Report: Orlando Pride To Add Goalkeeper DiDi Haracic

Update (7/6/16, 9:30 a.m.): Since this story broke, The Mane Land has learned through a club source that the Orlando Pride will likely announce a goalkeeper signing today, pending paperwork completion with the NWSL league office, and that the keeper will not, in fact, be DiDi Haracic. The new keeper is with the team and has completed her physical. The team hopes to make the announcement this afternoon. The Mane Land will continue to follow the story as it develops.

According to Women’s Soccer Weekly, the Orlando Pride will be adding DiDi Haracic of the Washington Spirit reserves for goalkeeping depth while Ashlyn Harris is on national team duty. A move became necessary after backup keeper Aubrey Bledsoe broke her leg in training. The Pride have been practicing with amateur player Megan Dorsey from the University of North Florida. By NWSL rules, Orlando must carry two goalkeepers on the roster, so the team will be able to use the goalkeeper replacement exception to fill the hole in the roster.

Haracic, 24, is a former Loyola University product who finished her college career as the school’s all-time saves leader. The 5-foot-8 keeper is the third-string keeper for Washington, and trains with the Spirit every day. Haracic plays for their WPSL team as well. Her lone game in NWSL was as a member of the Western New York Flash in 2014 against the Chicago Red Stars. She was a part of the game day roster for the Spirit for the team’s last match against FC Kansas City.

DiDi has some ties to the Pride, as a former teammate of Harris, Jasmyne Spencer, and Kristen Edmonds.

While at Loyola, Haracic was named 2012 MAAC Player of the Year, starting each of her team's 22 games and leading the conference with six shutouts. She made 106 saves, which was second in the MAAC that season and she helped lead the Greyhounds to a MAAC championship and an appearance in the Women's College Cup.

Haracic comes from an athletic family. Her father, Izet, played professional soccer in Germany and competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics as a bobsledder with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Check out some of her highlights at Loyola.