On Saturday, ahead of Thorns’ regular-season finale against the North Carolina Courage (7pm PT, TICKETS, Twitch), the club will honor two longtime players who retired following the 2020 season: goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom and defender Katherine Reynolds.
We asked both players to compile some of their favorite moments of their time in the Rose City. Reynolds retired in October of 2020 after five seasons with the Thorns; she played in more than 100 games during her NWSL career. She helped the Thorns claim the 2016 NWSL Shield and the 2017 NWSL Championship. Here are Reynolds Top 5 memories with the Thorns.
1
"Winning the championship in 2017. It would be difficult not to choose this as my top Thorns memory. The game was in Orlando against the Courage, and it was such an intense battle right from the very first minute. The Thorns organized an amazing victory party that evening in Orlando and it was so much fun to celebrate with all our family, friends and fans that had made the trip. I’m pretty sure we celebrated until it was time to get on our flight that next morning to the PDX airport, where so many more of our amazing fans were awaiting our arrival. That afternoon the festivities continued at halftime of the Timbers game, a rally at stadium with the fans, and one final party at River Pig. It was an incredible 48 hours and I’m not sure I’ve ever been so exhausted."
2
"Scoring my first NWSL goal in my 100th game. While the final score of this game is something I would love to forget, this moment always makes me smile. Even though we were not playing well – we were losing badly – and my goal would have no impact on the outcome of the game, the support and cheers from my teammates, coaches, family, and fans in that moment was something I will never forget."
Note: Reynolds scored her first and only NWSL career goal on the same night she made her 100th NWSL appearance on May 30, 2018. Those milestones were the highlight in a lopsided loss to the Courage.
3
"The first time I played in Providence Park as a Thorn. I, of course, had played in the stadium many times as a member of the visiting team and was always so impressed by the fan support. However, the first time I stood for the national anthem as a Thorn and saw the packed stands and all the scarves waving in unison, it was a completely different feeling. I was so excited that I got to be part of a community that truly appreciated and supported women’s soccer."
Note: Reynolds made her Thorns FC debut on April 17, 2016, in the season opener at Providence Park. She entered the match as a second-half sub in a victory against the Orlando Pride.
4
"Pre-training juggling circle. Every day before training we were given some time on our own and a group of us would always juggle together. Some days others would join in, but for the most part the juggling group stayed consistent. If we weren’t trying to break our juggling record then we would usually play the animal game (which is essentially the game of “Pig”, but we would choose different animals to spell every time). When you mess up the juggling circle you get a letter. The loser then has to act out that animal. It sounds so dumb, but this had us laughing every single day and always started the training session out on a good note."
5
"Time with my teammates. For this last one, it is hard to pick just one moment, but hanging out with my teammates is what I miss most about the Thorns and playing soccer. When I think back over my five years with the club, I think about all the fun times we had and how often my teammates (and coaches) made me laugh. Random moments every day in the locker room, epic ping pong battles, road trips, so many games of Bananagrams, team BBQs, coffee dates at Northwest, Nadine’s pregame speeches, playing giant Jenga, making balloon animals, eating endless Crumbl cookies in the COVID bubble in Utah, team preseason trips, celebrating wins at Marathon, and exploring Portland and the surrounding areas. There are a million things I’m forgetting, but these are just a few that came to mind."
More on Reynolds’ time in the Rose City
