Houston Dash at NJ/NY Gotham FC: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Diego Martinez)
The Houston Dash won their second straight game under interim head coach Sarah Lowdon, beating NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Sunday night. Michelle Alozie scored both goals for Houston to pick up a big three points in the fight for the playoffs. The Dash will return to Shell Energy Stadium this coming Sunday for a match against Angel City FC.
MATCH SUMMARY
NJ/NY Gotham FC 0-2 Houston Dash
Sunday, October 1, 2023
Venue: Red Bull Arena - Harrison, New Jersey
Referee: Elijo Arreguin
Assistants: Amilcar Sicaju, Jefferey Skinker
Fourth Official: Erinie Constantine
VAR: Greg Dopka
Attendance: not available
Weather: 77 degrees, clear skies
SCORING SUMMARY
HOU: Michelle Alozie (Nichelle Prince) 45+5’
HOU: Michelle Alozie (María Sánchez) 67’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
NJNY: Midge Purce (caution; foul) 48’
NJNY: Sinead Farrelly (caution; foul) 54’
NJNY: Amanda Haught (caution; reckless play) 68’
LINEUPS & STATS
NJ/NY Gotham FC: Amanda Haught, Jenna Nighswonger, Ali Krieger (C), Maitane López, Kristen Edmonds (Kelley O’Hara 84’), Delanie Sheehan (Yazmeen Ryan 71’), Nealy Martin (Bruninha 61’), Lynn Williams, Sinead Farrelly (Ifeoma Onumonu, 84), Midge Purce, Katie Stengel (Ester González 46)
Unused Substitutes: Michelle Betos, Meleana Shim, Ellie Jean, Mandy Freeman
Total shots: 23 (Midge Purce and Ester González tied with 5)
Shots on goal: 7 (Ester González 3)
Fouls: 12 (Sinead Farrelly and Katie Stengel tied with 3)
Offside: 4 (Midge Purce 2)
Corner kicks: 15
Saves: 1 (Amanda Haught 1)
Houston Dash: Jane Campbell, Sarah Puntigam, Natalie Jacobs, Katie Lind, Caprice Dydasco, Sophie Schmidt (C), Andressa Alves (Joelle Anderson 65’), Marisa Viggiano (Sophie Hirst 65’), María Sánchez, Michelle Alozie (Ryan Gareis 89’), Nichelle Prince (Barbara Olivieri 80’)
Unused substitutes: Emily Alvarado, Madelyn Desiano, Jylissa Harris, Courtney Petersen, Ally Prisock
Total shots: 7 (Michelle Alozie 4)
Shots on goal: 3 (Michelle Alozie 2)
Fouls: 13 (four players tied with 2)
Offside: 1 (Michelle Alozie 1)
Corner kicks: 0
Saves: 7 (Jane Campbell 7)
HOUSTON DASH INTERIM HEAD COACH SARAH LOWDON
On the match:
"It was a great performance, a little bit nervy at the beginning and the end of the game, but really proud of the group. To battle through the adversity, to get here a little bit early, get settled in, then having to train on turf just because of the weather in New Jersey. Overall, really proud of the group and really, really excited for the club as well.”
On Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell:
"Jane (Campbell) is world-class. She's been world-class since -- I can't speak for before I was here -- but she's been world-class since I've been here. I'm just really proud of her and our back five. Jane in general, we're so stingy. She's a world-class goalkeeper and she always comes up in big moments, and she did tonight."
On the team’s energy following the game:
"Everybody's really excited. We have some confidence. When you aren't scoring a lot of goals to scoring goals, that breeds confidence. I knew when we would get one, that we would get more and just really happy for the group. Our goal has always to make playoffs and this is another step forward to making playoffs. We have work to do now."
HOUSTON DASH FORWARD MICHELLE ALOZIE
On the match:
“It was definitely a tough game. Gotham is one of the top teams in the league for a reason. We knew that they were going to come out really strong. It was really important for us to put away chances when we got them. Nichelle Prince and I have a lot of pace up the top, so we knew that those through balls would really benefit us and that's how we got the two goals. It was definitely a good win, our defense held it down, per usual. Jane Campbell had an amazing game in goal and we were able to make the important clearances off the line. It was a good team win today and strides to make that playoff push."
On the defensive effort:
"We've conceded the least amount of goals in this season for a reason. Hats off to our defense. We put our bodies on the line as we saw in this game and in every game. They are relentless back there and they show the Houston grit every time. I'm blessed to be able to play in front of them. I know that they're going to give it their all. So, I have to give it my all up the top"
On playing up top tonight:
“I love playing as a nine. It was my first position and I've always been a nine growing up. It felt good to be up there, but I'll play wherever for Houston, as you see that. We'll just always change, we're really fluid in our formation and everyone plays more than one position, which allows us to kind of just an amazing game and play for each other.”
HOUSTON DASH GOALKEEPER JANE CAMPBELL
On the match:
"It was not the prettiest, but that's sometimes the game of football. We are pumped to have three points here. Gotham is an incredible group. They're super electric up top and have tons and tons of talent. We knew coming here would be quite a challenge. One game at a time for us. That's our mentality right now. Definitely a huge defensive effort from the entire group, including everyone at home as well. Pumped to get three points."
On the defensive performance:
"I think we played 100 to 110 minutes maybe the whole game. But we were focused. It's really hard in those games when it is just wave after wave. Pressure, after pressure, and calls left, right, and center. Corner kicks with some shots on target that barely missed or get deflected or you name it. After we scored the first goal that kind of gave us a little bit of a buffer going into half. We knew the second half was going to be, you know, kind of terrible. We knew they were going to come flying and they did, the whole game. We really, really dug in. For (Michelle Alozie) to put in that second chance. I mean, what a chance that was to just find a way to get something. The defense is from top to bottom, from the forwards all the way to me. The scout team in training at home, they gave us such a good picture of what we'll hopefully face. If we can defensively just dig in every game, it just relieves so much pressure for the people who are really attacking-minded. Every game, especially the back three, back four and back five, we really try to just relieve as much pressure as we can to kind of let everyone in front of us play freely. If we just do the dirty work and keep a zero or keep a low, low number on our scoresheet, then hopefully it gives them a bit of confidence to go out there and put a few away. So, I'm super proud of the group and it was a gritty, tough, ugly performance, but we'll take three points."
On forward Michelle Alozie:
"(MIchelle Alozie) coming back from the World Cup, she was on a really high mountain, which is great. She had a great World Cup and coming back, I think the first game she was a wing back or maybe an outside back. I think for her that was kind of different. I think she envisioned coming back here, being up top. We have so much talent up top. It's kind of hard. It's like a Tetris game, kind of figuring out where everyone's going to fit and then you stretch formations and then maybe she could be a wing back, maybe she could be a nine. She did great. She's riding on a ton of confidence, which is awesome for us. We kind of need to follow her lead and hopefully she'll keep that going."
