Match Recap: Reign Fall to Dash 2-0 on the Road in Houston

OL Reign dropped three points against the Houston Dash at BBVA Stadium in Houston on Friday night. The kickoff, which was initially scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT, was delayed an hour due to inclement weather.

OL Reign were led for the first time by interim head coach Sam Laity, after the departure of head coach Farid Benstiti. The Reign started off strong and had an early chance on goal, just three minutes into the match. Eugénie Le Sommer took a shot to the center of goal from outside the box, but it was not enough to beat Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell. As the match progressed through the first half, both teams had several good opportunities to score, but neither team was able to convert their chances. At the halftime whistle, the teams headed to the locker rooms even at 0-0.

Houston forward Jasmyne Spencer opened the scoring for the opposition in the second half, after midfielder Shea Groom played a ball through the OL Reign defense to Spencer, who found the lower corner of the net in the 50th minute of the match. Just seven minutes later, Houston doubled their lead on a set piece served into the box by midfielder Sophie Schmidt to defender Katie Naughton, who got her head on the ball and scored in the 57th minute.

Down two goals, OL Reign looked to make a comeback but lacked urgency and a bit of quality, particularly in the final third of the field. Ultimately, OL Reign was unable to find the back of the net, picking up their second consecutive loss on a challenging night in Houston.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The match was Sam Laity’s first match as interim head coach of OL Reign after serving as Assistant Coach since the clubs inaugural season in 2013

• The Houston Dash are now undefeated in 10 games at their home field

• Houston’s first goal was scored by former OL Reign player Jasmyne Spencer