Notes & Quotes: NC Courage vs. Chicago Stars

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NWSL North Carolina Courage

Notes & Quotes: NC Courage vs. Chicago Stars

May 16, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


CARY, N.C. - A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away the North Carolina Courage will host the Chicago Stars for Star Wars Night at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. The match will kick off at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 17. Tickets are available here. The match will be broadcast on CBS' Golazo Network, Paramount+, and NWSL+.

The Courage are unbeaten in their last three matches, picking up wins over the Kansas City Current and Utah Royals before drawing the Orlando Pride, 1-1, last weekend. The Courage led for much of that match thanks to a rebound goal from Feli Rauch, but the Pride struck from a corner kick for a stoppage-time equalizer.

The match was the Courage's fourth sellout in club history and fourth highest standalone regular season attendance with 9,366 fans filling First Horizon Stadium. The sellout marked the earliest in the year the Courage have sold out a match, with the previous three taking place in October and November.

Rauch is the seventh different player to find the back of the net for the Courage this season, with Ashley Sanchez being the only player with multiple goals.

Denise O'Sullivan continued to be the engine in the Courage's midfield, winning five of seven tackles, nine of 12 duels, making three interceptions, and completing 87.1% of her passes.

Maycee Bell and Kaleigh Kurtz combined to keep Barbra Banda quiet throughout the night, holding the 2024 NWSL First Team Best XI forward to just one shot on target. As the Courage have transitioned to the new-look 3-4-3, Bell and Kurtz have started to build a strong partnership in the back.

"I thought Maycee and KK were unbelievable tonight," said Courage Head Coach Sean Nahas in the postgame presser.

Chicago currently sits 14th in the NWSL standings with a 1W-6L-1D record and four points. The Stars' lone win came against 12th-place Bay FC. While the Stars have conceded a league-worst 17 goals this season, thanks in large part to a 6-0 season-opening loss against Orlando, former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher has kept the Stars in multiple games including the team's recent 3-2 loss against Washington and 0-0 draw with Gotham FC.

Former N.C. State forward Jameese Joseph and Brazilian forward Ludmila give the Stars an attacking punch on the counter, while Sam Staab and former Courage player Cari Roccaro have been the main duo at the heart of the defense.

The Details

What they'll wear:

Courage - Field: Blue/Blue/Blue | GK: Lavender

Stars - Field: Black/Black/Black | GK: Green

2025 Records:

Courage - 2W-3L-3D (11th, 9 points)

Stars - 1W-6L-1D (14th, 4 points)

Courage vs. Stars (Regular Season): 6W-6L-5D

Last time out:

Courage - Draw, 1-1 vs Orlando Pride

Stars - Loss, 3-2 at Washington Spirit

Up next:

The Courage hit the road to take on San Diego Wave FC on Sunday, May 25. With an international break the following weekend, the Courage will return to action on Sunday, June 8, to take on the Washington Spirit in the nation's capital.

Check out the North Carolina Courage Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 16, 2025


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