Representing the state of Delaware, CAFC Osprey made its WPSL debut this past Saturday.

In its first matchup with Colonial Division foe Old Dominion Cesena USA, Osprey wasted no time in showing that it will be a force in the WPSL East Region.

Osprey scored early and often defeating Old Dominion 5-1 in a dominating display of offensive soccer.

Coach Kortney Rhoades noticed that the team came into the match with a bit of unrest. Playing in its first game against a conference rival is no easy task in a season debut. But once the Osprey played their way into the game, there was no stopping them.

“Our midfielders struggled a bit to get settled into the game early on,” Rhoades said. “We were forcing the through balls and putting our forwards into a racing situation with Cesena’s backline.”

Rhoades and the Osprey attack made adjustments, asking her midfielders to play with a little more aggression on the ball. Executing its attack-oriented style of play, Osprey piled up five goals on an Old Dominion defense that was left searching for answers.

Jessie Prillaman and Ashlee Brentlinger led the Osprey offense. Prillaman scored the go-ahead goal for the Osprey before tacking on another goal later in the game. Brentlinger was an integral part of possession play and tallied two assists on the day.

Rhoades made a point to complement Prillaman’s play, who finished both her goals in the bottom corner.

“Jessie’s composure and confidence to slot the ball low and hard was amazing to see,” Rhoades said. “Jessie is a homegrown player (current Coastal Atlantic youth player). For her to get the first ever goal for the Osprey was special.”

Cincinnati Sirens Go Undefeated in Opening Weekend

The Cincinnati Sirens made their season debut against instate rivals the Cleveland Ambassadors this past Saturday, drawing with Cleveland 2-2.

The Sirens went on to play the Columbus Eagles the following day and came out with a 3-2 victory.

The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Champion Cleveland Ambassadors were coming off a strong 4-0 victory against the AAFC Lumberjills in their first conference match of the season. In Saturday’s match though, Cincinnati was up to the challenge and secured a 2-2 draw.

Siren’s Macy Hamblin tacked on the first goal for Cincinnati, providing the Sirens with a 1-0 halftime advantage. Cleveland came out of the halftime break with a vengeance, for Kayla Fischer finished a chance less than 8 minutes into the second half.

Cincinnati added another goal in the 78th minute when Toria Alsip found the back of the net. Cleveland’s Kelli Beiler would go on to answer just three minutes later with a goal in the 81st. The two teams had a number of other chances to find the net, but strong play from both defensive lines kept the score at two goals apiece.

On Sunday, Cincinnati faced the challenge of going against a strong Columbus Eagles squad after playing in a highly contested match the previous day. Macy Hamblin again led the Sirens squad, scoring another goal in the match against Columbus. Sirens’ Abigail Zoeller and Anna Demuth also added to the scoring, and Cincinnati ultimately held on to win 3-2. 

The fight for supremacy in the Ohio Valley Conference just got a little more interesting, and Cincinnati seems to be a force to be reckoned with this season.