Year, the league's
top scour and an NWSL champion, and in twenty twenty three,
patches added.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
To that trophy case.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
This season was one of her best, scoring nine goals
and assisting on two others while being named to the
NWSL's Best Eleven for the month of July. I sat
down with the twenty twenty three NWSL Best Eleven presented
by a MasterCard on a rate to discuss the league's
style of play and her insatiable hunger to be a
ruthless finisher. First, ash I gotta say congratulations on being
(00:39):
named to the NWSL's Best Eleven presented by MasterCard.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
What were you thinking when you got that call?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Well, first off, thanks, I don't know. I was just
super excited. It's a huge honor. This league has so
many amazing players, so to be named among some of
the best is pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
So I was really excited.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
We'll talk about that a little bit right because the
end of your cell has gone through I would say
massive iterations and changes over the course of when he
first came in the league and where we are now,
what are you seeing are the biggest stepping stones that
the league has been able to climb?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
I mean, so much has changed for my first year
till now this year. I mean, first of all, like
the amount of teams that we have in league, but
also the disparity.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Between the teams.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
My first year, when I was playing for North Carolina,
there was like a top two or three teams and
everyone else was kind of, you know, at the bottom,
and you could have some games where you knew you
were going to win in some games are like, Okay,
this game is probably gonna.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Be a bit tougher.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
But this year, every single game was tough, no matter
what team you're playing. And I think it's just the
quality of players that we have and on every single team.
You see a lot more players coming out of college
or coming into league and making impacts their first and
second year, and I think that's huge and just attestament
to the direction that this league is going.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yeah, I mean watching you the spirit you guys won
in twenty twenty one, right, and then this year, two
years later, you guys don't even make playoffs. That to
me seems almost unfathomable given the talent that you guys have.
When you reflect upon the season, you know, where do
you think it went wrong?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
That's a really good question. I've done a lot of reflecting.
I think we had a pretty strong start.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And we had more of an identity at the beginning
of the year, and then I think as year went
on and we you know, had to battle you know,
people getting injured, people leaving for the World Cup, and
then everyone coming back. I feel like we didn't handle
those two changes and adjustments very well. We lost a
little bit of our identity as a team. And then
(02:43):
obviously on the field, we weren't able to execute in
games that we needed to execute. And so I feel
like kind of that World Cup loll of like changes
and stuff, I don't think we handled that the best
and it kind of hurt us in the end.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well, how would you describe the identity of the Spirit
and the beginning of the time and then and then
just where it kind of fell short in the mid
and post.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, I would say at the beginning of the season
it was pretty clear that we wanted to be an
attacking minded team, very direct, high press team. And then
as the season went on and our personnel kind.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Of changed a little bit. We changed that a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
We still wanted to be a high press team, win
the ball high up the field. We tried to be
a little bit more possession.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Based and keep the ball. But then I feel like we.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Weren't able to create as many opportunities in the attacking
third as we would have liked, or if we did,
we just weren't able to execute as much as we
should have. So yeah, I feel like we lost a
little bit of that attacking mindset from the beginning of
the season to the end of the season.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Super curious on that point because Nabsell is known as
a transition league, right, and you're talking about high pressing
being more direct. Do you think there's space in this
league for being a possession oriented team that is actually
more patient and that tries to control their opponent in
possession as opposed to out of possession.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
I think so.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I think it'd be really difficult, just because of the
high intensity of each team and the way that.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Everyone does like to play.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And if you come into this league and that's your
mindset and you want to play that way and it
doesn't work, I feel like people just resort to being
high press, high intensity like switch. I feel like it's
going to take a lot of patience for a team
to come and do that. I think North Carolina did
a really good job of doing that this year compared
to most of the other teams. They kept the ball
really really well.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
But can a team come in keep.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
The ball but also continue to score and you know, dominate.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
I think it's possible, But I guess the way and see.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
I see the skepticism. It runs deep. I think there
has to be an evolution at some point. I think
in the league, no doubt, you know. Just on the
global level, I think that will occur naturally. But time
to tell you know, I'd love to see that happen
now as I think about just your season in particular. Actually, obviously,
you were super close to making that World Cup team.
