San Diego Wave midfielder Taylor Kornieck stopped the bleed of recent team losses Saturday with a goal she’s been fighting for weeks to make.
“We’ve been unlucky for the past I don’t know how many games,” Kornieck said of the 2-2 draw at home against the Washington Spirit (6-3-5, 23 points).
“We needed that one to boost our confidence,” Kornieck said in a TV interview. “I waited a long time for that,”
San Diego (6-6-2, 20 points) took a corner kick in the 90th minute that resulted in the game-tying goal from Korneick. The 6-foot-1 midfielder headed the ball into the top right corner, off a corner kick from forward Kelsey Turnbow.
The goal marked Kornieck’s first goal and Turnbow’s first assist of the regular season.
Head Coach Casey Stoney said of Kornieck’s goal: I’m pleased for her, not just for the goal, but her performance stepped up again tonight. I saw the old Taylor Kornieck that I’m used to seeing.”
Washington scored first in the match. After a video review awarded a penalty kick to the Spirit for a foul in the box, forward Ashley Hatch converted the penalty to earn her eighth goal of the season in the 23rd minute.
San Diego came out of the break on the front foot, equalizing just one minute into the second half.
After winning a corner in the 45th minute, midfielder Jaedyn Shaw dropped a pinpoint ball into the path of defender Cheyenne Shorts. Shorts was able to score her first career NWSL goal to level the match.
In the 54th minute, Washington midfielder Dorian Bailey played a ball into the box. The Wave’s defense tried to play the ball out, but it trickled over the goal line for a San Diego own goal that gave the Spirit the lead, 2-1.
Defender Shorts earned her first NWSL goal in the 46th minute. Shorts started her third straight match for the Wave since signing as an injury replacement player March 28.
Midfielder Makenzy Doniak wore the captain’s armband for the first time since joining the Wave ahead of the 2022 season. With her start Saturday, Doniak also hit her 100th NWSL appearance.
Defender Chai Cortez made her first start professionally. Cortez signed as a National Team Replacement on June 27.
The Wave outshot the Spirit 22-10 and out-possessed 56.5%-43.5%. The Wave is in sixth place.
San Diego heads into a bye weekend before traveling to face Portland Thorns at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 21. The match will be streamed on Paramount+.
