HOUSTON (Sep. 11, 2026) - The Houston Dash return to Shell Energy Stadium on Sept. 12 to host Utah Royals FC for Noche Latina, celebrating the cultures, traditions and passion of Houston’s vibrant Latino and Hispanic communities. Festivities include a Ballet folklórico, the Klein Oak High School Mariachi and a postgame fireworks show. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CT and fans can purchase family four-pack for Saturday’s game HERE. Fans with tickets can also purchase a limited-edition team-branded lotería set HERE.
The Dash return home following a three-game road trip that concluded with a 3-1 loss to the Orlando Pride on Sunday. The match was delayed by more than 90 minutes due to inclement weather in the Orlando area. Forward Kiki Van Zanten scored Houston’s lone goal for her fifth of the season, while forward Khyah Harper tallied her first professional assist on the play. The goal was Houston’s 15th goal contributions from a substitute this season, the second-most in a single regular season in NWSL history behind only North Carolina's 16 in 2024. Van Zanten and Harper became the latest Dash players to contribute off the bench, continuing a trend that has been a key part of Houston’s offensive production this season.
Midfielder Linda Ullmark continues to represent Houston at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland. The 20-year-old has started both of the United States' matches at the tournament and recently recorded an assist against Japan. Ullmark started 22 of Houston's matches this season prior to departing for national team duty and was named NWSL Rookie of the Month in July after recording two assists and scoring her first league goal.
Defensively, goalkeeper Jane Campbell continues to anchor the Dash while defender Leah Klenke has established herself as a mainstay on the field for the Dash. The 22-year-old leads all NWSL rookies with 1,998 minutes played this season. Defender Paige Nielsen also reached a career milestone in Houston's most recent match, making her 150th career NWSL appearance and becoming the 55th player in league history to reach the mark.
The Dash return to Shell Energy Stadium having lost just one of their last six regular-season home matches, posting three wins and two draws during that span. Dating back to August 2025, Houston has lost only three of its last 16 regular-season home matches, recording eight wins and five draws.
Utah Royals FC enter Saturday’s match looking to rebound from a 2-1 home loss to Boston Legacy FC on Sept. 4. Boston opened the scoring in the 11th minute before Kiana Palacios equalized less than 10 minutes later. Palacios’ fourth goal of the season was assisted by goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who delivered a long ball that found the forward’s run behind the Boston backline. Boston scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute to secure all three points. McGlynn recorded her second assist of the season in the match, becoming one of just two goalkeepers in NWSL history to record two assists in a single season, joining Kailen Sheridan.
The Royals enter Week 21 in fourth place in the NWSL standings with 39 points as they continue their push for the first playoff appearance in club history. Utah has alternated wins and losses in each of its last eight matches and will look to respond to last week’s home defeat with a result in Houston. The Royals’ attack is led by forwards Mina Tanaka and Cloé Lacasse, who have combined for 15 goals this season. Tanaka leads the Royals with eight goals, while Lacasse has seven goals and a team-high 10 assists.
Utah also added forward Jameese Joseph earlier this week after acquiring the 24-year-old from Chicago Stars FC. Joseph scored five goals across her first two NWSL seasons with Chicago and made her senior U.S. Women's National Team debut in November 2025. Saturday could mark her first appearance for the Royals as the club continues its push for a postseason berth.
Defensively, Utah has been anchored by defender Kate Del Fava, who recently played her 7,200th consecutive minute and surpassed Katie Atkinson for the second-longest consecutive minutes streak in NWSL history behind Kaleigh Kurtz.
The two sides last met on May 6 at America First Field, where Utah earned a 2-0 victory over Houston. The Dash will look to end the Royals’ two-match winning streak in the series on Saturday while continuing its strong home form in the final regular-season meeting between the two sides this season.
The Dash travel to face Boston Legacy FC on Sunday, Sept 20 at Centreville Bank Stadium and fans can follow the action live on CBS Sports Network starting at 1 p.m. CT. The team returns to Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4 to host the Washington Spirit for the second Pups at the Pitch match this season. Tickets for the match are available HERE
