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Dash Defeat Chicago Stars 3-1 Behind Leah Klenke’s First Professional Goal
The Houston Dash picked up a 3-1 victory over Chicago Stars FC on Friday night, October 23, earning their ninth win of the season and continuing their strong run on the road under interim head coach Jaime Frias.
Houston started the game strong and took the lead just four minutes into the match. After Lisa Boattin delivered a free kick into the box, Leah Klenke recovered the ball and finished the chance to give the Dash a 1-0 lead. It was Klenke’s first professional goal and Houston’s fastest goal of the season.
Klenke’s goal was a special moment for the Houston defender, who is playing for her hometown team after a successful college career at Notre Dame.
Before opening her NWSL scoring account with the Dash, Klenke’s last competitive goal for Notre Dame came on September 21, 2023, against Duke in Durham, North Carolina. In the 87th minute, she scored an unassisted winner to help the Fighting Irish complete a late comeback and secure a 2-1 victory. Although she continued to contribute as a playmaker throughout the rest of her college career, that late goal against Duke remained her final goal in a Notre Dame uniform.
Now, Klenke has found the back of the net again, this time as a professional with her hometown club.
The Dash carried their 1-0 lead into halftime and continued to put pressure on Chicago in the second half. In the 54th minute, Houston doubled its advantage after another set piece. Boattin delivered an indirect free kick toward the far post, where Maggie Graham finished with a one-touch effort to make it 2-0. The goal was Graham’s fourth of the season.
Houston continued to control the game and added a third goal in the 79th minute. Kiki Van Zanten provided the pass for Clarissa Larisey, who finished the chance to give the Dash a comfortable 3-0 lead.
Chicago managed to score a late goal in the 90th minute of stoppage time when Sam Staab headed the ball into the net off a cross from Emma Egizii. However, the goal came too late to change the result, as Houston secured the 3-1 victory.
With the win, the Dash earned seven points across their last three road matches under Frias, showing improvement as the team looks to finish the season strong.
Houston will now return home for its final match of the regular season against the Portland Thorns next weekend on November 1 at Shell Energy Stadium. The Dash will look to carry this momentum into their season finale and give their fans another strong performance.
Game highlights and postgame remarks from Jaime Frias, Lisa Boattin, and Maggie Graham can be found below through Foxtrot TV.
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