North Carolina Courage Return to Action Saturday, June 15 Against the Portland Thorns | North Carolina Courage Return to Action Saturday, June 15 Against the Portland Thorns

13 June 2019By: nc-forge-converter-client

North Carolina Courage Return to Action Saturday, June 15 Against the Portland Thorns

Match Info:
North Carolina Courage vs Portland Thorns
Saturday, June 15 – 7:45 p.m.
**Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park

Cary, N.C. (June 13, 2019)-** The North Carolina Courage take on the Portland Thorns in a NWSL Championship rematch on Saturday, June 15 at the newly re-sodded Sahlen’s Stadium. The NC Courage and NCFC are celebrating Pride Night presented by Credit Suisse. This long-awaited matchup comes after the FIFA World Cup break and at a crucial point in the NWSL schedule. The two teams sit in the top four in the NWSL standings, just two points apart.

While both teams are without their World Cup players, new names and faces have risen to the challenge. For the NC Courage, rookie Leah Pruitt has made her way into the starting lineup. Pruitt already has a goal and an assist in her rookie season. For the Portland Thorns, Midge Purce has taken control, scoring three goals in the Thorns’ last two games.

Additionally, NC Courage forward Kristen Hamilton has stepped up as she boosted the team over the Orlando Pride on Saturday, June 1 with her first career hattrick. After her performance, she was named the NWSL Player of the Week. Hamilton has played 414 minutes in eight games this season.

Jaelene Hinkle had one of the assists to Hamilton’s goals, making it her third assist of the season and tying her for the most assists in the NWSL. Lynn Williams has the second most assist on the team with two.

The Thorns last played on Sunday, June 2, defeating the Chicago Red Stars, 3-0. Purce had a brace in the match and Marissa Everett added an additional goal.

The Courage and Thorns have not met since the NWSL Championship game on September 22, 2018 in which the Courage won their first NWSL Championship. The two teams have met in the championship in the past two seasons, fueling their rivalry.

Up Next: The North Carolina Courage will travel for their first matchup of the season against the Washington Spirit on Saturday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m.

Players to Watch:

North Carolina Courage- #37 Sam Leshnak
Leshnak made her debut for the Courage last game with a start against the Orlando Pride. She saved all shots during the game, earning the clean sheet. The UNC graduate signed as a goalkeeper replacement player in April.

Portland Thorns- #23 Midge Purce
Purce has appeared in five games for a total of 151 minutes so far this season. She scored two out of her three goals for the season in Portland’s last matchup against Chicago, leading the team to victory. This momentum is something she will look to carry over into Saturday’s matchup.