The 2020 Sky Blue FC season was the team's 11th season as a professional women's soccer team, and their eighth season as a member of the National Women's Soccer League.
The season was originally scheduled to begin on March 18, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the start date was delayed. Preseason matches were cancelled on March 12 and on April 4 it was announced that a moratorium on training would continue through May 5, 2020. On April 24, the NWSL announced the moratorium on training would be extended through May 15. The start date of the season was further shifted to an indeterminate point, with the league promising to "include an appropriate preseason training period" before launching the season. Small group training resumed on May 25, and on May 27 the NWSL announced that the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup would mark the league's return to action following the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was hosted in Utah from June 27 to July 26.
On June 22, 2020, the NWSL confirmed that the regular season had been cancelled and the Challenge Cup would act as the 2020 season. Sky Blue finished the preliminary round as the seventh seed before ultimately being eliminated in the semi-finals by the Chicago Red Stars.
On August 25, the NWSL announced that the season would continue with a Fall Series beginning on September 5. Per the rules of the series, Sky Blue played four matches as part of a three-team regional pod with the Chicago Red Stars and Washington Spirit. Sky Blue ultimately placed fourth in the Fall Series.
Team
First-team roster
Challenge Cup roster On June 23, 2020, Sky Blue announced their twenty-six player roster for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. In the same announcement, the club confirmed that three players contracted to the club (Carli Lloyd, Caprice Dydasco, and Mallory Pugh) had been left out through injury. On June 26, Madison Tiernan was also ruled out of the tournament with an injury.
Squad no. Name Nationality Position(s) Date of birth Goalkeepers 1 Kailen Sheridan GK 13 DiDi Haracic GK 21 Mandy McGlynn GK 35 Megan Hinz GK Defenders 2 Kaleigh Riehl DF 8 Erica Skroski DF 12 Gina Lewandowski DF / MF 15 Sabrina Flores DF / MF 22 Mandy Freeman DF 24 Estelle Johnson DF 26 Chantelle Swaby DF Midfielders 5 Nicole Baxter MF 6 Jennifer Cudjoe MF 7 McCall Zerboni MF 9 Nahomi Kawasumi MF / FW 14 Kenie Wright MF 16 Sarah Woldmoe (captain) MF 17 Domi Richardson MF 18 Cassidy Benintente MF / DF 19 Elizabeth Eddy MF 23 Margaret Purce MF / FW / DF 73 Madison Tiernan MF Forwards 4 Paige Monaghan FW / MF 20 Evelyne Viens FW 25 Ifeoma Onumonu FW 28 Imani Dorsey FW / MF / DF
Coaching staff
PositionStaffHead coach Freya CoombeAssistant coach Rebecca MorosAssistant coach Becki TweedGoalkeeper coach Dean O'LearyHigh Performance Coach Philip CongletonTechnical Advisor Marcia McDermottHead physio Joelle Muro
Competitions
Overview
Preseason Preseason training and matches were originally scheduled to take place beginning on March 28, but on March 12 all preseason matches were cancelled.
Matches
National Women's Soccer League
Regular season
Matches The regular season schedule was announced on February 25, 2020. However, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular season was eventually cancelled and replaced by the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Fall Series On September 1, the NWSL announced a partial schedule for the NWSL Fall Series. The full schedule was subsequently announced on September 3.
Standings
Results by matchday
Matches
Challenge Cup
Preliminary round
Standings
Results by matchday
Matches Sky Blue were originally slated to play the Orlando Pride as part of the preliminary round of the competition. However, on June 22 it was reported that several of Orlando's players and staff had tested positive for COVID-19 and that Orlando would be withdrawing from the competition. A revised schedule was subsequently announced on June 23.
