by Fran Stuchbury
November 21, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage finished the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season in third place in the NWSL standings at 9-7-6 for 33 points. During the season the Courage won its second NWSL Challenge Cup Championship with a 2-0 victory over Racing Louisville FC on September 9th. After losing leading scorer Kerolin Nicoli to injury, the Courage fell 2-0 in the Quarterfinal Round to Gotham FC which went on to win the NWSL championship. Here is the 2023 North Carolina Courage season by the numbers.
- 1 – NWSL MVP Award won by Kerolin Nicoli
- 1 – NWSL Player of the Week award winner: Week 11 by Kerolin Nicoli
- 1 – Courage player named to NWSL Best XI: Kerolin Nicoli
- 2 – Red cards given to North Carolina: Emily Fox and Malia Berkley
- 2 – Most penalty kicks: made by Kerolin Nicoli
- 2 – Two Runner Up NWSL Player of the Week award winners: Week 12 Kerolin Nicoli and Week 16 Briana Pinto
- 3 – Three Courage players selected for the Second XI: Emily Fox, Kaleigh Kurtz, and Denise O’Sullivan
- 3 – Players who played in all 22 regular season games: Kaleigh Kurtz, Ryan Williams and Narumi Miura
- 3 – Assists by team-leaders Kerolin Nicoli and Narumi Miura
- 4 – Victories on the road
- 5 – Victories at home
- 7 – Goal differential
- 9 – Clean sheets: no goals allowed by Casey Murphy
- 10 – Goals scored by Kerolin Nicoli, most on the team
- 11 – Times offside by Kerolin Nicoli
- 12 – Courage players scored at least one goal
- 16 – American Courage players
- 18 – Youngest player on the Courage roster was Manaka Matsukubo
- 21 – Shots on goal by Kerolin Nicoli
- 22 – Goals surrenderred
- 23 – Yellow cards given to the team
- 25 – Players appeared in at least one game
- 29 – Goals scored
- 29 – Oldest player on the Courage roster: Meredith Speck
- 66 – Saves by goalkeeper Casey Murphy
- 1,980 – Minutes played by Kaleigh Kurtz to lead the Courage
- 10,434 – Most fans at a home game: on Oct. 7th against San Diego Wave FC, both a club and WakeMed Soccer Park record
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