Houston Dash vs North Carolina Courage: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Aldo Canale)
The Houston Dash lost 1-0 to the North Carolina Courage on Saturday night at Shell Energy Stadium.
MATCH SUMMARY
Houston Dash 0-1 North Carolina Courage
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
Referee: Matthew Corrigan
Assistants: Alicia Messer, Austin Holt
Fourth Official: William Hale
VAR: Danielle Chesky
Attendance: 6,811
Weather: 83 degrees, clear skies
SCORING SUMMARY
NCC: Ashley Sanchez (Manaka Matsukubo) 42’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
NCC: Uno Shiragaki (caution; foul) 19’
HOU: Avery Patterson (caution; foul) 57’
NCC: Ally Schlegel (ejection; foul) 77’
HOU: Paige Nielsen (caution; foul) 90+2’
LINEUPS AND STATS
Houston Dash: Jane Campbell; Leah Klenke, Lisa Boattin (Malia Berkley 58’), Paige Nielsen, Avery Patterson; Kat Rader (Cate Hardin 90+8’), Maggie Graham, Linda Ullmark, Danielle Colaprico; Kate Faasse (Clarissa Larisey 58’), Kiki Van Zanten (Messiah Bright 85’)
Unused substitutes: Caroline DeLisle, Allysha Chapman, Sarah Puntigam, Evelina Duijan, Sophie Schmidt
Total shots: 16
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 8
Offside: 1
Corner kicks: 9
Saves: 7
North Carolina Courage: Kailen Sheridan; Ryan Williams, Uni Shiragaki, Maycee Bell; Riley Jackson, Dani Weatherholt, Shinomi Koyama, Manaka Matsukubo; Ashley Sanchez (Chioma Okafor 61’, Carly Wickenheiser 80’), Evelyn Ijeh (Hannah Betfort 63’), Payton Crawford (Ally Schlegel 63’)
Unused Substitutes: Sydney Schmidt, Lauryn Thompson, Felicitas Rauch, Natalia Staude, Carly Wickenheiser, Molly Pritchard
Total shots: 16
Shots on goal: 8
Fouls: 9
Offside: 1
Corner kicks: 2
Saves: 2
HOUSTON DASH HEAD COACH FABRICE GAUTRAT
On the match:
"We’re obviously disappointed with the result. We definitely didn’tcome out as our usual selves in the first half, so we’ll have to look back at that. Ourpress was a little off. I thought the second half was a really good response, we pinnedthem for the majority of the half. We were very close to creating and scoring, so it’sunfortunate not to come away with at least a point tonight. We regrouped, and there area lot of positives from the game that we need to take and move forward."
On the team’s execution:
“We’re still a young group, so there’s still a lot to grow from. We’relayering ideas, but even in the crossing situations there were key areas for us to exploit,and I think we just hit balls in sometimes. The spaces were there and players were openand we have to just keep picking at that. It’s also a group we need to keep coaching andkeep encouraging. There are a lot of good pieces. I don't think it's necessarily the threeweeks off, so I think we've just got to get back to the drawin g board. We’ll keepexposing our players to the situations we're going to be in. We worked quite a bit onfront-third execution, so we need to keep layering on that next week."
On improvements:
“The Angel City game was, I thought, one of our bestperformances—we had a three-minute spell that didn’t go our way. Against San Diego,from a pressing standpoint, it was a little bit similar. We were a bit disconnected tonight. I think with Kailen Sheridan’s ability on the ball, and North Carolina having very dynamicplayers who are comfortable on the ball and love to create overloads, there were acouple things there that we needed to improve. If you’re even a yard or two off, or yourtiming is off, it can definitely go from winning the ball higher up the field to now you'redefending in your own box. So, there were a few things that we needed to tweak on thepositioning piece to improve for sure."
On the team’s forward options and losing Makenzy Robbe:
"We’re a competitive group. I thought Clarissa (Larisey)really changed the game when she came on. It’s only Kate’s (Faasse) second game asa pro, so she needs time. It’s a combination of things. Makenzy (Robbe) has been agreat leader for us and will continue to be, even while she rehabs. There are big shoesto fill, but with this group, the next player up is always ready. There’s competition, so Ican’t say this will be our front two moving forward, but there’s a lot to work with. We’vegot an eager group that's hungry to improve. We just need to keep coaching them upand get back to the drawing board."
On Leah Klenke:
"It's priceless. Her (Leah Klenke) ability to defend I think ishuge. It's a testament to her growth and her versatility is only going to keep helping hercareer moving forward. It's good to have Lisa (Boattin) back and get some minutesunder her belt. The good news is, we've got a pretty deep backline, and a competitivebackline, so this will be good for us moving forward, players getting minutes to keepgrowing. We've got eight games in five weeks and it'll be seven games in four weeks, sowe'll need everyone for sure."
On the attendance growth at Shell Energy Stadium this season:
"It's great to see the growth in ourattendance, that’s something the players really feed off of. This is such an entertainingteam, and it's a young and dynamic team that's only going to keep getting better. So,the good news is we're still so early in the season, and I think the world of this groupand I know we'll just keep growing and keep evolving."
