The Dash play to a 1-1 tie against visiting North Carolina in NWSL action.

Crouse scores late to deny chance for third consecutive win

The Dash gradually have found their rhythm since captain Kealia Ohai returned from a knee injury in late April.

Ohai scored her first goal of the season a week ago against the Washington Spirit. And Sunday, she scored the club’s first goal against the North Carolina Courage as the teams played to a 1-1 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium.

“Before the game if you had told me, I would be happy with it,” coach Vera Pauw said of the result. “But looking at the game and the chances that we missed, I’m disappointed.”

The goal came in the 49th minute when Ohai streaked down the left side of the field and launched a shot at the goal. Courage keeper Katelyn Rowland was able to deflect the shot but it was too strong, brushing past her hands and into the top of the net.

North Carolina (9-0-3) had dominated the Dash (3-4-5) almost as thoroughly as the National Women’s Soccer League. The Courage had won each of the three all-time meetings coming into Sunday’s match, not allowing a single goal in the series.

North Carolina entered the weekend with a staggering lead in the scoring and win columns. The team is atop the league standings with 29 points (the next closest club had 17). The Courage had scored 23 goals, easily trumping the next best team (Orlando Pride, 16) and the Dash (12).

But the Dash did have firsthalf opportunities to reverse those trends despite playing their first full game since losing second-leading scorer Kristie Mewis to a sprained anterior cruciate ligament against Washington.

Rachel Daly, who scored twice in the win over the Spirit, missed a pair of shots in the first 20 minutes of Sunday’s game.

She was taken off the field in the waning minutes of the half after a defender collided with her from behind, but she returned in extra time, nearly initiating the go-ahead score on a cross to Ohai.

Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell was sound in front of the net throughout most of the game, but in the 80th minute, Courage forward Frannie Crouse sought to make her mark.

Crouse stood among a trio of teammates who jumped for then missed a cross into the box. But once the ball fell to the ground Crouse put her foot to it, flicking the ball up into the back of the net to draw even.

“We lost the grip,” Pauw said. “You could actually feel the goal coming.”

The Dash have gone unbeaten in their last three games, but the club missed the opportunity for three consecutive wins for the first time since 2014.

“We’ve turned the momentum around,” Pauw said. “We are getting there. Every game, it keeps going better and better but we have to learn to win games now.”