The Houston Dash fell on the road 2-0 to top ranked OL Reign at Lumen Field on Saturday evening.
Forward Ebony Salmon took a shot in the fourth minute after getting past the OL Reign backline for the first attempt of the night.
OL Reign appeared to have scored in the 13th minute of the match, but the goal was called off by the Video Assistant Referee after it was deemed there was a handball.
Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell made a key save in the 36th minute after OL Reign and USWNT forward Megan Rapinoe took a shot on the right side of the penalty area.
Campbell made another crucial stop in the 45th minute after Rapinoe was able to breakaway in transition.
During the first minute of second half stoppage time Houston was able to put pressure on the OL Reign backline. Forward Diana Ordóñez was able to force a turnover at midfield and Houston worked to piece together an attack. Salmon took the shot and landed directly into the arms of the Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
OL Reign took the lead in the 53rd minute after Rapinoe found forward Veronica Latsko in the box.
Midfielder Bárbara Olivieri made her regular season debut after coming into the match as a second-half substitute in the 56th minute. Olivieri scored her first NWSL goal on Wednesday, May 3 against Chicago Red Stars in the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup.
The Reign extended its lead in the 68th minute of the match after Latsko found forward Jordyn Huitema in the box.
Olivieri put Tullis-Joyce to work in the 77th minute after she took a shot from outside the 18-yard box that forced the goalkeeper to slightly come off her line to make the save.
The Dash return to Shell Energy Stadium on Friday, May 12 to host Portland Thorns at 7:30 pm CT. Houston and Portland played to a 1-1 draw on Friday, April 14 at Providence Park. Before the match Houston will honor captain and midfielder Sophie Schmidt for making her career 100th NWSL regular season appearance. Schmidt hit the milestone on Friday, April 26 against North Carolina.
