Last weekend, when the bright lights were shining on the USL Super League’s opening weekend, one of the big stars was Tampa Bay’s goalkeeper, Ashley Orkus. Facing one of the best offenses in the league, she only allowed a single goal on 14 shots and looked every bit a seasoned professional on day one of the Sun’s first season.

Southern Wanderings

Orkus’ path to Tampa started in Alabama, as unlikely as that might sound. The home of the most prolific college football program in the country produced a different kind of footballer all together. And the goalkeeper who stood on her head against Dallas actually began her youth soccer career on the opposite end of the formation.

While she now looks like the was born to be a keeper, Ashley didn’t make the switch to the position till she turned 8. In a fateful youth club match, the team had no subs and she was “the most out of shape forward you would ever meet in your life.” With a need for a goalkeeper, Ashley fit the position best “because there was no running.” The rest is history.

Orkus’ dad is from Louisiana, but she was born in Alabama. While both her parents went to the University of Georgia and encouraged her to be a Bulldog, she took her own path in the SEC, albiet with a few twists and turns. “Leaving high school, I had a handful of full-ride offers. I originally picked the University of Tennessee, but it wasn’t a great fit. But then I transferred to Ole Miss.” That move would turn out to be a great one.

At the University of Mississippi, Orkus excelled, winning SEC Goalkeeper of the Year three times in a row. In 2021, she was a Mac Hermann Trophy Semifinalist. The list of her awards from her time in Mississippi is staggering, honestly. Ashley played 75 games and recording 39 wins, 25 shut-outs and had a 1.13 GAA. She was one of the best goalkeepers in the country for her entire collegiate career. When asked about her success in the SEC, Ashley savored beating one school especially. “I’m not going to lie to you, I had a visit during recruiting to the flagship school in my home state, but then they ghosted me. We played them every year and I beat them every game except one. That was definitely more personal than the rest.”

Going Professional…Abroad

She’s patterned her approach to the position after many keepers and starts that list with Petr Čech, the former Chelsea and Arsenal great. She credits her passing and foot game to modeling herself after German stalwart Manuel Neuer. “Playing for Denise [Schilte-Brown], you have to be able to play out the back. I’ve done my best to emulate as much of that aspect of Neuer’s game: the confidence on the ball, the borderline cockiness, knowing you can get done what needs to be done.” Her current hero in the women’s game is San Diego Wave keeper, Kailen Sheridan.

After graduating, Orkus was drafted into the NWSL by the Current, part of the team’s 2023 8-player draft class. But from the start, she didn’t see her landing spot as optimal. “I was the second keeper drafted by Kansas City that night. I refer to draft night to as one of the more rough nights of my life. It didn’t go how I had thought it would go. I was super fortunate to even get drafted, because I didn’t think it would happen.” Kansas City took Ashley with the 47th pick and she reported to preseason, but after working out with the team for the entire camp, she was cut just 2 days before rosters had to be trimmed for the season. That’s when her path took an international route. “I found myself in Iceland a short month and a half later.”

Because of the timing of her release, she was left without a lot of professional options. “All the other transfer windows around the world were already closed, so no one could pick up a roster spot.” To make it worse, goalkeepers are typically one of the early positions club filled, so Ashley was forced to choose an unlikely new home. “I was fortunate to find a place to play in Iceland…we flew to every away game and played on an indoor turf field because it would get so cold and snowy. I was really fortunate. We didn’t have a great season, but I saw plenty of action. My coach and my team picked me up and really fostered my love for the game.”

Regardless of the great experiences, Ashley spent her time overseas feeling homesick. “I missed my family and home.” That was part of the reason she decided to join Tampa Bay and enter the Super League.

Coming Home to the South

The match last weekend was a bit of a homecoming for Ashley, because she is, after all, a product of SEC country. “It was fantastic. It was a bit of a sold out crowd and we love that. The overall experience was fantastic and Tampa is an electric city and the crowd was fantastic.” But the match ended with both teams splitting the points and with Dallas Trinity peppering her in goal, outshooting the home side 14-7. While a good number of those shots were off target, Ashley’s skills were on display, much to the chagrin of her coaches.

Ashley making one of her many saves against Dallas Trinity.

“My coaches were like ‘we hate it when you touch the ball.’ I’m just sitting there with a big smile on my face and said ‘I was really getting bored in the first thirty seconds of the game,’” you can hear the good-natured sarcasm in her voice as she jokes about the Dallas attack. Then she turns serious, because, in the end, she’s a professional. “I just try my best to breathe and stay calm. My position requires so much communication and processing, that if I’m too hyped, my brain can’t function as fast as it needs to.”

Ashely’s adjustment to Tampa has been a welcome change from her time overseas and she’s loving every aspect of the city and her team. “Our team has gelled from day one. We have great working relationships and the communication is great. Overall, it’s too good to be true and I’m thankful to be in this environment.”

Ashley gives a lot of the credit for the quick gelling of the roster to the personnel choices of the front office and Head Coach Denise Shilte-Brown, whom she also credits with developing her goalkeeping game. “I think Denise and the rest of our coaching staff did a phenomenal job at picking people that all have a common goal: we want to be best…I’ve learned more from Denise in the month a half I’ve been in Tampa than I did my entire professional career.”

This weekend, Tampa will face DC Power in Super League match week two and Ashley and her backline will be under pressure from another talented attack. She’s been looking towards the match since the whistle ended the last one. Ashley Orkus wants another chance to prove she’s the best.

- Dan Vaughn