The Houston Dash return to Shell Energy Stadium to host North Carolina Courage for the first regular season home game of the month. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can purchase tickets to the match here.
The Dash enter Friday’s match following a 0-0 draw on the road against Washington Spirit on Saturday, April 22 at Audi Field. With the draw, Houston is now off to its best start in club history with a 1-0-3 (WLD) overall regular season record and is one of three NWSL to remain unbeaten.
The North Carolina Courage travel to Houston for the first time this season. The Courage are coming off a 1-0 loss to NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday, April 22 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. North Carolina enters the match with a 1-3-0 overall regular season record and has suffered three straight losses.
Houston will return to 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup group play on Wednesday, May 3 against Chicago Red Stars. Wednesday’s meeting will be the first matchup in Challege Cup play. The two teams met on April 1, following a 2-1 win in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Here are three key points ahead of Friday’s match:
- DEFENSIVE STRENGTH: The Dash have only allowed two goals this season. Houston and Portland are the only two teams to allow two goals to start the season. On Saturday afternoon’s 0-0 draw against Washington, the Dash allowed only four shots on target. Defender Allysha Chapman was 7-for-7 in attempted tackles in the game. Chapman was tasked with defending USWNT and Washington forward Trinity Rodman, who was involved in all of the Spirit’s previous five goals heading into the match.
- CAMPBELL’S BRICK WALL: Goalkeeper Jane Campbell made four saves in the match against Washington and earned her second clean sheet of 2023. Campbell kept the 24th clean sheet of her NWSL career against Washington on Saturday. Since joining the Dash in 2017, Campbell has been in the net for 92 percent of the Dash’s clean sheets during that time (24 of 26), which is the most among NWSL goalkeepers on teams with at least 10 clean sheets since 2017. Campbell currently sits fourth in the league with the most saves this season at 15.
- MILESTONE WATCH: Midfielder Sophie Schmidt is set to reach 100 career regular season appearances in the match against North Carolina. The Canadian international first joined the Dash in 2019 and has been a mainstay in the midfield. Schmidt won the 2020 Olympic Gold at the Tokyo games. Defender Allysha Chapman is also closing in on 100 career appearances in the NWSL. The defender first joined the Dash as an allocated player from the Canadian Federation. Chapman also won the Olympic Gold Medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
