HOUSTON – (Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023) – The Houston Dash and Houston Dynamo FC received five nominations for the seventh annual Houston Sports Awards, an annual celebration created by the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority in 2018 to celebrate and recognize the year’s top sports achievements, performers and moments.
The Dynamo’s triumph at the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final was nominated for Moment of the Year. This was the fourth domestic trophy and the first since the 2018 edition of the tournament. Houston also secured a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup and recently advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating Sporting Kansas City 1-0 at Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday.
Dash captain Jane Campbell and Dynamo captain Héctor Herrera were nominated for Athlete of the Year. Campbell was recently named the National Women’s Soccer League Goalkeeper of the Year and reported to training camp with the U.S. Women’s National Team for a pair of friendlies against China. The Dash shot stopper made the most regular season saves this year, nearly missing out on century mark at 93 saves. She was one of three goalkeepers to record eight clean sheets this season, a club and personal record.
Herrera tallied the assist in Houston’s victory over Kansas City on Sunday in the Western Conference Semifinals. The veteran midfielder was also named to the 2023 MLS Best XI earlier today after a stellar campaign, his first full season with the team. Herrera tallied 17 assists during the regular season, a new club record and helped Houston return to the postseason for the first time since 2017.
Dash forward Michelle Alozie was nominated for the Community Impact Award for her work as a cancer research technician at Texas Children's Hospital. She is a member of a research team tasked with identifying alternative treatments for acute myeloid leukemia. On the field, Alozie scored four goals and tallied an assist in the regular season and represented Nigeria at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This was her first trip to the World Cup and she led Nigeria to the knockout round after securing five points in the group stage.
Dynamo forward Amine Bassi was nominated for Newcomer of the Year. The 26-year-old is one of 17 new players to join the team this season and he scored 10 goals in his first season with the Dynamo. The forward also tallied four assists during the regular season and is one of 12 Dynamo players to earn MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday honors this season.
The Houston Sports Awards will take place on Jan. 30, 2024, at 713 Music Hall in downtown Houston. Houston Astros pitcher and World Series Champion Lance McCullers Jr. will serve as the host of the star-studded event that includes Houston legends like Cynthia Cooper and Warren Moon. For updates and additional information about the awards, visit HoustonSportsAwards.org.
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