Match Report: Kansas City Current shutout Houston Dash 3-0 to remain top of the Central Division

The Kansas City Current continued its unbeaten run in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup with a 3-0 win over the Houston Dash. Taylor Leach and Lo’eau LaBonta both scored their first goals of the season while Kristen Hamilton added a second to her tally. Goalkeeper Cassie Miller got her first start with the Current to lead the team to their first shutout in 2022.  

“[Scoring first was] something we’ve talked about on reflection of the last two games if we want to be the team that we want to be,” said head coach Matt Potter. “We’ve shown that we can compete, but there’s probably a better way to do it than we have been doing it, which is obviously to try to get the first goal. Especially when we’re on the road, when you know teams are going to be the aggressor.” 

Kansas City’s first goal came in the second minute, the fastest goal ever scored both in club and Challenge Cup history. Hailie Mace swung a corner kick low into the box to find Taylor Leach, who perfectly volleyed the ball past Jane Campbell into the top left corner. Mace became the all-time leader in assists in the Challenge Cup with her fifth tonight.  

#CueTheChaos, @tayyyleach24!

👉 Fastest goal in Club history
👉 Fastest goal in #NWSLChallengeCup history pic.twitter.com/4YTgUtVymy

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) March 31, 2022

In the 28th minute, defender Maddie Nolf slid a smooth pass into the box to rookie striker Elyse Bennett. Bennett chipped it over the back line to find Kristen Hamilton, who buried it in the back of the net. It was Bennett’s first start and first assist of the season.  

Check the watch 👉⌚️

It's Hammy Time™️, again. pic.twitter.com/KOG2mLax2M

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) March 31, 2022

Bennett got her second assist of the season in the second half with a calm through ball past the Houston back line. LaBonta charged past the defenders to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper and chipped it in for Kansas City’s third goal.  

GOALABONTA pic.twitter.com/jAisH7etXp

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) March 31, 2022

Kansas City’s steady defense silenced most of the Dash attack, but Cassie Miller came up big when required. In the 10th minute, Houston midfielder Makamae Gomera-Stevens found herself with the ball at the top of the 18-yard box. She launched a shot toward the left side of the goal, but Miller came up big to punch it over the crossbar.  

The Kansas City Current remain undefeated in the 2022 Challenge Cup with seven points in the Central Division. The team returns home to take on Racing Louisville FC Saturday, April 2 at 2 p.m. CT at Children’s Mercy Park. 

Season Tickets and Flex plans are available for all home matches at Children’s Mercy Park. For pricing and information visit kansascitycurrent.com. 

NWSL Challenge Cup Match Report 
Match: Houston Dash vs Kansas City Current 
Date: March 30, 2022 
Venue: PNC Stadium, Houston, TX  
Kickoff: 7:37 p.m. CT / 8:37 p.m. ET 
Weather: 78 degrees, sunny 
Attendance: 2,229 

Discipline 
32’ Houston – Gomera-Stevens 
45’+1 Kansas City – Miller 
50’ Kansas City – Mace 
56’ Houston – Prisock 

Scoring 
2’ Kansas City – Leach (Mace) 
28’ Kansas City – Hamilton (Bennett)  
60’ Kansas City – LaBonta (Bennett)  

Scoring Summary 
Goals  1 2 F 
Houston 0 0 0 
Kansas City 2 1 3 

Lineups:  

Houston: Campbell, Chapman, Naughton (Eddy), Ashley (Hedge), Hanson (Prisock), Viggiano (Visalli), Schmidt, Sánchez, Gomera-Stevens (Gareis), Prince, Daly © 

Substitutes Not Used: Harris, Groom, Alozie, Farquharson 

Kansas City: Miller, Ball, Leach, Loera, Mace (Rodriguez), Weber (Nolf), McCain, Scott © (Curran), LaBonta (Winebrenner), Hamilton (Del Fava), Bennett 

Substitutes Not Used: Franch, Schneider, Johnson