A pair of quick OL Reign goals put the Houston Dash behind early and they were unable to come back in a 5-1 defeat at Cheney Field this evening.
OL Reign jumped out to an early 2-0 lead through a goal from Bethany Balcer in the sixth minute, then doubled the lead in the 19th through midfielder Sofia Huerta.
Houston pulled a goal back in the 30th minute whenmidfielder Veronica Latsko played a ball to midfielder Shea Groom in the box. Groom created enough space to send a shot on goal that was deflected by a OL Reign defender giving the Dash their first and only goal of the contest.
Four minutes later, Reign midfielder Eugénie Le Sommer put a shot on goal that was deflected by Dash goalkeeper Lindsey Harris. Sommer was quickest to react, sending the second ball past the keeper to make it 3-1.
The hosts extended the lead going into halftime after Jess Fishlock struck a ball from outside of the box that hit the top left corner in the 42nd minute. Shortly after, Balcer scored her second goal of the match as the Dash went into the locker room down 5-1.
Houston had their first opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the 28th minute when midfielder Gabby Seiler beat the Reign backline. Looking to score in her second consecutive match, Seiler tried to send one past the goalkeeper but it was deflected away for a corner.
Dash goalkeeper Lindsey Harris stood deflected a ball for a corner stopping Bethany Balcer from adding to her goal total. In her fifth consecutive start, Harris finished the game with a total of three saves.
The Dash will look to regain their dropped points on Friday, Aug. 13 against the Washington Spirit at 7:30 p.m. CT. This is the second meeting of the regular season as Houston will look to even the season series after falling to Washington Spirit 2-1 on May 26 at BBVA Stadium. Houston will travel to Portland to participate in the Women’s International Champions Cup on Wednesday, Aug. 18 against the Portland Thorns.
