Even though the Seattle Reign said late this week that Hope Solo would be eligible to play Saturday night despite her domestic-violence arrest, the goalkeeper was not used in a 0-0 draw with Sky Blue FC.
Solo’s backup, 24-year-old Haley Kopmeyer, got her third start of the season in goal and recorded five saves to preserve the shutout draw.
Kopmeyer also started last Saturday, when Solo was sitting in jail in Kirkland, Wash., having been arrested hours earlier after an alcohol-fueled donnybrook at her sister’s house. The Reign got a 2-1 win that night against the Western New York Flash.
Seattle’s next game is Wednesday against the Flash.
Kopmeyer, from the University of Michigan, was drafted by the Reign in 2013, before the inaugural season of the National Women ‘s Soccer League. She was the team’s backup keeper, behind Michelle Betos, during the early part of 2013, when Solo was recovering from a wrist injury.
Once Solo’s wrist healed, Kopmeyer, the third-string goalkeeper, became expendable. She was cut in June of 2013.
The Reign re-signed her before the start of this season, having shipped Betos to the Boston Breakers as part of the trade for Sydney Leroux.
At the time of Kopmeyer’s re-signing, Reign coach Laura Harvey said: “We believe Haley has huge potential to be a mainstay professional keeper. … Learning from someone of Hope Solo’s caliber will allow her to reach her full potential.”
The Seattle Reign announced the re-signing of Haley Kopmeyer on Feb. 13 of this year.
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