The first-ever meeting between new in-state rivals Dallas Trinity FC and the Houston Dash went the way of Dallas on Saturday night.
Trinity took the inaugural “I-45 Texas Showdown” against Houston with a 1-0 victory at the Cotton Bowl in front of 6,110 fans. The friendly match marked “a spotlight on the growth of women’s soccer throughout the state,” according to a Trinity FC press release.
It was TCU alum Caroline Kelly’s goal in the 64th minute that broke what had been a scoreless tie through the first half.
“It was awesome,” Kelly said of the win. “I think it was just a culmination of all the hard work that we put in these past few weeks. To see it result in success, it meant a lot to us as a team. We’re going to keep riding this wave and keep improving moving forward.”
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It’s the second clean sheet Trinity has posted in its last three games. The club will next take on Lexington on Sunday, March 8.
The I-45 Texas Showdown marked the first-ever public Division 1 Professional Women’s Soccer Match between two Texas clubs, according to a release from the team; Dallas & Houston played in a closed-door exhibition match in 2025.
“I don’t know exactly how many people were out there, but it was loud,” Trinity head coach Nathan Thackeray said. “Whether it was 3,000 or it was 10,000, it was really loud. It shows me that there are fans here. It’s our job as players and coaches to entertain them and try to bring them back each and every week.”
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