HOUSTON (April 24, 2025) - The Houston Dash begin a a two-game homestand this Friday, April 25 as they host Utah Royals FC at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match are available on SeatGeek and fans can also follow the action live on NWSL+.
The Dash look to secure their first three points at home on Friday following a loss in Kansas City last weekend. Houston fell to the Current 2-0 at CPKC Stadium on Saturday evening and that was the first time Houston has been held scoreless on the road this season. The team won its first road game of the season against Chicago Stars FC on March 23 with goals from defender Paige Nielsen and midfielder Maggie Graham.
The Dash will celebrate defender Katie Lind prior to the match on Friday for reaching 150 appearances. Lind reached that milestone at home against Angel City FC on April 12. The defender returned to the active roster earlier this year after spending the 2024 season on maternity leave. Through five games she currently leads the team with four blocks and has 11 clearances.
Offensively, the team is generating opportunities after winning the ball in the attacking third. The Dash lead the league in winning the ball in the opposing third, winning possession 6.8 times per match in that part of the field and two key contributors to that statistic are midfielder Barbara Olivieri and Yazmeen Ryan. The duo has each won possession in the attacking third seven times this season. Ryan (25) and Olivieri (28) have also combined for more than 50 recoveries this season.
Captain Jane Campbell finished with four saves against Kansas City. She has tallied 16 saves through five games and currently holds 1.6 goals against average. Campbell has tallied one clean sheet this season and her next shutout will be the 40th in her career. The Dash shot stopper would be the second goalkeeper in league history to hit that milestone with a single club.
Houston will be without forward Ramona Bachmann and defender Allysha Chapman on Friday. Bachmann was placed on parental leave as she departs Houston for the birth of her first child. Chapman suffered an arm injury earlier this month and was placed on the 45-day injury list. The team activated goalkeeper Heather Hinz off the 45-day injury list and will be eligible for selection. Additionally, forward Amanda West will return to Houston following a knee injury that will require surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. West is on loan with AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League through Aug. 18. She will conduct her rehabilitation in Houston with the team’s medical staff.
Utah snapped a winless streak to open the regular season at home against Chicago Stars FC last Saturday. Ally Sentnor scored the game-winning goal and that was her first goal of the season. Utah has won six of the last 11 matches where Sentnor has contributed to a goal, posting a 6-4-1 (WLD) record in that stretch.
The Royals won the regular season series last year following a 3-1 triumph in Houston last summer. The two teams played to a scoreless draw in Utah last April in the first meeting of the 2024 season. The Dash will close a three-game road trip in Utah on Sept. 14.
Houston will close the two-game homestand on Saturday, May 3 when they host Racing Louisville FC for Pups at the Pitch, presented by Chevron.
