'Renewed sense of hope' as Ashley Hatch makes USWNT roster for Utah friendly

SALT LAKE CITY — BYU alum Ashley Hatch and the U.S. women's soccer team both faced disappointment over the summer, but for different reasons.

The U.S. fell short of a World Cup three-peat with its earliest departure ever in the round of 16, while Hatch wasn't even invited to the tournament at all. Now, as "all eyes" turn to the Olympics, according to Hatch, both parties have a chance to refocus and renew their commitment to winning.

"It was a really hard tournament for everyone," Hatch said. "The U.S. women's national team is the best team in the world (and) wants to be the best team in the world. I think that's a rich tradition that will continue, and I know that every player and coach will continue to do their best to uphold that standard."

Hatch was part of the team's first post-World Cup camp last month and said interim head coach Twila Kilgore focused on "enjoy playing and playing together" along with "competing and winning" — a theme she's sure will continue into the next camp beginning Monday in Salt Lake City.

For Hatch, it's an opportunity to return to the state where she made a name for herself and make her case as an integral piece under a new coach. The team will play two friendlies against Colombia during this camp, first on Oct. 26 at America First Field in Sandy and then on Oct. 29 in San Diego.

Twenty-one of the 27 players from the September camp went to the World Cup, and 24 of those 27 were invited back for this month's camp, so it's safe to assume this is close to the nation's top group, including longtime staples Alyssa Naher at goalkeeper, former Utah Royal Becky Sauerbrunn in the defense, and Alex Morgan at forward.

Also included in this month's roster is a first-time call-up for Utah-born midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who, like Hatch, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Moultrie also became the youngest player in NWSL history in 2021 with her debut at 15 years old.

The 28-year-old Hatch now finds herself as one of the more experienced players on the team with 20 appearances and five goals since her senior team debut in 2016 — also at America First Field (then Rio Tinto Stadium).

She said the last few months since missing out on the World Cup have been "pretty challenging," with "lots of ups and downs" and "different emotions."

"But at the end of the day, I get to play soccer for a living, and that's kind of what I've been focusing on," Hatch said. "It's not something I take for granted and (is) something I really enjoy."

Part of not taking the opportunity for granted includes staying humble and continuing to learn even after seven years of professional soccer and national team experience, Hatch added.

"I'm still in awe of a lot of these players, and I still am learning new things from every single one of them," Hatch said. "Even with the new players, I feel like there's just so many new experiences and things that you can learn from everyone and the different opportunities that we all get."

Speaking of new experiences, Hatch was asked about the return of the Utah Royals and whether she would ever consider playing for them.

"I love playing in Utah, and I think it's a great market for a women's professional soccer team," Hatch said. "At the moment, I'm pretty loyal to the (Washington) Spirit, but who knows, maybe further down the road in my career. I don't think it would be a bad place to end up, but we'll see."

Hatch scored nine goals for the Spirit this year, just one shy of her Golden Boot-winning season in 2021, the same year the Spirit won the NWSL championship. The team's 2023 season ended last week after failing to make the playoffs.

Utah fans can see Hatch and the USWNT take the field against Colombia Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. MDT at America First Field.

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