CARY, N.C. (June 23, 2024) — The North Carolina Courage remain unbeaten at home in 2024 with a 3-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on a blistering Sunday evening at WakeMed Soccer Park. Tyler Lussi, Ashley Sanchez, and Meredith Speck all scored to help the Courage improve to 6-1-7 on the season and 19 points from 14 matches.
Mallory Swanson showed her world-class speed and ability on the ball, back-heel volleying the ball to herself and then carrying possession another 20 yards up the field before uncorking a long-range goal in the 12’ to open the scoring. The goal snapped a four-match home shutout streak for the Courage and was the first scored by a visiting player at WakeMed Soccer Park this season (own goal conceded in the season opener).
Just four minutes later, Lussi answered for the Courage. Riley Jackson pressed and won a tackle at the edge of the attacking third, then found Brianna Pinto who furthered the ball along for Lussi in the box to chip past Alyssa Naeher. It was Lussi’s team-best fourth goal of the season. Jackson won three tackles and four duels on the day.
Jackson had a glorious one-time chance at the doorstep in the opening minutes of the second half, but a defender cleared it off the line to deny her first professional goal. Ashley Sanchez put the Courage in front, and would prove the winner, on a pinpoint shot from the top of the box just inside the left post, freezing the entire defense. It was Sanchez’s second goal of the season and snapped a stretch of nine straight matches without multiple goals for the Courage, dating back to April 13.
North Carolina tacked on an insurance goal inside 10 minutes to play when Bianca St-Georges, playing against her former team, crossed from the right wing to the center of goal, where Meredith Speck one-timed it home just before the redirect could be cleared off the line. The goal was Speck’s fifth of her career, first this season since returning from injury, and first since June 18, 2023.
Match Notes:
- The 18-year-old Jackson made her first professional start (12th appearance) of her career.
- North Carolina earned its first three points from a losing position this season.
- The Courage are unbeaten in six straight regular-season meetings with the Red Stars.
Up Next:
Box Score
NCC (4-3-3): Casey Murphy; Ryan Williams, Kaleigh Kurtz ©, Malia Berkely, Felicitas Rauch; Riley Jackson (Denise O’Sullivan – 61’), Narumi Miura (Dani Weatherholt – 78’), Ashley Sanchez (Meredith Speck – 78’); Tyler Lussi (Bianca St-Georges – 62’), Brianna Pinto (Victoria Pickett – 61’), Haley Hopkins
Subs Not Used: Marisa Bova, Jenna Winebrenner, Landy Mertz, Manaka Matsukubo
CHI (4-4-2): Alyssa Naeher ©; Hannah Anderson, Samantha Staab, Natalia Kuikka, Tatumn Milazzo; Cari Roccaro, Leilanni Nesbeth (Julia Bianchi – 62’), Jenna Bike (Chardonnay Curran – 62’), Sarah Griffith (Shea Groom — 62’); Ally Schlegel (Jameese Joseph – 23’ / Allison Cook 79’), Mallory Swanson
Subs Not Used: Mackenzie Wood, Taylor Malham, Maximiliane Rall, Nadia Gomes
Score:
NCC: 3
CHI: 1
Goals:
NCC: T. Lussi – 16’ (Pinto); A. Sanchez – 51’; M. Speck – 81’ (St-Georges)
CHI: M. Swanson – 12’
Cautions:
NCC: N. Miura – 66’; D. O’Sullivan – 84’;B. St.Georges – 90+7’
CHI: C. Roccaro – 90+3’;
Ejections:
NCC: –
CHI: –
Attendance: 5,256
