Durham Reporter

The North Carolina Courage are preparing to face Seattle Reign FC at First Horizon Stadium in WakeMed Soccer Park on March 22, marking their first home game of the season. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

After the game, the Courage will honor Jessica McDonald by inducting her into the club’s Ring of Honor. She joins Sam Mewis, a 2024 inductee who will attend the ceremony. Fans can meet McDonald and get autographs at FanFest starting at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Both teams drew their season openers last weekend, with second-half goals from their U-20 USWNT stars making an impact. Riley Jackson scored for the Courage against Racing Louisville, while Emeri Adams equalized for Seattle against Gotham. Jackson's goal was her first in regular-season play.

The Courage had a strong performance in their previous match, holding 67.8% possession and outshooting their opponents 15-13 despite challenging weather conditions. Assistant coach Nathan Thackeray noted areas for improvement but highlighted positives from the team's performance.

New players Jaedyn Shaw, Hannah Betfort, and Shinomi Koyama made their debuts for the Courage last week. Betfort contributed significantly as a substitute with two chances created in just over half an hour on the field.

Goalkeeper Casey Murphy delivered an impressive performance with six saves during last week's game and aims to maintain her form against her former team this weekend.

Under Head Coach Sean Nahas, the Courage have maintained a strong home record since 2022, boasting a 20-9-9 record at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. They seek to start a new winning streak after an undefeated home season ended with a narrow loss to Washington Spirit in 2024.

Seattle Reign features key players like Jordyn Huitema and Ji So-Yun but missed forward Lynn Biyendolo due to injury during their opener. Biyendolo is well-known to Courage fans from her time with the team when she scored a club-record 42 goals over five seasons.

With both teams having one point each after Week 1 and only three league teams securing wins so far, Saturday's match could set an early tone for both clubs this season.