Pride sign 7 players ahead of Fall Series
The Orlando Pride signed seven players to short-term contracts ahead of the NWSL Fall Series, rounding out the team’s roster after 12 players went abroad on loan for the remainder of 2020.
The club extended shortterm contracts for the duration of the Fall Series to defenders Carrie Lawrence and Ally Haran; midfielders Zandy Soree, Deneisha Blackwood, Jordyn Listro and Savanah Uveges; and forward Kate Howarth.
“We are very excited to add each of these players to the Orlando Pride,” Pride coach Marc Skinner said. “All seven represent the young, hungry talent we are hoping to identify and work with for the upcoming match period. We’ve been very happy with the progress each of these players have made since joining us and look forward to giving them the opportunity to play for the Pride in the Fall Series.”
Skinner aims to use the Fall Series, which began Saturday and ends Oct. 17, to develop young talent and solidify the base of a roster filled with national-team players. This includes opportunities for local talent since five of the short-term players signed graduated from Florida universities.
Lawrence, a 23-year-old product of the University of Central Florida, signed with the Pride in January and was then waived ahead of the NWSL Challenge Cup. She has yet to feature for the club. The defender scored four goals and added 11 assists during her four-year college career.
Soree, 22, also logged four years with the UCF Knights, tallying 14 goals and 11 assists before graduating in 2019. She also represents Belgium at the national level, earning three caps in the last year.
During their time at UCF, Lawrence and Soree played alongside Pride rookie and Jamaican national team player Konya Plummer.
Blackwood, 23, also represents Jamaica and is a graduate of West Florida University. She most recently played for SK Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic’s top flight.
Listro, 25, graduated from the University of South Florida in 2016 after setting a school record with 82 total appearances. She most recently played for UD Granadilla Tenerife in Spain’s Primera División.
Listro and Blackwood will take international roster slots, which the Pride had open following the loans of six international players.
Howarth, 29, graduated from the University of Miami eight years ago and went on to play for the NWSL and developmental Women’s Premier Soccer League. She made four appearances for the 2013 Boston Breakers, which also featured Pride players Julie King and Sydney Leroux, and spent the last six years with the WPSL’s New England Mutiny.
Uveges, 24, graduated from the University of Nebraska this spring after tallying 11 goals and four assists over a career that included three redshirt seasons. The Pride invited her to their first preseason of the year as a trialist, along with Howarth and Lawrence.
As for Haran, after a stint with UMF Selfoss in Iceland, the 24-year-old Wake Forest grad returned to the United States in 2019 and played for the North Carolina Courage and Houston Dash. However, she never saw the pitch for either team.
The Pride kick off their first match of the Fall Series on the road Sept. 19 against the Courage. The 1 p.m. ET game will be broadcast live domestically on CBS and internationally on Twitch.