Match Info:
North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash Sunday, June 19 at 5 p.m. ET WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, NC
CARY, NC (June 17, 2022) – The North Carolina Courage finally return home to host the Houston Dash this Sunday, June 19, at 5 p.m. ET. Prior to kickoff, the Courage will be acknowledging Juneteenth with a festival to celebrate Black excellence and culture. The match will be broadcast on Paramount+ and Twitch (internationally). Tickets can be purchased here and more information on the Juneteenth Festival can be found here.
Last Time Out: The North Carolina Courage won their second straight match with a 3-2 stoppage-time victory over the Washington Spirit on Saturday, June 11, at Segra Field in Leesburg, VA. The Courage were coached by Assistant Coach Nathan Thackeray, who stepped in for Sean Nahas who was under COVID-19 protocol.
Forward Kerolin Nicoli netted her first NWSL regular-season goal just six minutes into the match and the Courage would double their lead just six minutes into the second half when defender and captain Abby Erceg tallied her first regular-season goal of the year with a stellar header off a corner kick in from Carson Pickett. Through two Spirit comeback goals, including a penalty kick goal from Ashley Hatch, the Courage kept their eyes on those three points and it was Kaleigh Kurtz who made the difference. Scoring a goal in her second-straight match, Kurtz found herself in a prime position inside the box following a Debinha freekick, netting also the second-straight game-winning goal of her career. The last time the Courage took the field against the Houston Dash, it was on the road in a 1-1 draw. Diana Ordoñez scored her first professional regular-season goal.
Where to Watch: Paramount+, Twitch (internationally)
Players to Watch Presented by JubliaRX.com
North Carolina Courage – #9 Kerolin Nicoli Courage striker Kerolin Nicoli scored her first NWSL regular-season goal in last Saturday’s win over Washington, just six minutes into the match. The 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship MVP, K. Nicoli has linked up well with fellow Brazilian Debinha to give the Courage offense a formidable presence. After sustaining an injury in the Challenge Cup Championship match, K. Nicoli finally returned to action in the Courage’s 3-0 win over Racing Louisville FC. Since then, K. Nicoli has logged three starts for 262 minutes of play. Houston Dash – #8 Nichelle Prince Dash forward and Canadian national Nichelle Prince’s four goals this season account for a little more than one-third of Houston’s total goal count for the 2022 regular season thus far. Prince has started all seven games she’s appeared in this season and has tallied two assists on top of her scoring total.
Up Next: The North Carolina Courage hit the road again, making the trek to the Pacific Northwest to take on OL Reign FC on July 1 at 10 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast live on Paramount+, WRAL Sports+ (locally) and Twitch (internationally).
