Veterans Rachel Hill and Courtney Petersen will rejoin the Racing Louisville FC starting lineup, as head coach Bev Yanez makes two changes for the club’s season finale Sunday versus the Kansas City Current at Lynn Family Stadium.
The Decision Day clash — along with seven other matchups — will kick off at 5 p.m. ET, with streaming coverage available via ESPN+.
A win for Kansas City will clinch a top-four spot and a home playoff match at CPKC Stadium for the NWSL quarterfinal round next weekend.
Hill will make her third start of the season Sunday, returning to the starting XI for the first time since Sept. 25 against San Diego Wave FC. Her other start, in fact, came at the KC Current back in July. Hill, in her ninth season in the NWSL, impressed in that September start, leading the team in chances created (3), tackles won (4) and duels won (9).
She will join Sarah Weber and Racing’s leading goal scorer Kayla Fischer in the attacking line. Weber and Fischer have combined for a total of 16 goal involvements this season, with Fischer’s next contribution setting a new single-season club record.
Petersen, a six-year NWSL veteran, is set to make her 18th start in Louisville’s defense. She last appeared on Oct. 16 at Boston Legacy FC, where she attempted a team-high 54 passes. Alongside Petersen, rookie standout Mirann Gacioch, captain Arin Wright and Quincy McMahon will complete Racing’s final starting backline of the campaign.
Wright enters Sunday with a team-high 142 clearances — 15 more than any Louisville player has managed in a single season.
Anchoring the defense between the sticks for the second match running is second-year goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska. The 23-year-old will be making her third start in goal this year, marking her fourth appearance overall. Sunday, however, is her first start against a team that is not Denver Summit FC. Even in defeat last week, Prohaska completed 45 passes, which is the most ever in a league game by a Racing goalkeeper.
The midfield of Macey Hodge, Lauren Milliet and Katie O’Kane remains unchanged from the Denver visit last Saturday.
Milliet registered her seventh assist of the season on Louisville’s only goal against the Summit, setting up Taylor White for her first professional goal late in the second half.
If O’Kane can create three chances Sunday, she’ll become just the third player with 40 or more chances created in a single campaign. Hodge, occupying a more defensive role, has won more duels since the beginning of September than any Racing player (34).
With Jordyn Bloomer out due to injury, former University of Louisville goalkeeper Erynn Floyd returns to the bench. White, the goal scorer against Denver, Audrey McKeen and U.S. Women’s National Team winger Emma Sears are also among the list of available substitutes. McKeen, 17, made her first pro start versus the Current in the July defeat.
Team sheet vs. KC Current
1 – Maddie Prohaska
8 – Courtney Petersen
3 – Arin Wright (c)
15 – Mirann Gacioch
12 – Quincy McMahon
10 – Macey Hodge
2 – Lauren Milliet
20 – Katie O’Kane
21 – Rachel Hill
42 – Sarah Weber
9 – Kayla Fischer
Available substitutes: 30 – Erynn Floyd; 5 – Ellie Jean, 11 – Taylor White, 13 – Emma Sears, 16 – Maja Lardner, 19 – Avery Ciorbu, 23 – Macy Philippus, 28 – Jordan Fusco, 88 – Audrey McKeen
