Match Recap: Reign FC Wins in Cary
Reign FC earned a 2-1 win over the North Carolina Courage, picking up three points in Cary for just the second time in club history. Midfielder Jess Fishlock made her 200th appearance and scored the opening goal of the night, while defender Jordyn Bugg scored her first-ever NWSL goal to secure the victory for Seattle.
From kickoff in Cary, the Reign brought high energy to the match, immediately putting the Courage under pressure in their own third of the field. Forward Maddie Dahlien had a standout first half performance, earning her first chance on goal in the 13th minute of the match. The rookie received a pass from midfielder Ji So-Yun and used her pace to carry the ball into the box before foring off a low shot that forced goalkeeper Casey Murphy to make a sprawling save.
Just two minutes later, it was Dahlien on the attack again, this time pressing high to collect a loose ball inside North Carolina’s 18-yard box and taking a shot to the far post that ended up just wide.
The 35th minute brought the opening goal of the match for the Reign following a great sequence that started with a pass from the foot of defender Jordyn Bugg to defender Emily Mason, who one-touched the ball to the head of Fishlock. In a quick combination, Fishlock found forward Ana-Maria Crnogorčević, who backheeled the ball around North Carolina’s defense to midfielder Maddie Mercado. Mercado found Fishlock’s run through the center of the box and the Reign’s captain made no mistake as she gathered the ball and took one touch before blasting it into the back of the net.
To close out the first half, Dickey was called upon to defend attacks from forward Manaka Matsukubo and midfielder Jaedyn Shaw but had no trouble as the Reign saw their lead out to halftime.
After the break, neither coach opted to make a change to their lineup and the chess match continued on. Though North Carolina was on the front foot, it was Seattle that found the opening goal of the second half. After warning signs from Crnogorčević and Dahlien, Bugg was the one to double the lead in the 56th minute.
North Carolina’s defense cleared a ball out of the box, and it fell to the feet of the second-year defender, who took one expert touch before unleashing a powerful strike from 35-yards out, perfectly placing the ball into the upper right corner of the goal, giving Murphy no chance to save it.
The two-goal lead didn’t last long for the Reign, as the Courage answered back in the 59th minute. After winning possession of the ball in the Reign’s half, Manaka found Courage captain Denise O’Sullivan, who then connected with the forward Aline Gomes to tap the ball into the far post.
Momentum shifted in favor of the home side and the Reign were forced to defend for the rest of the half. Dickey produced four massive saves to preserve the Reign’s lead, securing three points on the road.
UP NEXT: The Reign travel to Los Angeles to take on Angel City FC on Sunday, March 30 at 5:00 p.m. PT. Fans can tune in to the match on CBS Sports Network.
Get tickets to the Reign’s next home match against the Orlando Pride on April 12 HERE.