March 15, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – North Carolina Courage News Release
FOR THE RECORD:
The Courage are 3W-1L-2D in NWSL Regular Season openers.
The Courage are 10W-4L-2D lifetime against Houston, including a
9-3-2 regular season record. The Courage swept the season series in 2022.
The Courage are 42W-15L-13D at home in NWSL regular season play. The team lost just once on their home field in 2023, going 5W-1L-5D.
PREVIEW:
CARY, N.C. – The North Carolina Courage open the 2024 NWSL regular season this Saturday, March 16, as they welcome the Houston Dash to WakeMed Soccer Park for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff. The season-opener is presented by Cii Security Technology.
There will be even more reason to celebrate on Saturday, as the team welcomes back club legend Sam Mewis as the first inductee into the newly formed Ring of Honor. The induction ceremony will take place on the field immediately following the match.
Mewis won five trophies with the Courage as a three-time NWSL Shield winner and two-time NWSL Champion. She helped the United States hoist the World Cup in 2019, but injuries forced an early retirement prior to the 2024 season. A bedrock of the Courage, Mewis will be celebrated throughout the weekend at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Mewis will do an hour-long autograph session in FanFest prior to the match beginning when gates open at 5:30 p.m. ET. There is a strict limit of one brought item, plus the giveaway poster, to be signed per person per trip through the line. She will also be on field for prematch activities before the ceremony following the final whistle. Fans will be allowed to relocate to the west end seats for a clear view of the presentation after the match ends.
Dress for Success of the Triangle, in conjunction with Merz Aesthetics, will be on hand at FanFest with a donation station for new or lightly used purses to benefit women in need with outfits for job interviews.
The Courage look to build upon an impressive 2023, which saw them far exceed external expectations for a third-place finish in the table and winning their second consecutive UKG NWSL Challenge Cup title. The club added big pieces in the off-season, including international stars in midfielder/forward Ashley Sanchez (USA) and outside back Felicitas Rauch (Germany). They also signed NWSL veterans Bianca St-Georges (Chicago) and Dani Weatherholt (Angel City) through free agency.
Their possession-based style made history a year ago, setting the league’s all-time single-season…