Courage Host Bay FC Saturday Night
Published on March 27, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release
CARY, N.C. - The North Carolina Courage return to First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park to host Bay FC on Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are available here, and the match will stream on NWSL+.
The Courage enter Saturday's match ranked eighth in the NWSL standings with a 1W-0L-1D record (4 points) after a scoreless draw on the road against the reigning champions in Week 2.
Three players (Sydney Schmidt, Evelyn Ijeh, and Uno Shiragaki) made their NWSL debuts in that match. Kailen Sheridan also picked up her first clean sheet in a Courage jersey and became just the fourth goalkeeper in league history to eclipse 15,000 regular season minutes.
The Courage's last match against Bay FC, the penultimate game of the 2025 season, saw Manaka Matsukubo become the youngest player in league history to score a hat trick. The Courage's young star returned to training this week after winning the AFC Women's Asian Cup and qualifying for the 2027 World Cup with Japan. Appearing as a substitute throughout the tournament, Manaka scored her first senior international goal during the knockout rounds.
Saturday will feature a can't-miss matchup between two of the top young midfielders in the United States Women's National Team player pool, with the Courage's Riley Jackson and Bay's Claire Hutton going head-to-head in the middle of the park.
Hutton made the move to the California club from the Kansas City Current this preseason, joining a new-look Bay team under first-year Head Coach Emma Coates. The former England U-23 manager started her tenure in the NWSL with an impressive season-opening win against Denver Summit in the expansion team's first match, but fell to league-leading Angel City, 3-1, in Week 2.
Midfielder Taylor Huff, who scored the lone goal for Bay in that loss, will miss Saturday's match after she picked up two yellow cards in stoppage time. Italian international forward Christiana Girelli, who is on loan from Juventus, made her NWSL debut in the loss.
The Bay roster features plenty of familiar faces in Courage Country, including former players Tess Boade, Sydney Collins, Brooklyn Courtnall, and Abby Dahlkemper.
The Details
What they'll wear:
Courage - Players: Venus Fly Trap (navy) & GK: Light Purple
Bay - Players: Poppy & GK: Plum
2026 Records:
Courage - 1W-0L-1D (8th, 4 points)
Bay - 1W-1L-0D (10th, 3 points)
Courage vs. Bay (Regular Season): 1W-2L-1D
Last time out:
Courage - 0-0 Draw, at Gotham
Bay - 3-1 Loss, vs Angel City
Up next:
The Courage remain at home to face longtime rival, the Portland Thorns, on Saturday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on ION and tickets are available.
National Women's Soccer League Stories from March 27, 2026
- Angel City Football Club Tops Houston Dash for Historic Third Consecutive Victory to Open Season - Angel City FC
- Houston Dash Fall, 2-1, on the Road to Angel City FC - Houston Dash
- Preview: Spirit Prepares for First Match against Denver Summit FC, Another Record Crowd - Washington Spirit
- Reign FC Hosts Racing Louisville FC on Saturday at ONE Spokane Stadium - Seattle Reign FC
- Bay FC Heads to Tarheel State for First Road Match of 2026 - Bay FC
- Kansas City Current Rounds out Road Trip with Visit to Portland Thorns - Kansas City Current
- Crack Open the Fun: Bay FC to Host an Egg Hunt at April 5 Match against Washington Spirit - Bay FC
- Utah Royals FC Ends East Coast Trip at Gillette Stadium Facing Boston Legacy FC - Utah Royals FC
- What to Watch for in Racing's Trip to Spokane to Face Reign - Racing Louisville FC
- Sundown Lounge Coming to Current Landing - Kansas City Current
- Courage Host Bay FC Saturday Night - North Carolina Courage
- San Diego Wave FC Acquire U.S. Women's National Team Forward Catarina Macario - San Diego Wave FC
- Racing Signs Former Louisville Cardinal Goalkeeper Floyd to First Pro Deal - Racing Louisville FC
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