
Houston Dash Close Homestand with Military Appreciation Night
Published on May 22, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Houston Dash News Release
HOUSTON - The Houston Dash celebrate Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, May 23 as they host Angel City FC at Shell Energy Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CT and tickets for the match are available HERE. This is the final home match for the Dash prior to the summer break for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup. The team will return to East Downtown on July 24 for Global Football Night against Bay FC.
The Dash opened the two-game homestand with a 2-2 draw against San Diego Wave FC that went to the wire on Wednesday. Three players who entered the match in the second half generated Houston's first goal of the evening as midfielder Sarah Puntigam found defender Allysha Chapman at midfield. The Canadian international dribbled into the final third and played the ball wide to rookie forward Kate Faasse. The University of North Carolina product found the inside corner of the far post with a shot from outside the box for her first goal as a professional.
Faasse was one of five first-year players to earn minutes on Wednesday evening against San Diego. The Dash have allocated 36 starts for rookies this season, a new club record and currently the highest tally in the league.
Faasse tallied an assist moments later when she found fellow rookie Kat Rader. The Duke University product created space for a shot that found the inside of the far post for her third goal of the season. Faasse is the first Dash player to come off the bench and record multiple goal contributions in a match since Andressinha during the 2017 season. The 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy winner is also the first player in team history to score a goal and tally an assist in a match off the bench.
Goalkeeper Caroline DeLisle made her regular season debut Wednesday after captain Jane Campbell exited late in the second half with a head injury. DeLisle recorded a save in her NWSL debut and is one of 10 new players added to Houston's roster this season. Campbell's status for Saturday's match will be updated later today in the club's availability report.
Defensively, Houston finished with 23 clearances against San Diego, including a goal-line stop from defender Malia Berkely that denied Melanie Barcenas in the 40th minute. The sequence earned national recognition on ESPN's SportsCenter Top Plays, while Berkely also led the Dash with six duels won and five clearances on the night.
Angel City FC climbed to seventh in the league standings following a midweek home victory over the Kansas City Current. Gisele Thompson opened the scoring with her third goal of the season and she is tied with Sveindís Jónsdóttir for the most goals scored for the club. At just 20 years old, Thompson has also surpassed 10 career goal contributions since making her professional debut, becoming the third Angel City player to reach that milestone over the past two seasons.
The two sides met earlier this season in Los Angeles, where Angel City earned a 2-1 comeback victory. Midfielder Maggie Graham scored Houston's lone goal before Angel City capitalized on two opportunities at the start of the second half to secure three points.
The Dash travel to New Jersey at the end of the month for the final match prior to the summer break. Houston will face Gotham FC on Sunday, May 31 at 2 p.m. CT. Fans can follow the action live on NWSL +.
National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 22, 2026
- Reign FC Surges with 2-1 Road Win over Boston Legacy FC - Seattle Reign FC
- Legacy's Five-Game Unbeaten Streak Ends with 2-1 Loss to Seattle in Rhode Island - Boston Legacy FC
- Match Preview: Bay FC Hosts Chicago Stars FC for Pride Match at PayPal Park - Bay FC
- Houston Dash Close Homestand with Military Appreciation Night - Houston Dash
- Utah Royals FC Stays Home to Host Denver Summit FC Looking to Extend Eight-Match Unbeaten Streak - Utah Royals FC
- Gotham FC Aims to Bounce Back in Third-Place Match against Pachuca - NJ/NY Gotham FC
- What to Watch for as Racing Welcomes the NC Courage - Racing Louisville FC
- Gotham FC Forward Mak Whitham Named to Bumpy Pitch FC Roster for 2026 TST - NJ/NY Gotham FC
- Haslam Sports Group to Name Tim Bezbatchenko President of Global Soccer - Columbus
- NC Courage Head to Kentucky for Rematch of Season Opener - North Carolina Courage
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Houston Dash Stories
- Houston Dash Close Homestand with Military Appreciation Night
- Houston Dash Split Points with San Diego to Open Homestand
- Houston Dash Host Final Homestand Prior to World Cup Break
- Houston Dash Fall on the Road against Kansas City
- Houston Dash Fall on the Road against Kansas City


