The Houston Dash will wrap up its final match of a three-game regular season road stretch when the team travels to the nation’s capital on Saturday to take on the Washington Spirit at Audi Field. Houston is 1-0-1 in road games this season and enters Saturday’s match unbeaten.
The Dash are looking to extend its unbeaten streak in road matches to five games and earn its second road win of the season. Saturday also marks the end of a busy stretch of matches for the team after playing in three matches across an eight-day stretch. Houston played the Kansas City Current on Wednesday evening at Shell Energy Stadium in the opening match of the Challenge Cup. Several rookies made their NWSL debut in the match, including three of Houston’s draft selections; defenders Jylissa Harris and Lindsi Jennings and midfielder Sophie Hirst.
Defender Katie Lind returned to the starting line up on Wednesday night after being sidelined due to an injury through the first three games of the regular season. Lind, formerly Naughton, holds the record for consecutive starts with 18 and minutes played (1601) in Challenge Cup play dating back to the tournament's inception in 2020. Houston Dash head coach Sam Laity mentioned in his postgame comments that he was pleased to see the defender play a full 90 minutes. Lind has a been a key figure in the Dash back line since arriving in January 2020. The Norte Dame product played every minute of the last two NWSL regular seasons for the Dash, earning back-to-back Ironwoman honors.
Washington enters Saturday’s match with 2-0-1 record in regular season play and currently sits in second place behind Portland. The Spirit are under new direction at head coach with Mark Parsons, who was announced as the team’s manager late last year. The Spirit are led by USWNT forwards Trinity Rodman and Ashley Hatch. Rodman has scored twice this season a tallied an assist on one of Hatch’s three goals this year. Together the duo has scored all of Washington’s goals so far in 2023.
Houston returns to Shell Energy Stadium on Friday, April 28 to host the North Carolina Courage. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT.
