Match Alert: Due to player health and safety concerns with expected weather, Bay FC at Houston Dash will now kickoff at 5:00 p.m. PT.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (May 23, 2025) – After returning to the win column vs. Angel City FC at PayPal Park, Bay FC heads to the Lone Star State Saturday, May 24 for a 5 p.m. PT kickoff vs. the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium. Jenn Hildreth and Jamie Watson will call the action nationally on NWSL+ and Paramount+ while Josh Appel and Kacey White are on the call on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Bay FC sets back out on the road for Week 10 of the NWSL season refreshed after a bounce-back win at home. Goals from forward Penelope Hocking and midfielder Caroline Conti in the first half May 17 gave the club all it needed to take down in-state rival Angel City. Hocking’s score made for her second straight game with a goal after finding the net in Kansas City May 11, while Conti’s, coming from the penalty spot, earned the Clemson product her second straight match with a scoring contribution.
The club heads to Houston looking to establish some momentum against a squad that played them tough in 2024. Each contest between the two sides last season was must-see TV, with a combined 10 goals, two stoppage time scores to equalize or go ahead, and braces netted by players on both teams. Houston enters after a tough defeat last week but has been a tough opponent every time out this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bay FC forward Penelope Hocking: Hocking is heating up for Bay FC, finding the net in each of the last two matches. It’s her second time with a goal in back-to-back games, the first coming last season with Chicago, when she scored in three straight weeks for Stars FC from May 6 – May 19.
Houston Dash forward Ryan Gareis: Gareis has been the engine to Houston’s attack of late. She has recorded two assists in her club’s previous three matches and enters Week 10 with three on the season, tied for the league lead.
LEGEND OF THE GAME
Defender Abby Dahlkemper’s next appearance will mark her 150th career NWSL regular season game. The Menlo Park native joined the NWSL in 2015 as a first round draft pick to Western New York Flash. Immediately making herself known throughout the league, she played all but 16 minutes of that season. Setting the pace for her career in that rookie season, Dahlkemper has started 148 of the 149 games she has played in. She has played the full 90 minutes of all but five of those 149 games, getting subbed in once, subbed out three times and leaving via red card once.
Dahlkemper joined Bay FC midway through the 2024 season, returning home with an NWSL resumé that includes four NWSL Shields (WNY 2016; NC 2017, 2018, 2019; SD 2023) and three NWSL Championships (WNY 2016; NC 2018, 2019). She was the NWSL Defender of the Year in 2017 and has been a member of the NWSL Best XI in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Once Dahlkemper reaches this milestone, Bay FC will boast three players with 150+ games of experience, with defenders Emily Menges (190 games) and Caprice Dydasco (179 games). Forward Rachel Hill is also not far behind with 145 games played going into Saturday’s match.
REPORTING FOR INTERNATIONAL DUTY
Earlier this week, Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz was named to the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team squad for its upcoming training camp and friendlies in Germany from May 26 – June 3. The call-up marks her first to a national team program at any level. The third-year pro hasn’t missed a minute for Bay FC this season and enters this week with three shutouts and 26 saves, fifth in the league rankings. Silkowitz is one of five overage players named to the roster.
IMPRESSING IN HER FIRST START
Bay FC defender Maddie Moreau made her first start of the 2025 season vs. Angel City Saturday and made an immediate impact in the club’s clean sheet win. She ranked third on the club in total touches, emerged successful in two duels and won possession on four occasions. The Louisiana native may have earned her way to more time in the coming weeks for proving she can step right in and contribute when called upon.
BACK TO SPACE CITY
Three members of Bay FC’s backline previously featured for Houston. Dahlkemper represented the Dash for one season in 2021, appearing in eight matches after returning stateside from Manchester City. Joelle Anderson began her pro career in H-Town, being drafted in the third round by the club in 2021 before starting her career in 2022. She tallied 26 games and two goals for the club. Anderson and Caprice Dydasco were teammates in Houston in 2022 and 2023 before both came to Bay FC.
