When: Friday, August 8 | Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET | Watch: NWSL+/Paramount+ | Where: Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, Texas)
HOUSTON (August 8, 2025) — The North Carolina Courage hit the road for the first time in the second half of the NWSL season, heading to the Lone Star State to take on the Houston Dash on Friday, August 8, at 8 p.m. ET. The match will stream live on NWSL+ and Paramount+.
The Courage started the second half of the season with a scoreless draw against the fourth-place San Diego Wave. The defense stood tall to keep the clean sheet, with Casey Murphy making four saves.
The Dash drew Bay FC, 2-2, on the road in their second-half opener. Kiki van Zanten and Sophie Schmidt found the back of the net in that draw, with former UNC Tar Heel Avery Patterson and Delanie Sheehan recording the assists.
Patterson and fellow Tobacco Road alumnus Maggie Graham, a standout rookie out of Duke, lead the way for the Dash with three goals each. Marquee offseason acquisition Yazmeen Ryan has been the creative engine in the attack with one goal, one assist, and a team-leading 14 chances created.
The Courage enter the matchup with a 5W-5L-4D record and sit ninth in the standings with 19 points, while the Dash are in 12th with a 3-8-3 record and 12 points. The Courage got the better of the Dash when the pair met at First Horizon Stadium to end the first half of the season, with second-half goals from Jaedyn Shaw and Hannah Betfort spearheading the comeback after an early Dash goal.
Under first-year Head Coach Fabrice Gautrat, who spent multiple seasons as an assistant on the Courage staff, the Dash have picked up wins against Utah, Chicago, and Seattle but are winless since May.
The Courage have been historically strong against the Dash with an 11-4-2 series record, with the team’s 11 wins against the Dash tied for the club’s most against any single opponent in regular season play.
The Details
What they’ll wear:
Courage — Field: Blue/Blue/Blue | GK: Lavender
Dash — Field: Orange/Orange/Orange | GK: Black
2025 Records:
Courage — W5-5L-4D (9th, 19 points)
Dash — 3W-8L-3D (12th, 12 points)
Courage vs. Dash (Regular Season): 11W-4L-2D
Last time out:
Courage — 0-0 Draw, vs San Diego Wave
Dash — 2-2 Draw, at Bay FC
Up next:
The Courage return to First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park to face the Portland Thorns on Saturday, August 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets for the match are available here.
