CHICAGO – It was already a historic moment for the club as they had a first in franchise history thanks to the venue in which they played on Saturday.
But as they took to the pitch against San Diego Wave FC at Soldier Field on that evening, it was also a goodbye for the Chicago Red Stars to one of their most tenured players.
On the day before the match, Red Stars midfielder Alyssa Mautz announced that she would retire following the game against San Diego Wave FC at Soldier Field, ending her ten-year run with the franchise.
She’s taken the pitch for 143 regular season matches and 154 in all competitions, including 85 regular season starts and 88 overall. Mautz finished her career with 16 goals and eight assists and is one of six players in the league to be on the same team in the NWSL in the league’s ten years of existence.
The midfielder would end the match as a substitute as the Red Stars lost to San Diego 1-0 in their first-ever match at Soldier Field.
Mautz won’t be leaving the game as it was announced shortly before her final match that she will be joining the coaching staff for Texas A & M’s women’s soccer program. She was a standout player for the Aggies from 2008-2010 and was selected to the All-Big 12 first team her final season.
“It felt similar for me, it came pretty fast, they called me out of the blue. I was never searching for anything and just right time to start thinking about it,” said Mautz of the decision to retire. “I never thought I’d retire after the season, it kills me a little bit, but you know nothing’s ever perfect.
“I think I made the right decision, but I hate to leave my teammates, but I know they’ll keep working hard, keep fighting and keep showing that grit out there.”
Larry Hawley has more on both players in this week’s “Random Hawlight” on WGN News Now, which you can see in the video above.