Last night wasn’t your average Tuesday—it had some NWSL After Dark spice. In the league’s eighth-ever Tuesday match, the Portland Thorns thanked their fans for coming out on a school night with a 4-1 win over Gotham FC, with four Thorns players scoring their first goals for the club. If you called it an early night, here’s what you missed!

Tuesday, April 22

Portland Thorns FC 4, Gotham FC 1

The Portland Thorns FC erupted for their first home win of the season in a 4-1 rout of Gotham FC, defeating the team that knocked them out of the playoffs the last two seasons. The night belonged to the rookies. Caiya Hanks recorded her first professional goal and assist while Jayden Perry scored her first professional goal from the penalty spot. Hanks, a forward from Wake Forest, was a MAC Hermann finalist in 2024 and led the Demon Deacons in goals (11), assists (12), and points (34) in a historic season that saw them appear in a program-first NCAA final. Perry, a defender from UCLA, helped the Bruins to a 2022 NCAA National Championship title and totaled 86 career appearances, 7 goals, and 4 assists.

Canadian forward Mimi Alidou, a transfer from Benfica who led her club in goals in all competitions her debut season in Portugal, opened the scoring for the night thanks to an assist from Hanks. Deyna Castellanos capped the Thorns' statement performance by netting her first goal for the club.

Despite Esther González scoring her league-leading fifth goal of the season for Gotham a minute after Alidou scored, the visitors faced a sturdy Portland defense, registering a season-low five shots despite maintaining 61% possession. The Thorns remain undefeated at Providence Park in 2025 and will look to carry momentum into their upcoming home clash against Racing Louisville this coming weekend as Week 6 continues.