PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC today announced their complete broadcast schedule and announcers for the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League season. Four of the team’s matches will be televised on Comcast SportsNet Northwest, while all matches will be available via a live, high-definition webstream on www.portlandthornsfc.com. Ann Schatz returns to provide play-by-play duties on all broadcasts along with former Thorns FC defender Marian Dougherty providing soccer analysis.
Comcast SportsNet Northwest will televise Thorns FC matches starting with the season opener on April 12 against the Houston Dash. Matches on May 14 at Houston, June 25 against Sky Blue FC and August 3 against Houston will also be televised. The season opener on April 12 will air on tape-delay at 10 p.m. (Pacific).
All NWSL home teams will provide live streaming video of their matches, which will be made available on www.portlandthornsfc.com for all of the team’s games. Along with the four games televised on Comcast SportsNet Northwest, all games at Providence Park will be streamed in high definition. On the road, the host team’s webstream will be provided.
Schatz, who has more than 30 years of experience in the sports broadcasting field, rejoins the Thorns FC broadcast team for a second year after serving as the team’s play-by-play announcer during the inaugural NWSL season in 2013. After moving to the Rose City in 1989, Schatz worked at KOIN-TV before becoming the sideline reporter for Portland Trail Blazers basketball from 1999 until 2005. She turned her focus to the college ranks working with CBS Sports and, most recently, the Pac-12 Network calling women’s soccer, basketball and softball games. Originally from Omaha, Neb., Schatz played both basketball and softball at Creighton University, where she earned a degree in journalism and mass communications.
Dougherty is in her first year in the broadcast booth after helping lead Thorns FC to the inaugural NWSL championship as a defender during the 2013 season. A U.S. Women’s National Team veteran with playing experience at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China, Dougherty scored the first-ever home goal for Thorns FC at Providence Park with a glancing header in the 45th minute of a 2-1 win over Seattle Reign FC on April 21, 2013, in front of 16,479 fans. A graduate of Santa Clara University, the Denver native also played for the Chicago Red Stars and Florida-based club magicJack during her professional playing career.
2014 Portland Thorns FC Broadcast Schedule (home matches in bold, CAPS)
<strong><u>Date</u></strong> |
<strong><u>Opponent</u></strong> |
<strong><u>Time</u></strong> |
<strong><u>Broadcast</u></strong> |
<p>Sat., April 12</p> |
<p>at Houston Dash</p> |
<p>5 p.m.</p> |
<p>Comcast SportsNet Northwest (10 p.m., tape delay)<br>
portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<p>Sat., April 19</p> |
<p>at Sky Blue FC</p> |
<p>4 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Sat., April 26</strong> |
<strong>FC KANSAS CITY</strong> |
<strong>7 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<p>Sat., May 3</p> |
<p>at Western New York</p> |
<p>4 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Sat., May 10</strong> |
<strong>SEATTLE REIGN FC</strong> |
<strong>7 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<p>Wed., May 14</p> |
<p>at Houston Dash</p> |
<p>5 p.m.</p> |
<p>Comcast SportsNet Northwest (live)<br>
portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Wed., May 21</strong> |
<strong>WESTERN NEW YORK</strong> |
<strong>7 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<strong>Sat., May 24</strong> |
<strong>SKY BLUE FC</strong> |
<strong>7 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<p>Wed., May 28</p> |
<p>at Boston Breakers</p> |
<p>4 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Sat., June 7</strong> |
<strong>WESTERN NEW YORK</strong> |
<strong>7 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<strong>Sun., June 15</strong> |
<strong>WASHINGTON SPIRIT</strong> |
<strong>2 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<p>Sat., June 21</p> |
<p>at Washington Spirit</p> |
<p>3:30 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Wed., June 25</strong> |
<strong>SKY BLUE FC</strong> |
<strong>7 p.m.</strong> |
<p><strong>Comcast SportsNet Northwest (live)</strong><br><strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong></p> |
<p>Sat., June 28</p> |
<p>at FC Kansas City</p> |
<p>5 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Fri., July 4</strong> |
<strong>CHICAGO RED STARS</strong> |
<strong>11 a.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<p>Wed., July 9</p> |
<p>at Chicago Red Stars</p> |
<p>5 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Sun., July 13</strong> |
<strong>FC KANSAS CITY</strong> |
<strong>2 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<p>Thurs., July 17</p> |
<p>at Chicago Red Stars</p> |
<p>5 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Sun., July 20</strong> |
<strong>BOSTON BREAKERS</strong> |
<strong>2 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
<p>Wed., July 23</p> |
<p>at Washington Spirit</p> |
<p>4 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<p>Sun., July 27</p> |
<p>at Seattle Reign FC</p> |
<p>4 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Sun., Aug. 3</strong> |
<strong>HOUSTON DASH</strong> |
<strong>2 p.m.</strong> |
<p><strong>Comcast SportsNet Northwest (live)</strong><br><strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong></p> |
<p>Sun., Aug. 10</p> |
<p>at Boston Breakers</p> |
<p>3:30 p.m.</p> |
<p>portlandthornsfc.com</p> |
<strong>Sun., Aug. 17</strong> |
<strong>SEATTLE REIGN FC</strong> |
<strong>2 p.m.</strong> |
<strong>portlandthornsfc.com</strong> |
