The Chicago Red Stars set a new attendance record in their historic Wrigley Field match. Despite the wind and the rain, 35,038 people came to watch the Red Stars play against Bay FC at The Friendly Confines. The record crowd wasn’t enough to kick-start the Red Stars attack, as they completed just 64% of their passes, and hit only 3 shots on target.
Kiki Pickett opened the scoring for Bay FC in the 25th minute for her first career goal in the NWSL. “I still haven’t processed it yet… I’m gonna have to replay it a few times to let it hit.” The midfielder reflected after the match. Joelle Anderson notched the dagger in the 79th minute when she intercepted a clearing attempt from Chardonnay Curran.
Wrigley Field marked a homecoming for Bay FC’s Kayla Sharples, who spent 5 seasons with the Red Stars.
“I’m not gonna lie, I really wanted (the win)” Sharples said through a beaming smile. “It was hard not to witness and take in the crowd because you want to focus on the game but at moments we looked up like ‘wow’ and got the chills.”
Bay FC also set a record for most corner kicks taken with a staggering 16 chances.
The Red Stars struggled to find their footing for most of the match. They lacked poise in their possession, often sending long passes downfield to no one that on another day at Wrigley would fall for a base hit. “We all just have to step up.” Forward Penelope Hocking said after the match. “This is women’s sports now. People are coming to our games, we’re attracting a lot of fans… this is it. We have to respond to that better.”
Hocking scored her 4th goal of the season in stoppage time to bring the score to 2-1. She’s now tied for the team lead in goal scoring. This match was special for the Hocking family, as Penelope’s father, Dennis, played 13 years in Major League Baseball. On July 17, 1999, he hit a leadoff home run off the Cubs’ Terry Mulholland in an 8-0 win for the Minnesota Twins.
“It’s electric to score a goal in front of the crowd… It was really special for him, I could just see it in his eyes.”” said a misty-eyed Hocking “Seeing my family after the game, seeing how proud they were of me on this big stage, it was super emotional. It meant the world to me. It would’ve been great to get the win.”
Planning for the field for the match was a months-long process between players, the Red Stars, and the Chicago Cubs. Though the current NWSLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits play on fields requiring significant transformation, the union and the league came to an agreement for a one-off exception. The NWSL retained Jerad Minnick, a playing surface consultant to make recommendations and have final approval over the conversion. Grounds Crew members listened to player concerns and took copious notes, according to Red Stars Captain, Alyssa Naeher.
Wrigley Grounds Crew members worked long hours to make the field pristine for Saturday’s match, and the effort paid off. Both teams praised the field conditions after the match. “We didn’t know what to expect coming in to this. The surface was excellent” said Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya. “I thought it was great. I thought it was slick. You want a fast pitch as a soccer player. I think they did a great job, and I’m just grateful Wrigley let us use their field” said Penelope Hocking.
Next weekend begins a three-game road trip for the Red Stars, where they’ll hope to get back in the win column. Three of the team’s five wins have come from road matches.
The Red Stars face a difficult opponent ahead in the undefeated Kansas City Current, and will see an equally raucous crowd. “We can’t play the same way. If we play the same way, the result’s gonna be the same” said Coach Lorne Donaldson. “We have to be ready for it.”
Kickoff for the next match is set for Friday, June 14th at 7PM CT.