Knockout round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Squad statistics
Appearances
No.PlayerChallenge CupFall SeriesTotalStartsStartsStarts1GKKailen Sheridan66431092DFKaleigh Riehl1100114FWPaige Monaghan664410105MFNicole Baxter1041516MFJennifer Cudjoe6433977MFMcCall Zerboni5500558DFErica Skroski5041919MFNahomi Kawasumi66006611FWMallory Pugh00101012DFGina Lewandowski66228813GKDiDi Haracic00111115DFSabrina Flores644310716MFSarah Woldmoe6644101017MFDomi Richardson52449618FWMikaela Howell00101019MFElizabeth Eddy51005120FWEvelyne Viens61006122DFMandy Freeman00444423MFMargaret Purce55449924DFEstelle Johnson65329825FWIfeoma Onumonu654410928FWImani Dorsey434487Total6410
Goals and assists
No.PlayerChallenge CupFall SeriesTotalGoalsAssistsGoalsAssistsGoalsAssists25FWIfeoma Onumonu0130314FWPaige Monaghan10213123MFMargaret Purce0012129MFNahomi Kawasumi10001020FWEvelyne Viens1000107MFMcCall Zerboni01000111FWMallory Pugh000101Own goals1–0–1–Total4264106
Shutouts
No.PlayerChallenge CupFall SeriesTotal1Kailen Sheridan30313DiDi Haracic000Total303
Disciplinary record
No.PlayerChallenge CupFall SeriesTotal 23MFMargaret Purce1000106MFJennifer Cudjoe1020307MFMcCall Zerboni10001016MFSarah Woldmoe10001024DFEstelle Johnson10001020FWEvelyne Viens10001025FWIfeoma Onumonu1000104FWPaige Monaghan00101017MFDomi Richardson0010108DFErica Skroski001010Total7050120
Transfers
2020 NWSL College Draft RoundPickPlayerCollege 1 5 Evelyne Viens FW South Florida 2 11 Kaleigh Riehl DF Penn State 3 20 Amanda McGlynn GK Virginia Tech 4 29 Chantelle Swaby MF Rutgers
Transfers in DatePlayerPrevious clubFee/notes Ref. January 16, 2020 Mallory Pugh FW Washington Spirit Trade for draft slots. January 17, 2020 Ifeoma Onumonu FW OL Reign Trade for rights to Julia Ashley. February 11, 2020 Evelyne Viens FW USF Draft pick. Two-year deal. February 11, 2020 Kaleigh Riehl DF Penn State Draft pick. One-year deal. March 2, 2020 McCall Zerboni MF North Carolina Courage Trade for rights to Hailie Mace. March 7, 2020 Margaret Purce FW / MF Portland Thorns FC Trade for Raquel Rodriguez. June 12, 2020 Mandy McGlynn GK Virginia Tech Draft pick. One-year deal. June 18, 2020 Jennifer Cudjoe MF Asheville City SC Short-term contract. June 18, 2020 Nicole Baxter MF Asarums IF FK Short-term contract. June 18, 2020 Cassidy Benintente MF / DF Asarums IF FK Short-term contract. June 21, 2020 Sabrina Flores DF / MF Sevilla Signed two-year deal. June 22, 2020 Chantelle Swaby DF Rutgers Draft pick. Short-term contract. October 2, 2020 Mikaela Howell FW Short-term contract.
Transfers out DatePlayerDestination clubFee/notes Ref. January 8, 2020 Raquel Rodriguez FW Portland Thorns FC Trade for Margaret Purce. January 18, 2020 Amandine Pierre-Louis DF FC Metz Waived. February 7, 2020 Jen Hoy FW Retired. September 1, 2020Madison TiernanMFRetired.September 4, 2020Cassidy BenintenteMFRetired.September 4, 2020Chantelle SwabyDFEnd of contract.November 12, 2020Jennifer CudjoeMFRacing Louisville FC2020 NWSL Expansion DraftNovember 12, 2020Kaleigh RiehlDFRacing Louisville FC2020 NWSL Expansion Draft
Loans out Start dateEnd dateNo.Player Destination club Ref.August 1, 2020November 30, 2020MF19Elizabeth Eddy Vittsjö GIKAugust 15, 2020December 31, 2020MF9Nahomi Kawasumi INAC Kobe LeonessaAugust 28, 2020February 28, 2021FW20Evelyne Viens Paris FCSeptember 18, 2020February 28, 2021DF2Kaleigh Riehl Paris FC
New contracts DatePlayer Ref. January 13, 2020 Sarah Woldmoe MF January 22, 2020 Estelle Johnson DF January 27, 2020 Nahomi Kawasumi MF January 29, 2020 Gina Lewandowski DF February 3, 2020 Paige Monaghan MF February 6, 2020 Erica Skroski DF February 13, 2020 Imani Dorsey MF February 20, 2020 Elizabeth Eddy MF February 26, 2020 Domi Richardson DF August 28, 2020 Jennifer Cudjoe MF September 4, 2020Nicole BaxterMF
Awards
Team Most Valuable Player: Kailen Sheridan Player's Player: Kailen Sheridan Unsung Hero: Sarah Woldmoe Defender of the Year: Gina Lewandowski Newcomer of the Year: Margaret Purce
Challenge Cup SBFC Most Valuable Player: Kailen Sheridan
NWSL Challenge Cup Golden Glove: Kailen Sheridan
2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award
Nominated Evelyne Viens Kaleigh Riehl
References