Houston Dash scores 3 times to beat North Carolina Courage

Although the Houston Dash failed to win any of their first five home games of the NWSL season, new coach Fran Alonso had the right pieces in place.

The Dash put the pieces together Friday as Ramona Bachmann and Bárbara Olivieri scored their first goals of the season and Diana Ordóñez added another in the second half to help Houston beat North Carolina 3-0 for its first victory of the season. season at Shell Energy Stadium.

Houston (3-3-5) ended a three-game losing streak against North Carolina (5-6-0) while avenging a 5-1 season-opening loss on March 16, tying the series of the season. The Dash are ninth in the league standings with 12 points, three points behind seventh-placed Courage.

Michelle Alozie used a pass from Bachmann to create the first dangerous chance of the match in the 23rd minute. But Alozie sent a left-footed shot from inside the box straight at Casey Murphy in the center of the goal for his 300th career save.

The Dash continued to press, however, as Amanda West’s header from the center of the box off an Avery Patterson cross went wide in the 36th minute. The Dash finally broke through eight minutes later with Bachmann using a pass from Patterson to score on a left-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner to take a 1-0 lead, ending a streak of two games without a goal at home.

North Carolina came out guns blazing to start the second half, firing five shots – three in a minute. Olivieri then added an insurance goal with a right-footed shot from the center of the area off a pass from Alozie to lead 2-0 in the 67th minute.

Jane Campbell denied Ashley Sanchez three minutes later to preserve the shutout. Ordóñez joined the party in the 78th minute to lead 3-0. She scored unassisted on a point-blank left-footed shot to the high center of the goal for her fourth team goal of the season. With this goal, Ordóñez surpassed his total from last year’s regular season.

North Carolina outshot Houston 13-9, with the Dash having a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Courage had 65% possession. Campbell made three saves for his fourth clean sheet and Murphy also made three. Defender Tarciane, 20, made her NWSL debut for the Dash.

After the next FIFA window, the Dash will visit Racing Louisville FC in the NWSL at 7 p.m. on June 7 at Lynn Family Stadium.