Few players make the sort of instant impact Jaedyn Shaw has made on the National Women’s Soccer League since joining the San Diego Wave. Last year, at the age of 17, she became the youngest player to score on her league debut after finding the net against the Chicago Red Stars. Now 18 years old, her current record stands at 17 games played, seven goals scored, and one assisted.
That sole assist came in San Diego’s win away to NJ/NY Gotham last weekend. Shaw came off the bench, and did what her head coach Casey Stoney asks her substitutes to do: changed the game. Receiving between the lines, she turned, took a touch to get the ball out of her feet, then played a perfectly-weighted pass for Makenzy Doniak to run behind and score. That turned out to be the winning goal.
“I thought Jaedyn made a huge difference in the second half when she came on,” Stoney said post-match. “There ain’t many players that can pick a through ball in behind with the quality that she can.”
