Barbra Banda scored her seventh and eighth goals of the season to power the host Orlando Pride to a 2-1 victory over the Portland Thorns on Friday night.
Banda notched her second brace in as many matches by scoring in the 30th and 40th minutes for the Pride (8-0-3, 27 points), owners of the best record in the league. First, she scored on a rebound off an Orlando corner kick; then she beat a defender in transition and dribbled around Portland keeper Shelby Hogan to reach the net.
Banda is now tied with Portland’s Sophia Smith for the league lead in goals.
Izzy D’Aquila scored for the Thorns (6-4-1, 19 points) in the 71st minute. Hogan and Orlando’s Anna Moorhouse each made three saves.
Spirit 3, Reign 2
Croix Bethune, Andi Sullivan and Ouleymata Sarr scored in the first half to deliver Washington past visiting Seattle.
Bethune scored in the 21st minute, Sullivan’s goal came from the penalty spot 18 minutes later, and Sarr netted her sixth goal of the season in the 45th minute to give the Spirit (8-3-0, 24 points) a 3-0 halftime lead.
Veronica Latsko got one back for the Reign (2-8-1, 7 points) in the 50th minute but the Reign trailed by multiple goals most of the way. Substitute Emeri Adames scored her first of the season in the 96th to trim the final margin.
Dash 3, Courage 0
Jane Campbell saved three shots for her second shutout in her last three matches, guiding Houston past visiting North Carolina.
Ramona Bachmann broke a scoreless tie one minute before halftime, then Barbara Olivieri Davila and Diana Ordonez struck in the 68th and 78th minutes for the Dash (3-5-3, 12 points). For Bachmann and Davila, it was their first goals of the campaign.
The Courage (5-6-0, 15 points) lost despite a 65-35 percent advantage in possession. Casey Murphy made three saves in defeat.
Gotham 2, Bay 0
Ella Stevens scored a pair of goals two minutes apart and visiting NJ/NY prevailed in San Jose, Calif.
Stevens got on the scoresheet in the 31st minute and doubled the advantage in the 33rd for Gotham FC (5-2-3, 18 points) when she stole the ball off Bay keeper Katelyn Rowland’s feet and tapped it over the line. All four of Stevens’ goals this season have come in her past three matches.
Ann-Katrin Berger made two saves for her third clean sheet of the month as Gotham turned back several Bay FC chances down the stretch. Rowland finished with two saves for Bay FC (3-8-0, 9 points).
