2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Anna Moorhouse

The Orlando Pride acquired goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse from French D1 Feminine side Bordeaux on Jan. 31, 2022. Her first year in Orlando was spent as the backup behind Canadian international Erin McLeod. When McLeod moved to Iceland following the 2022 NWSL season, Moorhouse was promoted to starting goalkeeper.

The English shot stopper was inconsistent during her first year as a starter, but played well enough to earn the spot for this year. It was a historic season that saw her set new club and league records for most clean sheets in a season. She also got her first call-ups for the England Women’s National Team.

Let’s take a look at how Moorhouse did in her third season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Moorhouse started every game of the regular season, making 26 appearances and recording 2,340 minutes. She faced 107 shots, making 87 saves (81%), and conceded 20 goals. Her 13 clean sheets set a new league record for the most single-season shutouts and lifted her to the most in Pride history. Additionally, Moorhouse completed 72% of her 824 regular season passes. As she started every game, her record as a starter in the regular season was 18-2-6.

The Pride’s number one started all three playoff games, going 3-0-0 and recording 270 minutes in the postseason. She faced 12 shots on target in those three games, making nine saves (75%), and conceded three goals, with one of those on a penalty kick. Her lone clean sheet was in the NWSL Championship when the Pride beat the Washington Spirit 1-0. Her distribution was worse than in the regular season as she only completed 54% of her 46 passes, and her lone booking came in the playoffs, receiving a yellow card in the semifinal against Kansas City.

Moorhouse was on international duty for the first NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup game and was an unused sub in the second game. She started the third and final matchup against Racing Louisville FC, playing all 90 minutes. She saved two of the three shots she faced (66.7%) in that game, conceding once in a 1-1 draw. She completed 77% of her 42 passes out of the back, helping to keep the Pride unbeaten in all competitions.

Best Game

The Pride’s stellar defense this season meant Moorhouse often had little to do. However, there were some games in which she had to be solid between the sticks, and one of those games was on June 30 in Los Angeles when the Pride defeated Angel City 3-0 to remain unbeaten on the season.

Moorhouse made a season-high seven saves in back-to-back games, beginning with the Angel City matchup. But while she conceded a goal in Kansas City the following weekend, Moorhouse claimed her third consecutive clean sheet in LA. Her distribution was also solid in this game, completing 17 of 21 passes (81%).

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Moorhouse a grade of 7 out of 10 for the 2024 NWSL season. That’s an improvement from her 2023 grade when she was given a 6 out of 10. It’s hard to give anyone in the Pride’s defensive unit a poor grade when they conceded the fewest goals in the NWSL and were on pace to set a new league record for fewest goals conceded until the final three games. They also recorded 13 clean sheets in an outstanding season.

The grade might seem a bit high to some because Moorhouse made some mistakes that cost her team goals. On April 26 in Washington, D.C., Moorhouse failed to catch an easy-to-handle shot by Ashley Hatch, watching it go through her hands and in. Fortunately, the Pride were already up 3-1, so it didn’t cost them the game. She made another mistake against the Chicago Red Stars in the playoffs, taking too long to clear the ball and allowing Jameese Joseph to block the attempt. While the block resulted in a Red Stars goal, the Pride were already up 4-0 and the game was out of reach.

Despite a few errors, it was a solid year for the goalkeeper, who made great strides in reducing the frequency of those types of mistakes. She was better than 2023 and will likely remain the Pride’s starter in net for the foreseeable future.

2025 Outlook

Moorhouse signed a new contract on Oct. 5, 2023, keeping her in Orlando through the 2025 season. The deal meant that Haley Carter didn’t need to worry about re-signing her starting goalkeeper after the season and could focus on more pressing matters. However, Moorhouse will undoubtedly be a priority in 2025.

In addition to Moorhouse, the entire back line will also return for 2025. While Moorhouse was solid in the net, Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke, along with the other defenders who were pressed into action, made sure to limit her workload. The pressure will be on the goalkeeper next season to see if she can improve and help the Pride remain the best defensive team in the NWSL.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Amanda Allen (11/28/24)
• McKinley Crone (11/29/24)
• Sofia Manner (11/30/24)
• Mariana Larroquette (12/1/24)
• Viviana Villacorta (12/2/24)
• Luana (12/3/24)
• Evelina Duljan (12/4/24)
• Cori Dyke (12/5/24)
• Carson Pickett (12/6/24)
• Brianna Martinez (12/7/24)
• Ally Watt (12/8/24)
• Summer Yates (12/9/24)
• Ally Lemos (12/10/24)
• Haley McCutcheon (12/11/24)
• Julie Doyle (12/12/24)
• Morgan Gautrat (12/13/2024)