‘It’s breathed new life into me’: Emily Menges is up for the challenge with Bay FC

Photo Copyright Mike Watters for USA TODAY Sports

Emily Menges thought she’d be a Thorn forever. After a decade playing with the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League, many would have agreed with her – but that all changed when expansion side Bay FC acquired the 31-year-old defender in a trade ahead of the Expansion Draft. 

“For years I thought I’d be a one-club girl,” Menges exclusively told The Equalizer. “But honestly, this move has been amazing for me in so many ways.”

Now, just a few months in with her new team, the New York native is grateful for the new experience which has, for the first time in over a decade, gotten her out of her comfort zone. 

“When I look back on the Thorns, I think at a certain point I had maybe stopped growing as quickly,” Menges explained. “I’m not sure if it was a comfort thing but I hit a plateau.”

As Menges adjusts to her new life, new teammates, new facilities, and a new way of doing things, she realizes that she did everything she wanted to do at Portland. She won championships, she played with elite players, and she explored the area – from the hikes to the restaurants.