Little scores another brace, lifts Reign past Dash

Kim Little scored her second brace in two games and Seattle Reign stayed perfect on the season with a 2-0 win over the expansion Houston Dash on Sunday at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.

Little finished a spot-kick in the 19th minute and added her second in the 38th minute, ensuring the Reign finished their three-game, season-opening homestand with three victories.

Sydney Leroux drew the penalty that led to the first goal. Jessica Fishlock played a quick free kick down the line to Leroux, who took on Dash midfielder Becky Edwards and and drew the PK after being tripped.

Beverly Goebel played provider on the second goal, perfectly chipping a ball in for Little, who trapped it, cut it back and slotted the ball past Houston goalkeeper Erin McLeod. Little, the Scottish international acquired in the offseason, now leads the league in goals with four after three games.

Leroux missed a chance to add to the lead in the final minutes, rounding McLeod on a breakaway put hitting the post on an empty net.

Forward Megan Rapinoe sat for the second straight game; Reign coach Laura Harvey revealed on Wednesday that Rapinoe was dealing with a foot injury from the season-opener.

Seattle now hits the road for a short week and long road trip, with a Wednesday night match against Sky Blue FC in New Jersey and a Saturday showdown with the Washington Spirit at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

Reign FC is the only perfect team left in the 2014 NWSL campaign, and Portland Thorns FC is the only other unbeaten club. Those two teams meet in Portland on May 10.

Box score

Houston Dash at Seattle Reign FC

April 27, 2014—Moda Health Pitch at Memorial Stadium, Seattle, WA
NWSL Regular Season
Scoring by Period

1 2 F

Houston Dash 0 0 0

Seattle Reign FC 2 0 2

Scoring Summary:

Seattle: Kim Little (penalty) 19
Seattle: Kim Little (Beverly Goebel) 38

Houston Dash: Erin McLeod; Arianna Romero, Osinachi Ohale, Holly Hein, Nikki Washington (Stephanie Ochs 67); Jordan Jackson, Teresa Noyola (Marissa Diggs 46), Becky Edwards; Lindsay Elston, Ella Masar, Kealia Ohai (Kika Toulouse 46)

Unused Substitutes: Bianca Henninger, Tiffany McCarty, Dominique Richardson

TOTAL SHOTS: 5 (Kika Toulouse 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Kika Toulouse 2); FOULS: 10 (Becky Edwards, Arianna Romero 2); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 8 (Nikki Washington 5); SAVES: 4 (Erin McLeod 3)

Seattle Reign FC: Hope Solo; Elli Reed, Lauren Barnes, Kendall Fletcher, Stephanie Cox; Keelin Winters, Jessica Fishlock (Kate Deines 90), Kim Little; Nahomi Kawasumi, Beverly Goebel (Danielle Foxhoven 71), Sydney Leroux

Unused Substitutes: Mariah Nogueira, Megan Rapinoe, Haley Kopmeyer, Kiersten Dallstream, Megan Brigman

TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Five players with 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Kim Little 2); FOULS: 12 (Four players with 2); OFFSIDES: 3 (Beverly Goebel 2); CORNER KICKS: 9 (Nahomi Kawasumi 9); SAVES: 3 (Hope Solo 3)

Disciplinary Summary:

HOU: Ella Masar (caution) 2
SRFC: Elli Reed (caution) 36
SRFC: Keelin Winters (caution) 62
HOU: Osinachi Ohale (caution) 77

Referee: Matthew Franz
Referee’s Assistants: Rebekah Friedrich, Adrienne McDonald
Fourth Official: David Mon

Full replay