(05:02):
I've been there. I was cut from the ninety nine
World Cup team. I was the last person cut. I
was an alternate for the two thousand Olympic team when
I vowed that I would never be cut again, and
I came up short. What I could tell you is
that I learned a lot through both of those processes.
You know, when you look back on, you know, that disappointment,
but then having a landing place in the NWSL to
(05:23):
come and focus that energy in a different way. How
important was that? What were your lessons?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yeah, it was super important. I don't it was such
a hard time and such a hard reality to face,
But being able to shift my focus into the NWSL
and my spirit and just like put all my energy
into the Spirit.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Was huge for me.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
It was, like I said, super disappointing, but I had
so much support around me with my teammates and coaching
staff and soccer is how I escape. So to be
able to come and just keep playing soccer and keep
grinding and having fun with my teammates really helped me.
And I just I already had a lot of gratitude
for the game, but I feel like it's grown so
much more throughout this year.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And obviously it was a great landing spot for you
because you came back, you were named Captain of the
Spirit for the first time, and you were named part
of that Player of the Month for the NWSL in July.
What shifted for you and being named captain?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I think just being able to have that armband on
gave me just a little bit more confident to be
a little bit more demanding on the field. I think
that's an area of my game that I continually like
want to I need to improve, But to be able
to be named captain, it just kind of gave me
a little bit of extra confidence to step up a
(06:45):
little bit more.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
And with all of our captains gone.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I felt like a bigger responsibility to help the team
while everyone was gone, and so I just wanted to
make sure I fulfilled that role to the best of
my ability.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, I mean it certainly seems like that is a
great spot for you moving forward. When I watch you,
I think, Wow, this is a goal scorer with goal
scoring instincts, and that, to me is something that I
don't comprehend. I don't know what that feels like. I
was a playmaker. What is it in your mentality? You
scored nine goals to assist this season. What is it
(07:19):
in your mentality? In your mental makeup? I know you
spend a lot of time focusing on the mental side
of the game that allows you to maximize the opportunities
that are put in front of you.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It's just something that I love doing and I'm just
always hungry for more and I feel like I've never satisfied,
and I've been that way ever since I was younger.
So I just feel like it's a habit that I've
created of just you know, trying to be in the
right places at the right time, always looking for opportunities
to score goals or help other people score goals. It's
(07:52):
just something that I'm continually thinking about and something that
I also see is like a huge responsibility, especially playing.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
In the nine or anywhere else top.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
But like that's my job and I take it very
seriously and so and I just love doing it, Like
there's nothing better than scoring a goal, And every time
I score, I'm.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Just like that was so fun. I want to do
it again.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I would argue assisting is way better, but I'm not
going to do your dreams. What is it, though, in
your training regimen that you focus on right now? Is
there a certain finish that you are trying to hone
in on. Is it the folly? Is it? Is it
actually the time you told dart in front of a defender,
you know, give us in the layman's terms, you know,
for people who aren't the goal scoring nine. The areas
(08:34):
of focus that you pay attention to in training.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, right now, especially in the off season, I feel
like my focus is on a couple of things. But
first and foremost, like quality first touch, whether it's into
space or if you're in tight spaces, how can you
set your first touch up so you can get a
shot off? So that quick trigger is something that I've
always worked on when I was younger. And as you know,
you play higher and higher levels, the defenders are better
(08:58):
and better. So your first touch, which needs to be
perfect in order to get a shot off or your
shot needs to be the first touch. Also manipulating the defense,
trying to you know, be in the defender's blind spots,
giving yourself the advantage of popping off the shoulder or
you know, darting in behind them, making sure that they think.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
They have you, but you know they don't. So those
are a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
That I'm trying to get better at this offseason, and
I feel like those are things that also help me
to you know, get the advantage on my opponents and
score goals.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Do you mess with defenders the whole game?
