HOUSTON (May 20, 2026) – The Houston Dash pushed league-leading San Diego Wave FC to the limit in a dramatic 2-2 draw at Shell Energy Stadium this evening, scoring twice in the final stages of the match to secure a share of the points.
Tonight’s match saw midfielder Sophie Schmidt make her 150th regular season appearance, becoming just the third Canadian in league history to reach the milestone, joining Christine Sinclair and Kailen Sheridan. Goalkeeper Caroline DeLisle made her NWSL debut after she entered the match in the second half.
San Diego Wave FC opened the scoring in the 20th minute following a through ball from Lia Godfrey that found Dudinha outside the left side of the box. The forward finished the opportunity for her fourth goal of the season.
The Dash scored the equalizer in the second half as forward Kate Faasse netted her first professional goal in the 70th minute, finishing from outside the box with a right-footed strike off an assist from defender Allysha Chapman, marking Chapman’s third career assist.
Forward Kat Rader gave Houston the lead in the 89th minute, finishing from inside the box with a composed left-footed strike after a well-weighted pass from Faasse. The goal marked Faasse’s first assist, while the goal was Rader’s third of the season.
San Diego found an equalizer in the 90+4th minute as Trinity Byars finished from inside the six-yard box to level the match. This was the second meeting of the regular season between both teams and Houston will take the regular season series following a 1-0 triumph in San Diego at the start of the season.
Houston’s first shot of the match came in the 10th minute as Rader fired a left-footed effort from outside the box toward the far post, but her attempt was blocked by San Diego’s backline. Rader is one of four rookies featured in tonight’s starting XI, and Houston leads the NWSL with 36 starts from first-year players this season.
Houston created a dangerous opportunity in the 27th minute as defender Leah Klenke delivered a cross into the box that found Rader, but her effort was denied.
Goalkeeper Jane Campbell came up with a key save in the 38th minute to deny Godfrey, deflecting the attempt inside the box. Defender Malia Berkely followed the play moments later and made a critical play to deny San Diego a second goal. The centerback made a goal-line clearance in the 39th minute where she lunged at Barcenas effort to keep Houston within one goal heading into halftime.
Campbell came up with another key stop in the 64th minute after San Diego played a long ball into the right side of the box. The veteran saved the initial effort before midfielder Sarah Puntigam recovered to clear the danger. The Dash goalkeeper was ultimately taken out of the game in the 83rd minute following a collision with Byers inside the box.
Houston nearly doubled their goal tally in the 73rd minute as Rader delivered a cross from the edge of the box, but her effort struck the far post and stayed out, adding even more tension as the Dash continued to push forward offensively.
The Dash will close the week against Angel City FC on Saturday, May 23 for Military Appreciation Night. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. CT, for tickets and additional information, visit HoustonDash.com.
