SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sophie Schmidt scored on an early penalty kick and Shea Groom added a stoppage-time goal to give the Houston Dash the Challenge Cup…
SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sophie Schmidt scored on an early penalty kick and Shea Groom added a stoppage-time goal to give the Houston Dash the Challenge Cup tournament title with a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday. The month-long tournament was National Women’s Soccer League re-boot after the regular season was shut down by the coronavirus outbreak. Houston, in its seventh year in the league, had never previously made the playoffs. The Red Stars went to the NWSL championship game last season, but were routed 4-0 by the North Carolina Courage. Houston was aggressive from the start. Kristie Mewis was on the run when she was fouled by Kayla Sharples for a Dash penalty kick. Schmidt nailed the PK in the fifth minute. It was the tournament’s first penalty kick in regulation. The Red Stars nearly drew even in the 15th, but Savannah McCaskill’s header off a rebound hit the post.
