Palm Bay High graduate signs with the Orlando Pride

With Ashlyn Harris on the U.S. women’s national team roster this weekend, the Orlando Pride once again dipped into the Brevard County talent pool for a replacement.

The Pride announced this week that they have signed former Palm Bay High and North Florida goalkeeper Megan Dorsey for Saturday’s road game against reigning National Women’s Soccer League champion FC Kansas City.

I wasn't ready to hang up my gloves so now that it is happening, I couldn't be any happier," Dorsey said in a press release. "Being invited to play for Orlando Pride and training with one of the national team keepers has already been a good experience and has allowed me to grow even more as a keeper. I have to thank one of my keeper trainers, Chris Barocas, for helping me achieve this opportunity."

Dorsey will back up Aubrey Bledsoe, who is expected to make her first start with the Pride after being selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NWSL Expansion Draft after one season with Sky Blue FC.

Bledsoe and the defense will try to keep a 295-minute scoreless streak going as they face an FC Kansas City team that is searching for its first win.

“We’re missing a few players this weekend but we go out with the same attitude, the same game plan and try to keep playing the way we’ve been playing,” Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “We’re very fortunate that we’ve got a strong squad and I’m confident in any new players that are coming into the team.”

Both clubs will be without their U.S. Women’s National Team allocations on Saturday night, with Orlando’s Alex Morgan and Harris as well as Kansas City’s Becky Sauerbrunn and Heather O’Reilly called up for the USWNT’s next two games against Japan.

The Pride will also be without defender Cami Levin, who remains out after an appendectomy, and fellow backliner Laura Alleway has been ruled out due to a groin strain. In addition, midfielder Kristen Edmonds is questionable for the match after suffering a hip flexor strain in the waning moments of last week’s match in Houston.

“This is the first week where we’ve actually had to face a little bit of an injury problem,” Sermanni said.  “I think that will be good for us in some ways because it means we’re giving other players opportunities. We’ve been able to put out a different team and, in some ways, that’s a positive.”

To help with depth, Sermanni also signed Allie Wisner, who previously trained with Seattle Reign FC and FC Kansas City after playing with Belgian side Anderlecht.

After Saturday’s match, the Pride will have a two-week break between games, starting the second half of the four-game road trip at Western New York on June 11.

OCB prepared

for Charlotte

The Orlando City B squad will be back at Eastern Florida State College tonight as they look to continue their surge up the United Soccer League standings.

OCB is 2-1-1 in the recent homestand and hosts Charlotte (5-2-2) at 7:30 p.m. at Titan Soccer Complex. 

“Charlotte, like the majority of independent USL teams, have experienced players, there is a patent there. They have experience, they have size, they have strength, they have athleticism and they have players that will work their sox off for the coach and try to make it very difficult for us,” OCB head coach Anthony Pulis said.