Sports stats



NWSL North Carolina Courage

North Carolina Courage Return to NWSL Play against Reign FC on Saturday, August 24

August 22, 2019 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


Cary, NC - The North Carolina Courage face Reign FC on Saturday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m. for the third and final time this season in a match where the Courage will look to earn an important three points. The NC Courage are currently undefeated at home in NWSL play and have an overall record of 8W-4L-4D. The match will be broadcast locally on FOX50.

The Courage and Reign FC have split the series in the past two meetings, with each team earning a win. On May 27, the Courage fell in Tacoma, Washington 2-1. Abby Erceg scored the lone goal, and despite a late push, the Courage could not find an equalizer. On July 13, the NC Courage bounced back, defeating the Reign 2-0. Lynn Williams and Debinha were the goal scorers in the win.

This will be the first match between the two teams where both team's USWNT players will be available for selection. Reign FC is home of two World Cup Champions in Megan Rapinoe and Allie Long, while the NC Courage has four in Crystal Dunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Samantha Mewis, and Jessica McDonald.

The North Carolina Courage currently lead the NWSL in assists with 25 on the season thanks to Williams, Merritt Mathias, and Jaelene Hinkle. Williams is tied for first place in the NWSL with five, while Mathias and Hinkle are tied for second place with four assists each. These three along with the rest of the Courage team will look for more assists and goals Saturday against Reign FC.

Someone who has been on the receiving end of many assists this season is Kristen Hamilton. The forward has been a standout in 2019, scoring eight goals and recording two hat tricks. Williams has six goals on the season and is the second-leading scorer on the Courage.

Up Next: Following the FIFA Break, the North Carolina Courage will travel to Sky Blue FC on Saturday, September 7. The game will take place at Yurcak Field at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Players to Watch:

North Carolina Courage- #11 Merritt Mathias

Mathias has started every game for the Courage this season and has proven to be an important part of the team's success. Mathias has four assists on the season and has a 70% passing success rate. Mathias is not afraid to shoot the ball from her outside defender position, taking 13 shots this season.

Reign FC- #6 Allie Long

Long returned to the NWSL in July as a World Cup Champion. The midfielder has played seven games with Reign FC this season and has taken seven shots. She averages 54 passes per game and has a passing success rate of 85%.

Check out the North Carolina Courage Statistics

• Discuss this story on the National Women's Soccer League message board...

National Women's Soccer League Stories from August 22, 2019


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.

OurSports Central