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yes, in some ways, like mostly just like being just
being in their blind spot as much as possible. I
feel like as a defender, Like defenders I've talked to
at least, it's just really really annoying when they can't
see where their attackers are.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
So so yeah, that's kind of how I mess with them.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
And I'm not much a talker or anything, so that's
about it.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Is there a defender that you lean on to get
that insight to understand the art of a defender?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I mean, honestly, anytime I'm going up against any of
our defenders and training, so whether it's like Sam or
Tara or Amber Brooks is someone that I talk to
a lot because she's usually on the second team when
we play eleven of the eleven and we'll talk a
little bit and I'll do something and she'd be like, oh,
that was really difficult, or when you do this or that,
(10:26):
it's easier for me to see you, or even with
the keepers sometimes when I'm shooting, if I do something.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Good, sometimes they're like, oh, like I.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Went this soay because I saw your eyes go that way,
but then you shout out the other way or so yeah.
I usually lean on my teammates and like talk to
them when something works or when something doesn't, and that's
usually pretty helpful.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yeah, it's super smart and there's so much detail into it.
Sounds like the way that you think about being a striker.
That's incredible. Tell me a little bit about Sam Stock
What makes her special as the leader in your back line?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Sam is just so consistent. She shows up to training
every day, She gives it her all. Also, her left
foot is phenomenal. I think this year it was really
fun to see her. I feel like, step more into
that set piece role. She did such a great job
of like whipping corners in and whipping you know, set
piece crosses in. I wish that we capitalize on them
(11:20):
a little bit more. But also her just like her
calmness and composure in the back line when she's under pressure,
I think is great and it's something that also calms
the rest of the team down.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
And I think Sam and.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Terra both did a really good job this year of
helping start our attack higher up the field, which is
something that I feel like we haven't done in the past,
and I feel like that really helped us this year.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
So she does a lot for us, and she's a
really great player.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah, you mentioned service. I mean every Grade nine needs
a provider. Who do you love playing with? Who do
you have incredible connection with.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
We have so many good players in different like positions
on the field that I like to connect with. Sammy's
definitely one of them, especially with her left foot kind
of like out to end ball, like behind the back line.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Sanchez is really crafty and sometimes when I'm on.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
The same page as her, it's great, and she's a
really good at, you know, beating defenders and you know,
getting balls in behind the back line. Trin is also
super fun to play with because she's just so fast
and is good at beating the back line and getting
balls whipped in behind. Patri Tayor is also someone that
was fun to play with this year as well. She's
(12:36):
pretty crafty on the ball. I think she assisted one
or two of my goals this year. So yeah, we
have like such good players all over the field.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
It's fun to connect with all of them.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Give me then, your dream goal. What does it look like,
what kind of service, what kind of strike? Where is
it in the game, what moment does it You've had
to imagine this? I know it.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
I've never been asked this question before, but I love it.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Honestly, I would love I love balls in behind the
back line that I can run onto with the first
touch finish. The goal that I scored actually this year
against Gotham and the Town's Cup, assisted by Lena Solana,
was probably close to my dream goal.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
I opened up.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
She's played a straight ball down the line and I
first touch finished it on the right side of the goal.
So yeah, anytime I'm facing the goal and I get
to make a decision whether to like dribble or shoot
like against the keeper, it's it's a yeah, it's a dream.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
That's a dream. Yeah, I wouldn't know that feeling. I
wasn't fast enough to get in behind the opposition. One
other question I asked in terms of this is a
random one, but the old MLS shootout. Do you remember
the old MLS shootout where you start halfway because right
you're you're an incredible penalty kick taker. Would you want
to switch to the old MLS shootout tow where you
(13:57):
dribble go one b one against goalie or do you
like from the spot.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I mean, I'm pretty comfortable from the spot, so I
feel like I would like to keep it that way.
But the old MLS shootout looks a lot more exciting.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Way more excited.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
But you've got your ritual down.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
We don't want to disrupt that. Yeah, what are you
doing in offseason?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I'm going to be here in DC probably until Thanksgiving,
you know, turning with my teammates and taking advantage of
our amazing staff and the facility, and then I'll be
bouncing around between Utah and Arizona just to visit family
and train.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Amazing And if you were to script the rest of
your career, can you give me three goals that you achieved.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Oh, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I definitely want to win another end a base All championship.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Do you like the shield or the championship?
