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Princeton University Athletics
Tyler Lussi '17 and Portland made the NWSL semifinals.
Lussi '17, Portland Thorns See NWSL Challenge Cup Run End in Semis
July 22, 2020 | Women's Soccer
Tyler Lussi '17 and the Portland Thorns battled the Houston Dash Wednesday in the NWSL Challenge Cup semifinals in Utah, but a 69th-minute Dash goal was the only one of the game as Houston moved on to the NWSL final, 1-0.
Lussi started and played the first 66 minutes before being subbed out. Her team's run lasted one game longer than that of her fellow Princetonian currently in the NWSL, Diana Matheson '08, whose Utah Royals fell in penalties to Houston in the quarterfinals.
Portland had the eighth and final seed in the tournament but knocked off the top-seeded North Carolina Courage in the quarterfinals with Lussi playing the first 51 minutes. Matheson started and played the first 46 minutes in Utah's quarterfinal against Houston.
Matheson and Utah had a win and a tie during the four pool-play games to be seeded fifth, with Matheson playing in each of the team's first three games and scoring a goal in a 3-3 draw against Houston in the opener on June 30.
Lussi averaged 50-plus minutes a game across Portland's four pool-play games, including playing 90 in Portland's 1-1 draw against Washington on July 5.
Both Lussi and Matheson are among Princeton's most successful players of all time, with Lussi remaining Princeton's all-time leader in career goals (53) and points (122) and Matheson graduating as Princeton's all-time assist leader (26) before being equaled by Lauren Lazo '15 and surpassed by one by Vanessa Gregoire '18.Â
Matheson was the 2007 Ivy League Player of the Year while Lussi was the 2014 and 2015Â Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.Â
Lussi started and played the first 66 minutes before being subbed out. Her team's run lasted one game longer than that of her fellow Princetonian currently in the NWSL, Diana Matheson '08, whose Utah Royals fell in penalties to Houston in the quarterfinals.
Portland had the eighth and final seed in the tournament but knocked off the top-seeded North Carolina Courage in the quarterfinals with Lussi playing the first 51 minutes. Matheson started and played the first 46 minutes in Utah's quarterfinal against Houston.
Matheson and Utah had a win and a tie during the four pool-play games to be seeded fifth, with Matheson playing in each of the team's first three games and scoring a goal in a 3-3 draw against Houston in the opener on June 30.
Lussi averaged 50-plus minutes a game across Portland's four pool-play games, including playing 90 in Portland's 1-1 draw against Washington on July 5.
Both Lussi and Matheson are among Princeton's most successful players of all time, with Lussi remaining Princeton's all-time leader in career goals (53) and points (122) and Matheson graduating as Princeton's all-time assist leader (26) before being equaled by Lauren Lazo '15 and surpassed by one by Vanessa Gregoire '18.Â
Matheson was the 2007 Ivy League Player of the Year while Lussi was the 2014 and 2015Â Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.Â
Players Mentioned
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