As part of the festivities for City of Soccer weekend, the Houston Dash are bringing a familiar face back to PNC Stadium. Former Dash midfielder Brittany Bock will return to PNC Stadium on opening day, signing and taking photos with fans at Autograph Alley presented by PNC.
Bock was the first ever player named to the Houston Dash after being selected first overall in the 2014 NWSL Expansion Draft. An experienced midfielder between both the Women’s Professional Soccer league and National Women’s Soccer League, the midfielder led the league’s first expansion team alongside other veterans for their inaugural season. She helped build the team’s core identity from the ground up over two seasons.
“It’s such an honor to be to be a part of that initial group and to be the first player,” Bock said. “What was so great about that first year was the core group that we started to build together.”
Unfortunately, Brittany Bock sustained an injury in the opening minutes of the Dash’s inaugural season. However, this didn’t deter her from helping to create an identity for the NWSL’s first-ever expansion team.
“I think what I leaned into was the support around the community. The fans really poured their support into us,” Bock said.
Not only did the former midfielder experience the support of the fans on the field, but she was also able to give back and immerse herself in the city’s soccer scene off the field. Over her two seasons with the Dash, Bock was finding ways to connect with Houston’s soccer scene.
“No matter where I was, if I was in a park and I wasn't with Dynamo Charities or the Houston Dash, I was so excited to go into the community, see some people playing soccer and tell them about the Dash,” she explained. “When I could, I would go visit youth teams, go to their practices sometimes and watch their games because I think it's so important in such a diverse community.”
Although Houston wasn’t the longest or final destination for Bock, she still keeps the city close to her heart after all these years. Despite playing for a number of different teams throughout her career, Houston has always meant more.
Bock shared, “It was an answered prayer when I got the call about coming back for this [weekend]. I love the community and the Dash organization. I had a lot of fun with them. So I feel like a lot of it will come back and it will feel like old times, even though I've been out of it for awhile.”
Brittany Bock will make her return to PNC Stadium on Sunday, May 1 when the Houston Dash open the regular season against San Diego Wave FC. Catch her at PNC Bank’s Autograph Alley thirty minutes before kickoff and will host the Dash’s first-ever 50/50 raffle during the match. Tickets are available here.