Speaker 4 (14:49):
The championship?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I mean, I won the Shield with the Courage my
first year. I don't think I fully understood what that meant,
just because it's my first year and thing was like
so new, and I remember, like we finished a game
against season and everyone's like we won the shield, and
I was like, great, Like, okay, what's nice about that?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, the shield is.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Quite the accomplishment, So obviously I would I will probably
add that to my list as well. But to be
able to like be the champions at the very end
of the season, because it's such a difficult league to
play in and to just be able to, I don't know,
conquer that with all the pressure and everything, like, it's
just such a great feeling and it's something that it's
(15:32):
really really hard to.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Do in this league.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
And so I want to be able to take the
Spirit to another championship. And then obviously as a gold scorer,
I would love to, you know, get the Golden Boot again.
That's something that's always, you know, on my list of
goals for the years.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Are you checking are you checking out the charts at
the end of each week seeing that come on?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
To be honest, no, I try.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I try and not like focus too much energy outside
of what I can't control.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
And so.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I mean, yeah, of course I'll see it, but I
don't go out seeking it, just because I want to
focus on the things that I can do and the
goals that I can score. But yeah, I would definitely
say getting the Golden Boot is another one. And then yeah,
I mean obviously I would love to make a World
Cup or Olympic roster. So those are probably the top
(16:33):
goals in my if I could script the rest of
my career.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah, those are pretty lofty goals. By the ways, I
love it, shoot for the moon. If you miss, you'll
be with the stars exactly, Ashley. I got to ask you,
what is your priceless moment from the twenty twenty three season.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
My priceless moment from the twenty twenty three season was
definitely wearing the captain's arm band for the first time
in my professional career and for the Washington Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Wow, I had no idea. It was the first time.
That is really incredible, and sometimes we said when one
door closes, a window opens.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yeah. Definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Well, congratulations on your award and more to come from you.
Excited to see what happens.
During her seven year professional career, Ashley Hatch has been.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Bringing home the hardware.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
She's been the NWSL's Rookie of the Year, the league's
top scour and an NWSL champion, and in twenty twenty three,
patches added.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
To that trophy case.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
This season was one of her best, scoring nine goals
and assisting on two others while being named to the
NWSL's Best Eleven for the month of July. I sat
down with the twenty twenty three NWSL Best Eleven presented
by a MasterCard on a rate to discuss the league's
style of play and her insatiable hunger to be a
ruthless finisher. First, ash I gotta say congratulations on being
(00:39):
named to the NWSL's Best Eleven presented by MasterCard.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
What were you thinking when you got that call?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Well, first off, thanks, I don't know. I was just
super excited. It's a huge honor. This league has so
many amazing players, so to be named among some of
the best is pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
So I was really excited.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
We'll talk about that a little bit right because the
end of your cell has gone through I would say
massive iterations and changes over the course of when he
first came in the league and where we are now,
what are you seeing are the biggest stepping stones that
the league has been able to climb?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
I mean, so much has changed for my first year
till now this year. I mean, first of all, like
the amount of teams that we have in league, but
also the disparity.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Between the teams.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
My first year, when I was playing for North Carolina,
there was like a top two or three teams and
everyone else was kind of, you know, at the bottom,
and you could have some games where you knew you
were going to win in some games are like, Okay,
this game is probably gonna.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Be a bit tougher.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
But this year, every single game was tough, no matter
what team you're playing. And I think it's just the
quality of players that we have and on every single team.
You see a lot more players coming out of college
or coming into league and making impacts their first and
second year, and I think that's huge and just attestament
to the direction that this league is going.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yeah, I mean watching you the spirit you guys won
in twenty twenty one, right, and then this year, two
years later, you guys don't even make playoffs. That to
me seems almost unfathomable given the talent that you guys have.
When you reflect upon the season, you know, where do
you think it went wrong?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
That's a really good question. I've done a lot of reflecting.
