**HOUSTON, Tx.** – The Houston Dash and OL Reign dueled to a scoreless draw on Saturday night, with Houston dominating on shots (18-8) and shots on goal (6-1) despite being down a player after a red card for Natalie Jacobs in first half stoppage time. The result keeps Houston in 7 ^th place with 17 points from 12 games, while the Reign are technically second but are in a four-way tie for 1 ^st place on points (20), just behind North Carolina on goal differential.
The opening 15 minutes were almost all OL Reign, with attackers Jordyn Huitema and Tziarra King applying pressure on Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell’s goal early on. Huitema nearly stole the ball off Campbell in the 5 ^th minute, King had a deflected shot nearly loop into the back of the net in the 7 ^th minute, and Huitema again was on the ball approaching goal but could not get her effort both over Campbell and under the crossbar again as she missed wide.
However, the hosts Houston bounced back with María Sánchez coming close on a free kick once before a couple of chances for forward Michelle Alozie in the 27 ^th and 34 ^th minutes kept the Dash in the hunt for a positive result. Alozie could not get her effort on target in the 27 ^th minute but she bullied a Reign defender and nearly caught visiting goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce off guard by sneaking in and poking an effort in the 34 ^th minute. However, the shotstopper was able to collect in the end and finish Houston’s chance at a clever goal.
The game’s biggest turning point came just before halftime though, when defender Natalie Jacobs was eventually sent off for what was ruled as the denial of a goalscoring opportunity for Reign attacker Tziarra King. A wayward pass across the defending line forced Jacobs to pounce forward and put in a challenge on King, who would have been clean through if not for the intervention. As a result, the center official went to the VAR monitor and ended up coming out and rescinding the previously given yellow card and instead extending a red card to Jacobs.
Despite down a player for the entirety of the second half, forward Diana Ordóñez still made Tullis-Joyce work with an effort in the 53 ^rd minute as the Dash pressed on toward goal. Ordóñez found herself on the end of a lofted cross near the back post with little pressure on the ball. Recognizing the situation, Tullis-Joyce came off her line in an attempt to close the angle and did exactly that as Ordóñez’s shot was sent back by the goalkeeper and the move ended.
As the half wore on, Houston and the Reign traded chances as Joelle Anderson had a shot saved by Tullis-Joyce just before the hour mark and Reign forward Veronica Latsko nearly curled in a hybrid cross-shot in the 78 ^th minute that would have surely swung momentum in the visitors’ favor through to the end. Instead, the closest either side came was in the first minute of added time when a shot from Houston midfielder Marisa Viggiano had to be cleared off the line via a late rescue effort from Reign defender Ryanne Brown.
Despite each side’s best looks, neither would end up breaking the deadlock in the end with Houston claiming an impressive point down a player for 45 minutes and the Reign ruing a potential missed opportunity for another road win.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights