U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made five saves, including an athletic play right before the final whistle, to help the visiting Chicago Stars preserve a 0-0 draw against NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday in Harrison, N.J.
Gotham’s Midge Purce sent a low cross into the box for 14-year-old Mckenna Whitham six minutes into second-half stoppage time, and Whitham got her boot on the ball while splitting two Chicago defenders. Naeher dropped to the ground to stop the shot just before it reached the goal line.
The Stars (1-5-1, 4 points) earned their first clean sheet of the season in their first game under interim coach Masaki Hemmi, following the dismissal of Lorne Donaldson this week.
Whitham had two good looks at goal in the game’s final stages for Gotham (3-2-3, 12 points). Her first was a header off Purce’s cross in the 89th minute, which went straight to Naeher.
Ann-Katrin Berger made one save for Gotham FC. It came at the end of a long solo run by Chicago’s Jameese Joseph just past the 60-minute mark. Joseph carried the ball to just above the penalty arc and uncorked a shot that Berger deflected over the crossbar.
Neither side found the net despite Gotham FC earning six corner kicks and the Stars getting three.
–Field Level Media