I think we had a pretty strong start.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And we had more of an identity at the beginning
of the year, and then I think as year went
on and we you know, had to battle you know,
people getting injured, people leaving for the World Cup, and
then everyone coming back. I feel like we didn't handle
those two changes and adjustments very well. We lost a
little bit of our identity as a team. And then
(02:43):
obviously on the field, we weren't able to execute in
games that we needed to execute. And so I feel
like kind of that World Cup loll of like changes
and stuff, I don't think we handled that the best
and it kind of hurt us in the end.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well, how would you describe the identity of the Spirit
and the beginning of the time and then and then
just where it kind of fell short in the mid
and post.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, I would say at the beginning of the season
it was pretty clear that we wanted to be an
attacking minded team, very direct, high press team. And then
as the season went on and our personnel kind.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Of changed a little bit. We changed that a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
We still wanted to be a high press team, win
the ball high up the field. We tried to be
a little bit more possession.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Based and keep the ball. But then I feel like we.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Weren't able to create as many opportunities in the attacking
third as we would have liked, or if we did,
we just weren't able to execute as much as we
should have. So yeah, I feel like we lost a
little bit of that attacking mindset from the beginning of
the season to the end of the season.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Super curious on that point because Nabsell is known as
a transition league, right, and you're talking about high pressing
being more direct. Do you think there's space in this
league for being a possession oriented team that is actually
more patient and that tries to control their opponent in
possession as opposed to out of possession.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
I think so.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I think it'd be really difficult, just because of the
high intensity of each team and the way that.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Everyone does like to play.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And if you come into this league and that's your
mindset and you want to play that way and it
doesn't work, I feel like people just resort to being
high press, high intensity like switch. I feel like it's
going to take a lot of patience for a team
to come and do that. I think North Carolina did
a really good job of doing that this year compared
to most of the other teams. They kept the ball
really really well.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
But can a team come in keep.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
The ball but also continue to score and you know, dominate.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
I think it's possible, But I guess the way and see.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
I see the skepticism. It runs deep. I think there
has to be an evolution at some point. I think
in the league, no doubt, you know. Just on the
global level, I think that will occur naturally. But time
to tell you know, I'd love to see that happen
now as I think about just your season in particular. Actually, obviously,
you were super close to making that World Cup team.
(05:02):
I've been there. I was cut from the ninety nine
World Cup team. I was the last person cut. I
was an alternate for the two thousand Olympic team when
I vowed that I would never be cut again, and
I came up short. What I could tell you is
that I learned a lot through both of those processes.
You know, when you look back on, you know, that disappointment,
but then having a landing place in the NWSL to
(05:23):
come and focus that energy in a different way. How
important was that? What were your lessons?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yeah, it was super important. I don't it was such
a hard time and such a hard reality to face,
But being able to shift my focus into the NWSL
and my spirit and just like put all my energy
into the Spirit.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Was huge for me.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
It was, like I said, super disappointing, but I had
so much support around me with my teammates and coaching
staff and soccer is how I escape. So to be
able to come and just keep playing soccer and keep
grinding and having fun with my teammates really helped me.
And I just I already had a lot of gratitude
for the game, but I feel like it's grown so
much more throughout this year.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And obviously it was a great landing spot for you
because you came back, you were named Captain of the
Spirit for the first time, and you were named part
of that Player of the Month for the NWSL in July.
What shifted for you and being named captain?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I think just being able to have that armband on
gave me just a little bit more confident to be
a little bit more demanding on the field. I think
that's an area of my game that I continually like
want to I need to improve, But to be able
to be named captain, it just kind of gave me
a little bit of extra confidence to step up a
(06:45):
little bit more.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
And with all of our captains gone.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I felt like a bigger responsibility to help the team
while everyone was gone, and so I just wanted to
make sure I fulfilled that role to the best of
my ability.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, I mean it certainly seems like that is a
great spot for you moving forward. When I watch you,
I think, Wow, this is a goal scorer with goal
scoring instincts, and that, to me is something that I
don't comprehend. I don't know what that feels like. I
was a playmaker. What is it in your mentality? You
scored nine goals to assist this season. What is it
(07:19):
in your mentality? In your mental makeup? I know you
spend a lot of time focusing on the mental side
of the game that allows you to maximize the opportunities
that are put in front of you.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It's just something that I love doing and I'm just
always hungry for more and I feel like I've never satisfied,
and I've been that way ever since I was younger.
