Clarissa Larisey delivered the decisive blow in the Houston Dash vs North Carolina Courage clash Sunday night, as the NWSL standout scored a 93rd-minute winner to seal a 3-2 road comeback at WakeMed Soccer Park.
North Carolina Courage & Houston Dash Exchange Early Strikes
The Courage struck first with a goal from Ally Schlegel in the 37th minute. Five minutes later, Kate Faasse pulled Houston level with a deflected finish. Momentum swung again just after halftime, as Golden Boot contender Evelyn Ijeh restored the lead for North Carolina in the 51st.
Houston needed a spark off the bench, and Larisey provided it. She equalized in the 80th minute, then soared onto a Lisa Boattin service deep in stoppage time to finish the turnaround.
The winner marked Houston's fifth stoppage-time goal of the season. It also made Larisey the first Dash player to score twice as a substitute since 2014, according to the club. Ijeh's strike, meanwhile, lifted her to 10 goals on the year, pairing with teammate Ashley Sanchez to give North Carolina one of the league's most productive attacking duos.
Sunday's NWSL score pushes Houston to 6-8-5 ahead of Wednesday's home date with Chicago Stars FC. The Courage face off against the Boston Legacy on Saturday.
