Seattle Reign FC’s Megan Rapinoe struck for a hat-trick, including the game-winner in the 87th minute. (Andy Mead/YCJ Photo)

SEATTLE — Say this about Sky Blue FC:

The National Women’s Soccer League team plays some wild and exciting matches.

Take, for instance, its game at Seattle Reign FC.

The New Jersey club rallied from a four-goal deficit in 16 minutes to equalize before Reign forward and U.S. international Megan Rapinoe connected into the 87th minute to lift the hosts to a 5-4 triumph Saturday night. That goal culminated Rapinoe’s hat-trick.

Forward Beverly Yanez also scored as Seattle benefitted from a Sky Blue own goal.

Kelley O’Hara, Lean Galton, Daphne Corboz and Sam Kerr tallied to erase that four-goal deficit before Rapinoe struck for the game-winner.

“We are obviously very disappointed with the outcome of the game,” Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly said. “We put ourselves in a hole, but again these girls showed exactly what kind of class they have by digging themselves out and getting back in contention. However, we know that we must improve defensively if we expect to have more positive outcomes.”

Reign FC scored the opening goal in the 27th minute. After being awarded a 25-yard free kick, Rapinoe hit a right-footed strike that curled over the defensive wall and just beyond a diving goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

Seattle extended its lead to 2-0 in the 47th minute when two Sky Blue FC defenders collided with Yanez inside the box for a Reign FC penalty kick. Rapinoe struck the ball to her left, where Sheridan stretched to put fingertips on it as the ball bounced into the net.

Two minutes later, Seattle made it 3-0 as Nahomi Kawasumi sent a cross into the area that was headed home by Yanez. Reign FC stretched its lead to 4-0 in the 56th minute as a Rapinoe cross from the left flank deflected off Erica Skroski for an own goal.

The next four goals belonged to the visitors.

Sky Blue FC got one back in the 60th minute that saw Galton taken down inside the box for a penalty kick. O’Hara converted the spot kick into the left-side netting to slice the lead to 4-1.

Sky Blue FC then closed the gap to two goals in the 64th minute. McKenzie Meehan sent a ball into the box from the right flank, where Kerr dummied it for O’Hara. The U.S. international fired a point-blank shot that goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer deflected, but Galton claimed the rebound and score it without hesitation.

In the 73rd minute, Galton delivered a ball into the penalty area, where it was mistouched by a Reign FC defender attempting to clear it. Kerr gathered the loose ball before laying it off for Corboz, who fired the feed into the back of the net to make it a 4-3 contest.

Sky Blue FC put away another goal to completely to equalize in the 76th minute. Corboz lofted a cross towards the far post that found the head of Kerr to level it at 4-4.

In the 87th minute, Rapinoe and Katlyn Johnson worked a one-two on top of the 18-yard box. Rapinoe was the end recipient of the feed, one-timing a left-footed curler that hit the right upper 90 and gave Seattle back the lead, 5-4.

The Jersey side outshot Seattle, 31-11.

Scoring Summary: 

27 SEA Megan Rapinoe
47 SEA Megan Rapinoe (Penalty Kick)
49 SEA Beverly Yanez (Nahomi Kawasumi)
56 SEA (Sky Blue FC Own Goal)
60 NJ Kelley O’Hara (Penalty Kick)
64 NJ Leah Galton
72 NJ Daphne Corboz (Sam Kerr)
76 NJ Sam Kerr (Daphne Corboz)
87 NJ Megan Rapinoe (Katlyn Johnson)

Lineups: 
NJ: Sheridan, Skroski, Pearce, Killion, Corboz, Lytle, Stanton, Rodriguez, O’Hara, Hayes, Kerr
Subs not usedCasey, Meehan, Kai, Tiernan, Galton, Richardson, Mills
Head Coach: Christy Holly 

SEA: Kopmeyer, Pickett, Barnes, McNabb, Mathias, Nairn, Utsugi, Elston, Rapinoe, Yanez, Kawasumi
Subs Not Used: Bauer, Crummer, Dallstream, Johnson, Reed, Schiffel, Stott
Head Coach: Laura Harvey

Stats Summary: SEA / NJ
Shots: 11 / 31
Saves:  8 / 0
Corner Kicks: 5 / 8
Fouls:  9 / 13
Offside:  6 / 5

Misconduct Summary: 
30 SEA Merrit Mathias (Yellow Card)
80 SEA Megan Rapinoe (Yellow Card)
89 NJ Madison Tiernan (Yellow Card)

Officials: 
Referee: Greg Dopka
Assistant Referee 1: Brooke Mayo
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Deuker
Fourth Official: Jeff Arthurholtz

Woman of the Match: Daphne Corboz

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.