So I just feel like it's a habit that I've
created of just you know, trying to be in the
right places at the right time, always looking for opportunities
to score goals or help other people score goals. It's
(07:52):
just something that I'm continually thinking about and something that
I also see is like a huge responsibility, especially playing.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
In the nine or anywhere else top.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
But like that's my job and I take it very
seriously and so and I just love doing it, Like
there's nothing better than scoring a goal, And every time
I score, I'm.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Just like that was so fun. I want to do
it again.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I would argue assisting is way better, but I'm not
going to do your dreams. What is it, though, in
your training regimen that you focus on right now? Is
there a certain finish that you are trying to hone
in on. Is it the folly? Is it? Is it
actually the time you told dart in front of a defender,
you know, give us in the layman's terms, you know,
for people who aren't the goal scoring nine. The areas
(08:34):
of focus that you pay attention to in training.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, right now, especially in the off season, I feel
like my focus is on a couple of things. But
first and foremost, like quality first touch, whether it's into
space or if you're in tight spaces, how can you
set your first touch up so you can get a
shot off? So that quick trigger is something that I've
always worked on when I was younger. And as you know,
you play higher and higher levels, the defenders are better
(08:58):
and better. So your first touch, which needs to be
perfect in order to get a shot off or your
shot needs to be the first touch. Also manipulating the defense,
trying to you know, be in the defender's blind spots,
giving yourself the advantage of popping off the shoulder or
you know, darting in behind them, making sure that they think.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
They have you, but you know they don't. So those
are a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
That I'm trying to get better at this offseason, and
I feel like those are things that also help me
to you know, get the advantage on my opponents and
score goals.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Do you mess with defenders the whole game?
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yes, in some ways, like mostly just like being just
being in their blind spot as much as possible. I
feel like as a defender, Like defenders I've talked to
at least, it's just really really annoying when they can't
see where their attackers are.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
So so yeah, that's kind of how I mess with them.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
And I'm not much a talker or anything, so that's
about it.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Is there a defender that you lean on to get
that insight to understand the art of a defender?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I mean, honestly, anytime I'm going up against any of
our defenders and training, so whether it's like Sam or
Tara or Amber Brooks is someone that I talk to
a lot because she's usually on the second team when
we play eleven of the eleven and we'll talk a
little bit and I'll do something and she'd be like, oh,
that was really difficult, or when you do this or that,
(10:26):
it's easier for me to see you, or even with
the keepers sometimes when I'm shooting, if I do something.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Good, sometimes they're like, oh, like I.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Went this soay because I saw your eyes go that way,
but then you shout out the other way or so yeah.
I usually lean on my teammates and like talk to
them when something works or when something doesn't, and that's
usually pretty helpful.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yeah, it's super smart and there's so much detail into it.
Sounds like the way that you think about being a striker.
That's incredible. Tell me a little bit about Sam Stock
What makes her special as the leader in your back line?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Sam is just so consistent. She shows up to training
every day, She gives it her all. Also, her left
foot is phenomenal. I think this year it was really
fun to see her. I feel like, step more into
that set piece role. She did such a great job
of like whipping corners in and whipping you know, set
piece crosses in. I wish that we capitalize on them
(11:20):
a little bit more. But also her just like her
calmness and composure in the back line when she's under pressure,
I think is great and it's something that also calms
the rest of the team down.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
And I think Sam and.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Terra both did a really good job this year of
helping start our attack higher up the field, which is
something that I feel like we haven't done in the past,
and I feel like that really helped us this year.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
So she does a lot for us, and she's a
really great player.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah, you mentioned service. I mean every Grade nine needs
a provider. Who do you love playing with? Who do
you have incredible connection with.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
We have so many good players in different like positions
on the field that I like to connect with. Sammy's
definitely one of them, especially with her left foot kind
of like out to end ball, like behind the back line.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Sanchez is really crafty and sometimes when I'm on.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
The same page as her, it's great, and she's a
really good at, you know, beating defenders and you know,
getting balls in behind the back line. Trin is also
super fun to play with because she's just so fast
and is good at beating the back line and getting
balls whipped in behind. Patri Tayor is also someone that
was fun to play with this year as well. She's
(12:36):
pretty crafty on the ball. I think she assisted one
or two of my goals this year. So yeah, we
have like such good players all over the field.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
It's fun to connect with all of them.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Give me then, your dream goal. What does it look like,
what kind of service, what kind of strike? Where is
it in the game, what moment does it You've had
to imagine this? I know it.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
I've never been asked this question before, but I love it.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Honestly, I would love I love balls in behind the
back line that I can run onto with the first
touch finish. The goal that I scored actually this year
against Gotham and the Town's Cup, assisted by Lena Solana,
was probably close to my dream goal.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
I opened up.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
She's played a straight ball down the line and I
first touch finished it on the right side of the goal.
