Megan Oyster takes on third NWSL team in her career

This past January, the NWSL went through some major changes with FC Kansas City and the Boston Breakers folding. With this downfall, all players and coaches in the NWSL were impacted greatly with less time on the pitch and 27 NWSL players remaining team less.

These remaining players became a part of the Dispersal Draft where they would be distributed to new teams based on the distribution ranking order of the teams.

From one Washington team to another

Seattle Reign FC gained five new players and when they were the third team up to choose, they selected defender Megan Oyster, who was recruited to her third NWSL team since 2015.

Oyster has started with the Reign since March and out of the 21 matches they have had this season, she has started in 17 games. This season the Reign currently stand in second place and although this season started with many uncertainties, Seattle has gained one of the best players in the league.

Oyster was recruited by the Reign this Spring in the offseason | Source: Seattle Reign FC

“I feel so lucky and fortunate to have been chosen to play on this team, it is an incredibly talented group with so much experience,” Oyster told Women’s Soccer World. “Every player has had an amazing career and to be able to be on the same field as them is a dream,” said Oyster.

The UCLA alum won the National Championship in 2013 and at the 2015 NWSL College Draft was the 13th overall pick for the Washington Spirit.

Oyster became the first player for the Spirit to record playing every minute of each game during the 2015 season, which also included play in the 2015 NWSL Championship. In doing so, she was also awarded Defender of the Year. Even when the NWSL season came to an end, playing on the pitch didn’t.

Experience beyond the Spirit

After her first season with the Spirit, the Illinois native traveled to Australia to play in the Westfield W-League where she played with the Newcastle Jets during the off-season in 2015-2016. With the Jets, the skilled defender was named W-League Team of the Season.

“That experience allowed me to focus on certain aspects of my game that I don’t necessarily get to work on while playing in the NWSL,” Oyster stated. “I was able to try things that I wouldn’t try as much here and learn from a coach who played center back professionally.”

Megan Oyster (right) at the round of 12 W-League vs Melbourne Victory | Source: Ashley Feder - Getty Images

Oyster returned to the Spirit where she played a total of two seasons in Washington and recorded 3,140 minutes of playing time. In November of 2016, she was traded to the Boston Breakers.

The Spirit gained midfielder Kristie Mewis and defender Kassey Kallman as well as the No. 1 spot in the Distribution Ranking Order. In return, the Breakers attained Oyster and the third and ninth draft picks for the 2017 NWSL College Draft and the second spot in the league’s Distribution Ranking Order.

In total, Oyster played in 23 games and recorded 2,070 minutes on the pitch for the Breakers before the team folded.

Looking Ahead

One of Oyster’s goal is to win an NWSL Championship and based off the Reign’s current standing in second place with 33 points, they have made a solid standing ahead of them to compete for the NWSL Championship.

“I want to win an NWSL championship with this team! My goal is to become the best player I can be, to continue to play at the highest level possible. I am learning so much from this team and from our coaches and I hope to continue to grow as a player.”

The Reign were the NWSL Shield winners back to back in 2014 and 2015, which is an award presented to the team in the league for the best regular season record.

This season, Seattle has made huge steps with the addition of head coach Vlatko Andonovski, who led FC Kansas City to two NWSL Championships in 2014 and 2015.

Oyster participated in two seasons with the Spirit before being traded to the Breakers | Source: Excelle Sports

The world is your Oyster

The 25-year-old defender hopes to be able to conclude her playing career in Europe, but still has plans to remain close to the game.

“I love learning from new players and teammates and then being able to pass along those experiences to others I hope to share my soccer career with youth soccer players and stay involved in the soccer community in some way," Oyster shared. "Whether that’s coaching, personal training, or sports psychology I want to be able to use my experiences to help others.”

For Oyster, her first goal with the Reign came this past June when they faced the first-place team, the North Carolina Courage during Week 13. Seattle was scoreless from their last two matches, but Oyster broke the streak after she gained the rebound off a corner kick and finished the play to give the Reign a 1-0 lead.