HOUSTON DASH GOALKEEPER JANE CAMPBELL
On the match:
“Tough game. Tough result. North Carolina played a great game,hats off to them. Their game plan kind of picked our game plan apart a bit, and wenever really found a rhythm. But on the flip side, it's good to have everybody back frominternational duty. We had a good week of training, and I think we're in a big stretch ofgames in the month of May, so we're excited to still keep this ball rolling. It is still earlydays and onto the next one.”
On what led to the result:
“I's a bit of everything. North Carolina wasup, obviously, at the half, so I'm not surprised that we had more of the attacking possession in the second half. We weren't really in sync for whatever reason. You knowwe felt rushed in the 50th minute, things like that. Someone wanted a ball to feed andthe ball got played over the top, or vice versa, or, you know, you're trying to complete asimple wall pass and it just isn't executed. So, I'm sure there's a ton of factors. It can'tbe perfect all the time, but it's a good lesson for us now to really, really get on the samepage in training and make sure we're reading cues and communicating. It's hard if yougo down and we become quiet, then the communication stops. As a whole, everybodyincluded, and including myself, we all have to communicate and help each other out andmake the hard passes simple and just do the simple things right. I think we're reallygood at that when we're on, and I think it was just a little off today.”
On returning to club action:
“It's always fun to be back with the girls. I love them todeath. I know they have my back. I'm super bummed about the goal. I wear that on myshoulders. I feel like I could have done so much better. (Ashley) Sanchez had a greatfinish, and I think at the end of the day, I'm not happy to be peppered like that, but at thesame time, I am. It keeps me in rhythm and I know the team can rely on me, and that'smy job at the end of the day. Keep the ball out the back of the net. So, of course, toanswer your question, I was trying to like find my footing again and get back to thisrhythm and the system and how everybody's playing. We had a couple of changes inthe lineup. So, just feeling everybody out and hopefully I didn't miss too much of a beatwhile I was gone, but it's always fun to be back and playing in this jersey.”
On the attendance growth at Shell Energy Stadium this season:
“It's huge. Anytime the lower bowl or even the upper bowl is open is huge for us. We have to give them apicture that they need to be proud of, and we need to entertain them. More pressure forus, but no problem. We want everybody and their friends and their family and long lostcousins to come watch us play. We want everybody in there. We want everyonecheering, booing, you name it, go get a hot dog, get a drink, come on, make it a party.We want everyone to support this team and support the organization. We're doingamazing things. I know there's been tough years behind us, but, what we're pushing forand striving for is going to be really, really incredible. We have a few games coming up,you know, back-to-back-to-back. So, I hope everyone shows out.”
On the defense:
“The defense does amazing and huge credit to the back four.Big credit to the team, of course, always defending. Adding Lisa (Boattin) back hasbeen helpful. She's a magician out there. Leah (Klenke) is new, obviously, as a rookieand has so much potential and is kind of like this crazy, good utility player. We can kindof move for where we need. She's done great playing left back, and then we needed herelsewhere, and she stepped right up. Paige (Nielsen) and Avery (Patterson), of course,have been doing their thing. Then Malia (Berkely) stepped in in the second half and her experience speaks for itself. So, credit to them. They make my job really, really easyand I think they're doing great.”
On the international break and the upcoming matches:
“The break (April FIFA window)was good in the sense that people (the players) got to rest, some people were oninternational duty, and got to kind of unplug, but now we're back and it's kind of the startof a grueling patch for us. There are a lot of games coming up, and I think the mostimportant thing for us is that we'll review this game (against North Carolina Courage)pretty quickly, and then it's just on to the next. We can't live in the past, and we alsocan't live too far in the future knowing we have a few midweeks (midweek matches)coming up. The most important thing is we're at home next weekend, and we have toput on a performance for that. We'll bring people back, and hopefully get us threepoints, because we should be getting three points here at home. We need to be playingbetter and we'll for sure do that. We have a lot of room to grow, which is exciting, this isan exciting team, exciting group. The main message is just one game at a time.”
HOUSTON DASH MIDFIELDER DANIELLE COLAPRICO
On the match:
“We were disappointed with howwe started, especially in the first half. We were a step too late to many first and secondballs, which made it hard to build any momentum. That’s something we addressed athalftime, and I thought the response in the second half was much better. We weresharper, more aggressive, and more on the front foot. It was encouragin g to see thatreaction, but ultimately, we left ourselves with too much to do and just ran out of time inthe end.”
On the three-week layoff:
“I think it comes down to mentality. We’vehad a bit of a break and we’re still getting everyone back into rhythm, but the second-half performance showed exactly the kind of team we can be. That was reallyencouraging. Now it’s about making sure we bring that same intensity and focus fromthe very start of the game, not just after halftime.”
On the lesson from this match:
“It’s definitely a grind in this league, and theschedule we’ve got coming up in May is no joke, we’re very aware of that. One of thestrengths of this team is our depth. It’s a ‘next one up’ mentality, and we’re going to relyon that with the rotations over the next few weeks. Everyone has to be ready to step inand contribute. We also need a bit of a short-term memory to put this result behind usquickly and focus on what’s coming next.
