SEATTLE, WA––(Reign release) Keelin Winters, Seattle Reign FC Captain since 2013, has announced her retirement from soccer.
Winters, 27, plans to finish the remainder of the 2016 season with Reign FC before closing out her soccer career.
“She’s [Keelin] given us absolutely everything on the field for the last four seasons,” said Seattle Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey. “I call her the glue of this team. She’s always tried to do the right thing and make sure everyone is included.”
Winters began her career playing for the Boston Breakers in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS). When the league folded, Winters played a season for the Seattle Sounders Women in the USL W-League before heading abroad to play for FFC Turbine Potsdam in the German Frauen-Bundesliga.
She has played for Reign FC during all four National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) seasons. During those four seasons Winters has scored five goals and tallied three assists, all while serving as the team captain.
One of Winters’ biggest goals for the club came in Reign FC’s 3-2 victory over FC Kansas City on May 14th, 2014. With the match tied 2-2 in the 75th minute, Kiersten Dallstream sent a cross into the box. Winters was wide open at the penalty spot to head home the game-winning goal.
Winters was an integral part of Seattle’s turnaround from second-to-last in the standings in 2013, helping the club to back-to-back NWSL Shield winning seasons in 2014 and 2015. The midfielder has started 78 games for the club during her career, and was a key player during the club’s historic 16 game unbeaten run during the 2014 season.
“She’s [Keelin] going to be very difficult to replace both on the field and off the field,” said Harvey. “Keelin has been somebody that everybody’s leaned on at some time or another. She’ll be truly missed, but we wish her the best.”
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