Rookie Ella Hase moves into the Racing Louisville FC starting lineup for Friday’s prime time clash with the NWSL’s top team, the Kansas City Current. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium.
With fullback Lauren Milliet nursing a shoulder injury, Hase will line up in the attack as a winger as Janine Sonis occupies Milliet’s typical right back spot. For the rookie Hase, this will mark the fifth regular season start of her career and her first since April 19.
For Milliet, the injury ends a streak of 107-consecutive games played and 92 starts in a row.
Sonis, the 30-year-old Racing Louisville co-captain, also started at outside back in The Women’s Cup Final last week, when Racing brought home the hardware with a win in a penalty shootout.
She joins a backline that has become steady and consistent. Ellie Jean and Arin Wright are the center back pairing, with Courtney Petersen starting at left back after earning an NWSL Best XI nod in June. The trio have started eight-straight regular season games together.
Kayla Fischer and Emma Sears round out the attack alongside Hase. Friday marks a return to action for the center forward Fischer following a four-game suspension.
The midfield trio includes Savannah DeMelo, Taylor Flint and Katie O’Kane.
They’ll play in front of Jordyn Bloomer, who starts in goal for the eighth time this year. Racing is 5-2-0 with Bloomer between the post. She also took home Player of the Match honors in last week’s TWC final, saving two Palmeiras penalties in the shootout.
On the bench, Bethany Balcer makes a regular season gameday squad for the first time in 2024 after missing the first half of the season on an excused absence.
A season-high crowd is expected to be on hand. As part of Down the Stretch Night, the first 2,000 fans will receive a T-shirt and poster. The game will feature on-field fireworks during the player walkout and a postgame autograph session with Racing players.
For tickets and more information, visit RacingLouFC.com/stretch.
The game will feature a national audience on Prime Video. Local radio coverage will air on Sports Talk 790 AM.
Team sheet vs. Kansas City Current
24 – Jordyn Bloomer
11 – Courtney Petersen
3 – Arin Wright
5 – Ellie Jean
16 – Janine Sonis
26 – Taylor Flint
20 – Katie O’Kane
7 – Savannah DeMelo
6 – Ella Hase
13 – Emma Sears
9 – Kayla Fischer
Substitutes: 33 – Cristina Roque, 77 – Madison White; 14 – Marisa DiGrande, 19 – Jordan Baggett, 29 – Uchenna Kanu, 32 – Avery Kalitta, 42 – Sara Weber, 88 – Bethany Balcer
