Hocking Nets Brace as Red Stars Net First Win

The Red Stars played its first game without USA National Team player Mallory Swanson after she had injured her knee during a friendly match against Ireland last Saturday in St. Louis. She had surgery to her knee during the week and is expected to be out for a period of time.

Chicago (1-2-0, 3 points) will have to find others by committee that can produce goals and players that can step up to be a team leader. On Saturday, Hocking scored her first two career goals, while Ella Stevens and Cheyna Matthews created the other goals.

“I’m really excited for the individual players,” Chicago head coach Chris Petrucelli said. “This really hasn’t been a fun week for us. We lost a couple of games here, losing the Mexico game and the injury to Mallory (Swanson) wasn’t the joy all week but we had some joy in this one. It was a relief (getting the win) for sure. Sometimes when you lose a couple, you kind of question when you will win one. We needed a little jolt, and the early goal helped us.”

Hocking was glad to be a part of the scoring and netted two key goals.

“It was a sigh of relief,” Hocking said. “I wanted to do the most I can do to help the team win. Assists, scoring and making plays. I know the team needs a goal scorer right now with Mallory out. I knew that I could do that today and we got the result too.”

Stevens scored the opening Red Stars goal in the fourth minute off an assist from Bianca St. Georges from the right side outside the box.

Stevens assisted on the second goal in the 50th minute off the transition. She found Hocking in the box. Which Hocking slotted a shot past Kansas City keeper Adrianna Franch into the low corner.

Matthews made it 3-0 Chicago with a shot that went off the post off the back of keeper Franch and into the goal in the 61st minute. The official scorer noted the goal was considered to be an own goal.

Red Stars found another goal six minutes later with the second goal from Hocking from a through ball off the leg of Mathews for a 4-0 advantage.

Kansas City got a goal back in the 74th minute of play. Debinha found the back of the net off an assist from Mimmi Larsson that made the score 4-1.

The Current added a second goal in the final minutes scored by Mimmi Larsson for the 4-2 difference.

Kansas City (0-3, 0 points) still looking for its points of the season.

“Obviously, with the scoreline it was a disappointing night,” Kansas City head coach Matt Potter said. “Still a lot of positives to take from the game. I still thought we controlled the tempo and the possession. We did get into the final half and the attacking third. We had to be really good with our organization when we didn’t have the ball. Especially in the turnover scenario, sometimes turnovers happen. I thought the spaces got too big and the distances to recover the ball too big. When we got one on one we finished on the wrong side of that. We still had some positives out there.”

Kansas City will next host the Orlando Pride Saturday at 4 p.m. CT, while Chicago takes on OL Reign on the road for a 2:30 p.m. CT kick-off.

CHI-Ella Stevens (Bianca St. Georges) 4

CHI-Penelope Hocking (Ella Stevens) 50

CHI-Cheyna Mathews (unassisted) 61

CHI-Penelope Hocking (Cheyna Mathews )67

KC-Debinha (Mimmii Larsson)) 74