NARRATIVE: Courage empty Pride in a triumphant return

CARY, NC (June 17, 2023) The North Carolina Courage posted a 3-0 home win over the Orlando Pride on Saturday night at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Courage are now unbeaten in nine of their last 10 overall and have been tied at the top of the NWSL table since the final whistle.

Kerolin Nicoli followed up her hat-trick from a week ago with the opening goal of the evening and hit a pass from Tess Boade in the 32nd for the match winner. Boade scored his second assist in as many league contests. Meredith Speck gave the Courage a breather in the 77th when Olivia Wingate played her in the middle of the penalty area and Speck calmly passed the ball to the back.

The dagger came just six minutes later when Kerolin almost created his second of the night, but the shot glanced off the post, then off an Orlando defender and into the net. The own goal gave the Courage eight wins in the last two games.

The Courage posted their NWSL-best sixth shutout of the season as Casey Murphy earned her 23rd Courage career and 29th overall. Rohkeus had 67% possession and 87% pass accuracy. For the second league match in a row, the team set a new season pass accuracy record.

Next match: The Courage will host Racing Louisville FC next Saturday, June 24th at 7:00 PM ET in the kickoff event at WakeMed Soccer Park. The match will be shown regionally on Bally Sports South and the Bally Sports app, nationally on Paramount+ and internationally on www.nwslsoccer.com.

Box Score:

NCC (4-3-3): Casey Murphy, Emily Fox, Malia Berkely, Kaleigh Kurtz, Ryan Williams, Narumi Miura (Haley Hopkins 88), Denise O’Sullivan, Mille Gejl Jensen (Olivia Wingate 67), Frankie Tagliaferri (Meredith Speck 67), Kerolin (Tyler Lussi 88 ) ), Tess Boade (Rikke Madsen 67)

Unused orders: Cast: Katelyn Rowland, Sydney Collins, Brittany Ratcliffe, Brianna Pinto

ENT (4-3-3): Anna Moorhouse, Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Megan Montefusco, Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta, Mikayla Cluff (Summer Yates 87), Julie Doyle (Erika Tymrak 72), Adriana, Messiah Bright (Kerry Abello 53), Ally Watt (8) )

Unused orders: Carly Nelson, Caitlin Cosme, Jordyn Listro, Brianna Martinez, Celia Jimnez Delgado

Score:

NCC: 3

ENT: 0

Objectives:

NCC: K. Nicoli 31 (Messenger); M. Speck 77 (Wingate); H. McCutcheon 83 (OG)

ENT:

Warnings:

NCC:

ENT: J. Doyle 33

Depreciation:

NCC:

ENT: