Recap: Houston Dash 3 Boston Breakers 2

Forward #13 Lindsay Elston during practice. Credit: Hal Kaiser

The Houston Dash showed a resilience not typically found in an expansion team tonight in twice bouncing back from deficits to grab the first win in franchise history against the Boston Breakers by a score of 3-2.

The Dash got off to a rocky start, conceding in the 1st minute of the match when Lisa De Vanna put a through ball on for Heather O’Reilly. O’Reilly caught left back Nikki Washington out of position up field, and center back Osinachi Ohale failed to spot the danger soon enough.

Ohale recovered, but was unable to muscle O’Reilly off the ball. Dash keeper Erin McLeod stopped the initial shot, however she failed to hold onto the ball and O’Reilly put the rebound in the back of the net.

It was a tough blow for a young team on its first road trip and for the next 15 minutes, the Dash looked like they might concede a few more. However, the team regained its composure and began pushing forward, threatening to level the score.

The breakthrough nearly came in the 44th minute when Washington put in a corner kick that Holly Hein was able to get on the end of. Her header was cleared off the line by Kaylyn Kyle, however, and the Dash went in down 1-0 at the half.

The Dash did not have to wait long after the restart to tally the first goal in franchise history, however. In the 49th minute of the match, Jordan Jackson won a ball at midfield and sent the ball forward to Tiffany McCarty. McCarty made a nice first touch on the ball to beat Julie King, then held her off long enough to get a shot in across goal. Breakers keeper Alyssa Naeher initially made the stop but only deflected it into the path of the onrushing Ella Masar who drove the ball home.

Another defensive miscue handed the lead back to the Breakers in the 70th minute of the match. O’Reilly again did the damage, this time putting in a cross to Joanna Lohman who somehow found herself in acres of space at the top of the box. McLeod ill advisedly came off her line to try to intercept the cross, but was too late as Lohman easily headed it over her.

The Dash did not give up, however, and it was the combination of second half substitutes Rafaelle Souza and Teresa Noyola who hauled them back in it. Souza was not supposed to be with the team; however as reported on Friday, the Dash flew her in from Ole Miss to add depth to a short substitute bench.

Souza came on in the 65th minute, just before the Breakers second goal. In the 81st minute she made her presence felt with a mazy run, dancing around multiple Breakers defenders before setting up Noyola, who herself had come on in the 76th minute. Noyola hit a screamer from the top of the box which beat Naeher to the far post and leveled the score.

Souza again created the match winner in the 84th minute, getting on the end of a loose ball at the top of the box, then getting taken down by Courtney Jones for a penalty. Noyola stepped up to take the penalty in the 85th minute, beating Naeher to the right side of goal to seal her brace and put the Dash on top.

The Dash held on for the remaining 5 minutes of the match and injury time to notch an historic first victory. They next face the daunting task of visiting the high powered Seattle Reign FC next Sunday night at 7pm.

Lineups

Boston:
Naeher, Avant, Whitehill, Jones, King, Lohman, Kyle, Sanderson, O’Reilly, Pathman, De Vanna
Subs: Grove 65’ (Kyle), D’Agostino 72’ (Lohman), Evans 75’ (Pathman)

Houston:
McLeod, Hein, Romero, Washington, Ohale, Richardson, Jackson, Edwards, McCarty, Masar, Ochs
Subs: Elston 46’ (Ochs), Souza 65’ (Masar), Noyola (Richardson) 75’

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