So yeah, anytime I'm facing the goal and I get
to make a decision whether to like dribble or shoot
like against the keeper, it's it's a yeah, it's a dream.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
That's a dream. Yeah, I wouldn't know that feeling. I
wasn't fast enough to get in behind the opposition. One
other question I asked in terms of this is a
random one, but the old MLS shootout. Do you remember
the old MLS shootout where you start halfway because right
you're you're an incredible penalty kick taker. Would you want
to switch to the old MLS shootout tow where you
(13:57):
dribble go one b one against goalie or do you
like from the spot.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I mean, I'm pretty comfortable from the spot, so I
feel like I would like to keep it that way.
But the old MLS shootout looks a lot more exciting.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Way more excited.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
But you've got your ritual down.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
We don't want to disrupt that. Yeah, what are you
doing in offseason?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I'm going to be here in DC probably until Thanksgiving,
you know, turning with my teammates and taking advantage of
our amazing staff and the facility, and then I'll be
bouncing around between Utah and Arizona just to visit family
and train.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Amazing And if you were to script the rest of
your career, can you give me three goals that you achieved.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Oh, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I definitely want to win another end a base All championship.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Do you like the shield or the championship?
Speaker 4 (14:49):
The championship?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I mean, I won the Shield with the Courage my
first year. I don't think I fully understood what that meant,
just because it's my first year and thing was like
so new, and I remember, like we finished a game
against season and everyone's like we won the shield, and
I was like, great, Like, okay, what's nice about that?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, the shield is.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Quite the accomplishment, So obviously I would I will probably
add that to my list as well. But to be
able to like be the champions at the very end
of the season, because it's such a difficult league to
play in and to just be able to, I don't know,
conquer that with all the pressure and everything, like, it's
just such a great feeling and it's something that it's
(15:32):
really really hard to.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Do in this league.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
And so I want to be able to take the
Spirit to another championship. And then obviously as a gold scorer,
I would love to, you know, get the Golden Boot again.
That's something that's always, you know, on my list of
goals for the years.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Are you checking are you checking out the charts at
the end of each week seeing that come on?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
To be honest, no, I try.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I try and not like focus too much energy outside
of what I can't control.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
And so.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I mean, yeah, of course I'll see it, but I
don't go out seeking it, just because I want to
focus on the things that I can do and the
goals that I can score. But yeah, I would definitely
say getting the Golden Boot is another one. And then yeah,
I mean obviously I would love to make a World
Cup or Olympic roster. So those are probably the top
(16:33):
goals in my if I could script the rest of
my career.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah, those are pretty lofty goals. By the ways, I
love it, shoot for the moon. If you miss, you'll
be with the stars exactly, Ashley. I got to ask you,
what is your priceless moment from the twenty twenty three season.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
My priceless moment from the twenty twenty three season was
definitely wearing the captain's arm band for the first time
in my professional career and for the Washington Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Wow, I had no idea. It was the first time.
That is really incredible, and sometimes we said when one
door closes, a window opens.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yeah. Definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Well, congratulations on your award and more to come from you.
Excited to see what happens.
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