HOUSTON (April 11, 2025) - The Houston Dash return to league play on Saturday as they host Angel City FC at Shell Energy Stadium for the first of two matches this season. Seven players returned to Houston earlier this week from international duty and that list includes defender Avery Patterson, who earned her first start for the U.S. Women’s National Team on Tuesday in San Jose, Calif. against Brazil.
Patterson joined forward Yazmeen Ryan and goalkeeper Jane Campbell for the two-game friendly series with Brazil. Ryan and Patterson finished with two appearances for the USWNT and Campbell was named to the match roster on Tuesday.
Midfielder Kiki Van Zanten returned to competitive action on Saturday, April 5 in the first of two matches against Mexico. She played two matches for Jamaica and that included a second-half appearance on Tuesday at Shell Energy Stadium. The Notre Dame University alum made four appearances and earned one start for the Dash prior to suffering a foot injury during Houston’s match against the Washington Spirit in April 2024.
Two players returned from Europe following two rounds of the UEFA Women’s Nations League. Midfielder Sarah Puntigam joined Austria for two matches against the Netherlands and forward Ramona Bachmann joined Switzerland for matches against Iceland and France.
Defender Zoe Matthews returned to Houston earlier this week following a training camp with the U-18 U.S. Girls National Team in Georgia.
Saturday’s match could feature defender Katie Lind’s 150th appearance in league play and the centerback has played 63 regular season matches for the team since arriving in 2020. Lind helped the team lift the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup following the launch of the new competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She led the team to the postseason for the first time in 2022 and helped the team reach new defensive records for the team in shutouts and goals conceded. This is Lind’s first full season since the 2023 campaign after she spent the 2024 campaign on maternity leave.
Angel City is one of three undefeated teams in league play this season. The Southern California club earned their first triumph of the season at home prior to the FIFA break with a 2-1 victory over Seattle Reign FC. Alyssa Thompson gave Angel City the lead in the eighth minute of the match and Riley Tiernan scored the game-winning goal in the second half. Thompson leads the team with two goals and she scored the equalizer in their home opening match against San Diego Wave FC on March 16.
Thompson was one of eight Angel City players that reported to national team duty during the last FIFA break. Thompson joined Patterson, Ryan and Campbell for the two-match series against Brazil and tallied an assist in the opening match. Alanna Kenney joined Australia for back-to-back victories over South Korea and Claire Emslie joined Scotland in their loss to Germany as part of the UEFA Nations League fixtures.
Houston won the head-to-head series last year following a dramatic last-second goal from defender Paige Nielsen in Los Angeles plus a scoreless draw in Houston later that season. Four of the last six meetings between these two teams have ended in a draw. According to Opta, the score has been tied in 500 of the 530 minutes disputed by both teams during that stretch with the winning goals coming for both teams late in the second half.
The Dash travel to CPKC Stadium next weekend to face the Kansas City Current on Saturday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the match live on ION. The Dash return to Shell Energy Stadium on Friday, April 25 to host Utah Royals FC at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets for that match are available on SeatGeek.