WELL-EARNED RECOGNITION
Rookie midfielder Taylor Huff earned league-wide praise for her performance in Week Nine. Alongside earning her first career assist on Hocking’s 23rd minute tally, Huff was included in the league’s weekly poll for Player of the Week. She was nominated alongside North Carolina’s Manaka Matsukubo, San Diego’s Perle Morroni, and Utah’s Mandy McGlynn. Alongside her assist Huff was stellar all over the pitch, tallying three chances created on the attacking end and winning seven of 14 one-on-one duels.
OPPONENT REPORT
Houston welcomes Bay FC in for a second straight home match. The Dash suffered a tough result in Week Nine, falling 4-1 to Portland Thorns FC, who netted three first half scores. The hosts had their chances, nearly matching the two-time title winners in expected goals and finishing the night with the better mark in possession and final third entries but didn’t find the net until a 75th minute own goal put them on the scoresheet. The week prior, Houston made the most of few chances in a 1-0 win over Seattle on the road. A stellar defensive performance kept Reign to just a single shot on target for the contest.
HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY – HOU vs BAY
Each match between Bay FC and Houston was an eventful one ending with a 3-2 scoreline. The two clubs met in Bay FC’s inaugural home match before 18,000 at PayPal Park; After a late score put Houston ahead 2-1, forward Racheal Kundananji, on as a substitute, put in an equalizer early in second half stoppage time before Houston found the net again for the winner in the dying moments.
Bay FC visited the Texan club in the final weekend of the regular season, earning a 3-2 win to secure its spot in the NWSL playoffs for the first time. Kundananji led the way with the first brace in club history, scoring on either side of halftime as the two squads traded goals through the 54th minute.
Watch: Fans in the U.S. can watch the match at 5:00 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area and Paramount+. Fans in Australia can stream on Optus, fans in Africa can stream on ESPN SSA, fans in the Nordics and the Netherlands can stream on ESPN, fans in Central America can stream on TV Azteca, fans in UK and Ireland can stream on TNT Sport, and fans in MENA can stream on Dubai TV. Fans in all other regions can stream on NWSL+. For those watching locally, there are five locations around the Bay Area to catch the match with fellow fans:
- 21st Amendment Brewery Taproom 2010 Williams St., San Leandro (21st Amendment and Bridge Brigade co-hosted; family friendly)
- Jtown Pizza, 625 N 6th Street, San Jose (family friendly)
- Standard Deviant, 280 14th St., San Francisco (Bridge Brigade and Rikki’s Bar co-hosted; family friendly)
- Taplands, 1171 Homestead Rd., Santa Clara, 21st Amendment Brewery hosted; family friendly)
- Morgan Territory Brewing, 40 Crescent Dr Suite A, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 (fan-hosted)
Next Home Match: Bay FC hosts Portland Thorns at PayPal Park to celebrate Pride. Don’t miss out on an unforgettable night on Saturday, June 7 at 4:30 p.m. PT. Join us for a chance to win an exclusive Bay FC Pride bandana. Buy your tickets now!
Last Meeting: In their previous match, Bay FC earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Shell Energy Stadium. That win not only featured a historic brace from Racheal Kundananji, her first for the club, but also clinched Bay FC a spot in the postseason. This win also made Bay FC the second expansion team in NWSL history to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season.
Jerseys: Bay FC is kicking off in style with their Obsidiay Primary Kit against Houston. Click here to shop our new jerseys and match with the team!
App: Never miss a moment of the action! Download the Bay FC app on the App Store or Google Play for live scores, stats, and Bay FC goal push notifications. Enable “Live Activities” for real-time match updates right on your home screen. A live match feed is also available below and on NWSLSoccer.com
Lineups: Bay FC vs. Houston Dash starting formations will be available before the match.
Match Timeline:
