ORLANDO, Fla. (March 15, 2026) – The Orlando Pride (0-1-0, 0 points) fell 2-1 to Seattle Reign FC (1-0-0, 3 points) in their season opener on Sunday evening at Inter&Co Stadium.
Veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock opened the scoring for the visitors in the 24th minute after being played through on goal by Nérilia Mondésir. Seattle could have extended its lead if not for goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, who made three diving saves throughout the half to keep the Pride within striking distance. Orlando nearly leveled before the break when Rafaelle found the net off a corner kick in the 42nd minute, but the goal was waved off due to a foul in the box.
Just as the two teams entered halftime, the match entered an inclement weather delay that lasted over two and a half hours.
Following the extensive delay, the Pride would find an equalizer just six minutes into the second half after Haley McCutcheon fed Barbra Banda down the left wing. The Zambian international drove into the box before calmly slotting home her first goal of the season in her first match since August 16, 2025.
The match also saw a number of professional and Club debuts for the Pride. Seven Castain started the match, making her professional debut after signing with the Pride in the offseason out of Texas Christian University. Reagan Raabe and Solai Washington also made their professional debuts coming on as second-half substitutes, while defenders Hailie Mace and Hannah Anderson made their Pride debuts as Mace earned the start and Anderson came in as a second-half sub.
The Pride will be back home on Friday, March 20, as they host NWSL expansion side Denver Summit FC (0-1-0, 0 points) at Inter&Co Stadium with kickoff at 8 p.m. ET (Victory+).
Scoring Summary:
24’ Jess Fishlock (Nérilia Mondésir) - SEA 1, ORL 0
51’ Barbra Banda (Haley McCutcheon) - SEA 1, ORL 1
83’ Brittany Ratcliffe (Nérilia Mondésir.) - SEA 2, ORL 1
Head Coach Seb Hines:
"Disappointing result... Obviously, tough as well when you go so long for a break. I don’t feel like we started the game too well. We allowed Seattle to get on top in the first 15 minutes, and we got back into the game with some really good opportunities to score. When you have opportunities like that, you have to punish the team. We didn’t do that in the first half, but we started the second half well—right on the front foot, everything that we asked. We made some adjustments, we changed [Jacquie] Ovalle over to the left-hand side, [Seven] Castain to the right-hand side, asked Barbra [Banda] to stay on the left-hand side and we got the reward with the goal. Then, we let ourselves down towards the end. But there will be some growing to do. There are many young players finding their feet in the league. I just told them you don’t lose the league in the first game. You have to keep building and moving forward. They fully understand that."
Match Notes:
- Barbra Banda scored her first goal of the season and her 26th for the Pride across all competitions, which is second most in Club history.
- Haley McCutcheon earned her first assist of the year on Banda’s finish. McCutcheon led the Pride in assists last season with four.
- Forward Seven Castain made her professional debut, earning a spot in the starting XI.
- Coming on as second-half substitutes, Solai Washington and Reagan Raabe both made their professional debuts.
- Defender Hailie Mace made her Orlando Pride debut, getting the start in the backline.
- Hannah Anderson debuted for the Pride, coming on as a second-half substitute.
Next Match:
The Pride will take on Denver Summit FC this Friday, March 20, at Inter&Co Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Victory+.
