Not exactly hockey related, but a pretty cool thing happened at the Washington Freedom-Saint Louis Athletica WPS game I covered yesterday evening at RFK Stadium that reminded me of the whole Brett Leonhardt saga last season.

Coming into the game, both teams were short a couple starters, including each #1 goaltender (Erin McLeod for Washington and Hope Solo for Saint Louis), because of a USA-Canada friendly the next night. On top of that, Washington's backup goalie, Brianna Scurry, is currently injured. That's alright though, because like most professional soccer teams the Freedom carry a third goaltender, Kati Jo Spisak, who had actually started in a couple games prior to Saturday night.

You see where this is going.

In the 54th minute, an Athletica player knocks the ball out of bounds across the Freedom end line. Spisak places the ball on the 6-yard box, backs up, takes the goal kick and immediately crumples to the ground in pain grasping her right leg. Find out after the game that she pulled her quadriceps muscle.

Spisak tries to play, but can't plant on the foot. Goal kicks are out of the question, let alone moving laterally for saves. She has to come out. Enter Nicci Wright.

Confused by the link? Scroll down. Wright is the Freedom's goaltender coach, a former goalie for the organization (as well as the Canadian Women's National Team) who retired in 2006 to coach. See, the team realized they'd be down to one roster goalie on Saturday, and chose to sign Wright to a two-day weekend contract for this past weekend to back up Spisak, rather than go outside the organization.

On second thought, it's more of a Lester Patrick story.

So, with the only usual regular roster goalie on the ground in pain, Wright went in. First she had to find her jersey, take off her necklace and earrings, and borrow a pair of shinguardss, and not until she got in the game was she able to actually warm up.

Saint Louis tested Wright immediately, blasting a shot on net from about 40 yards out, but Wright did pretty well aside from one turnover inside the 18 yard box and preserved the shutout and the win, as Homare Sawa scored after Wright entered for the 1-0 lead that held up as the final score.

It's not a big story, and probably rightfully so as the Freedom probably fall under the Kastles and just above the D.C. Armor in terms of their local sports relevancy, but fun nonetheless. A nice reminder to expect the unexpected and enjoy it when it happens.