Paige's Posse: Morris soccer alumna gets warm welcome in NJ return with Racing Louisville
HARRISON, N.J. — Paige Monaghan could feel the love.
Back at Red Bull Arena for the first time since being traded in January, Monaghan received a warm welcome. Her Racing Louisville teammates, not so much.
Host Gotham and Racing played to a scoreless draw in their first National Women's Soccer League regular-season match after the Challenge Cup and Women's World Cup.
Monaghan was the only Racing player to get cheered as the starting lineup was announced on Sunday. She had played three seasons with Gotham, which drafted her 10th overall out of Butler University in 2019.
"Coming back to New Jersey really meant a lot to me," said Monaghan, who admitted she hasn't had a Taylor ham and cheese bagel yet. "There's so much growth that Sky Blue and Gotham gave me, so I'm really thankful for that. It was cool just to see how many people are at the stadium cheering for Gotham, cheering for the NWSL, just uplifting players."
Monaghan played 72 minutes on Sunday. She has four goals and two assists, both career highs, across all competitions with Racing.
Louisville (4-4-8) has scored just once in its last four matches, and has not won since July 21.
"There are certain players who show up, and I tell these hoodlums not to say anything negative," joked Aaron Forste of Oakland, part of the Bat Cave in section 109. "We absolutely love Paige. She's such a great player. I was sad that we lost her."
Hometown hero
A former All Daily Record Player of the Year, Monaghan started playing soccer at age 4. She scored a school-record 29 goals in 2014 as Roxbury shared the Morris County Tournament title and won NJSIAA North 2, Group III in her senior season. Monaghan also set the career scoring record with 79 goals.
Monaghan totaled 22 goals and 18 assists in 80 games (73 starts) at Butler. She scored her first two pro goals on Aug. 14, 2020, earning NWSL Player of the Week. The next day, she was called up to the USWNT U-23 team for the 2019 Nordic Cup in England.
Monaghan had 10 goals and three assists in four years with Gotham, including against Louisville last season. Even though much of her family was at her cousin's wedding in Pennsylvania on Sunday, Monaghan received encouraging texts from family and friends, "everyone loving on me and supporting me."
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"It's so weird to think about," said Isabella Contreras, a rising sophomore at Roxbury High School who had Monaghan's No. 5 written in purple on the inside of her left forearm.
"When you see soccer players, like, say Alex Morgan, that's so cool. But she's not from my town. It's so cool I've done the same things as [Paige.] I've done what she's done."
Trendsetter on and off the field
Contreras had a purple scrunchie in her hair in honor of Monaghan, who accidentally coined lavender-clad Racing's rallying cry for the season, "Go Big Purp!"
Years ago, Paige's mom, Christine Monaghan, gave her a pink scrunchie to hold back her dark, wavy hair. The family agreed it made it easier to spot her than searching for a jersey number. Then-Gotham midfielder Elizabeth Eddy wore one as well, and "pink scrunchie power" became a rallying cry among fans.
"It's been wonderful. New Jersey has such a special place in my heart," said Monaghan, who hugged many of her former teammates after the final whistle. "Just to see how much I've grown throughout the years, from my rookie year 'til now, I'm so proud of myself, and so thankful for my family and friends still supporting me and loving on me from afar."
The hair-tie trend may have spread to the United States women's national team. Midfielder Savannah DeMelo, who also plays for Racing, wore a pink scrunchie in a Women's World Cup match against the Netherlands on July 26.
DeMelo's scrunchie was white on Sunday, matching Racing's road jerseys. But Louisville midfielder Rebecca Holloway kept the pink tradition going when she subbed in in the 87th minute.
Erika Fonseca of Howell heard the story behind Monaghan's hair tie, and bought her a pack of 20 in early September 2022. After the match, Monaghan pulled the pink scrunchie out of her hair and gave it to a girl in the stands wearing one of her jerseys.
"Gotham fans aren't so self-centered," Fonseca said. "She's welcomed back with open arms. She was genuinely nice."
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ soccer: Paige Monaghan Roxbury Racing Louisville Gotham NWSL
