GK Kopmeyer gives club edge

Camilla was tripped in the box, earning a penalty kick. Marta finished off the sequence with ease, pulling the Orlando Pride within one.

Without Pride goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer’s diving save just a few minutes prior, however, the Chicago Red Stars would have crushed any chance of an Orlando rally Sunday.

“We know we’re definitely never out of a game and that she can always pull those big saves out,” Orlando Pride forward Rachel Hill told Pro Soccer USA. “It helps us not have to worry about and know that we will always have a chance.”

Although the Pride didn’t get the win, falling 3-2 to the Red Stars, Kopmeyer’s lategame heroics kept a draw within reach for Orlando. The Pride made some costly mistakes early in the match, but Kopmeyer had to set those aside to avoid surrendering late goals.

“No matter what, I think as a goalie, you never try to get too high or too low,” Kopmeyer said. “No matter the point of the game, get your feet in, find a position and get a good push. Games end with crazy scores all the time, so I think it’s just at that point, you never want the ball to go into the back of the net.”

Earlier this season, Kopymeyer was called in last minute to start for Ashlyn Harris, who suffered an injury during pregame warmups in early May against the Utah Royals. In that game, Kopmeyer recorded four saves. Since then, Kopmeyer has vaulted up the leaderboard for saves in the National Women’s Soccer League.

With Harris called up to the U.S. women’s national team for the World Cup, Kopmeyer has taken advantage of her opportunity. Her 39 saves rank second the NWSL behind the Washington Spirit’s Aubrey Bledsoe, a former Pride player Kopmeyer will match up against on Saturday.

“I’m glad, but I would always love to make more [saves],” Kopmeyer said. “You don’t want any to go in. I’m glad that I’m giving us a chance and for keeping us in games. I think it’s great, you know the awards, the numbers and stats, and all those things, they’re great, but I think at the end of the day, we all just want to win games and get three points.”

As Kopmeyer looks for more saves, Hill said the team trusts their goalkeeper to always be ready.

“She’s been doing a really great job,” Hill said. “She’s been tested a lot and she’s come up big for us multiple times. I think we have a lot of confidence in her back there. She’s been doing a good job.”

Even though she’s allowed 16 goals through eight games, more than any other keeper who ranks in the top five in total saves, Kopmeyer said she has improved greatly throughout the season since jumping in for Harris.

“Any time you get games, you’re going to get better,” she said. “Last year, I didn’t get a lot of minutes, but I was working really hard so it is nice to get a chance to go out and showcase. For me, I want to prove that I’m good enough to be a bigtime player and that’s been my goal through all of this.”

During just three starts for the Pride in 2018, Kopmeyer found ways to stay focused while not getting playing time. She said it helped her prepare and improve as a goalkeeper.

“You find ways to keep yourself motivated,” Kopmeyer said. “You make training a competition, you take scrimmage opportunities that you get, so you always have that mentality that no matter what, you’re ready. I think last year was a big growing year for me and just working on some of the technical stuff that I wanted to really iron out.”

So far this year, Kopmeyer has a success rate of 70%, facing 55 shots and only allowing 16 goals. While she stops shots, the Pride are beginning to score goals.

Orlando has found the back net twice during three consecutive games after struggling to even manage shots on goal early in the season.

“We’re getting there offensively,” Hill said. “Obviously, you score two goals in a game, you always hope that would be enough to win it, but I think it’s getting better. We’re consistently scoring goals now so I think we are turning up now.”