Forward Evelyn Ijeh netted her first goal in an NC Courage jersey to start the scoring against Chicago in a big home win.
A slow first half from the NC Courage (3-3-3) left room for improvement against the Chicago Stars (2-0-8), but the Courage ultimately came out on top with a 4-0 win. After a demanding halftime talk from head coach Mak Lind, the team found its rhythm, and four different players tallied a goal for NC.
It only took Ijeh two minutes to find the back of the net in the second half, scoring on a cross from midfielder Ashley Sanchez.
“I was really grateful for having that opportunity,” Ijeh said. “To score at home field, it means a lot to me, and it’s a special moment for sure.”
Forward Ally Schlegel — who played three seasons with Chicago — came onto the pitch at the beginning of the second half, looking to make an impact against her former club. In the 65th minute, Schlegel delivered, placing the ball directly into the bottom-left corner of the net to push the lead to three and tally her first goal with the Courage.
“We had talked a little at halftime about getting our numbers in the box because when you’re in the box, anything can happen,” Schlegel said. “That ball kind of just slipped through a little bit, and I ended up being there…It just felt like a right place, right time type of goal.”
WakeMed Soccer Park had 10,023 fans in attendance, a sold-out crowd for the second game in a row. It’s the first time in Courage history that the stadium was sold out in two consecutive games, and the fans’ energy was felt on the pitch.
“I love to play in front of our fans, I hear them the whole game.” Lind said. Especially when you score goals, you get a good feeling, not only because of the goal, but also the way we celebrate the goal with the fans around…They are crucial. They are so important for what we do.”
Sanchez — who earned the NWSL player of the month award in April — scored her sixth goal of the season to break her previous season-high of five goals.
Also setting a record, at only 20 years old, midfielder Riley Jackson became the youngest player in Courage history to make an appearance in 50 regular-season games and the 4th-youngest in NWSL history. Despite her young age, she is a leader on and off the field.
“I remember last year, playing against [Jackson] and being like ‘damn, this girl is good’,” Schlegel said. “I thought I wouldn’t have her in my cover shadow and then she’d be over here, and then I’d turn again and she’d be over there. You can tell she is wise beyond her years and has continued to grow into the player that she is. She might be younger than us, but we learn from her every day.”
The NC Courage will next travel to Kentucky to take on Racing Louisville FC at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 23.
