West Wake News

The North Carolina Courage will face Bay FC in their final road game of the 2024 NWSL regular season. The match is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, at PayPal Park, with a kickoff time of 10 p.m. ET/PT. Commentary will be provided by Maura Sheridan and Jordan Angeli on ION.

The Courage are currently secured in the fifth seed for the upcoming playoffs with a record of 12-3-9, totaling 39 points. They are comfortably positioned with a seven-point gap between fourth and sixth place, allowing them to focus on maintaining high performance levels as they approach the postseason.

In their last match against Angel City FC, Olivia Wingate scored a late equalizer to secure a 1-1 draw. This marked the fourth instance this season where the Courage scored during second-half stoppage time and was their latest goal of the season. Notably, it was also the tenth goal scored by a substitute player for North Carolina this season, leading the league in bench goals.

As they conclude their regular season games, six players from North Carolina will participate in international camps: Kerolin, Manaka, Feli Rauch, Denise O’Sullivan, Casey Murphy, and Ashley Sanchez. They are expected to return before the team's final game on November 2.

Bay FC is vying for playoff contention and currently holds the eighth spot with a three-point advantage over Racing Louisville. Four teams remain contenders for this final playoff position. Bay FC aims to secure every possible point to maintain or improve their standing in what is their inaugural season.

Despite suffering a heavy defeat against Gotham two weeks ago where they conceded five goals, Bay FC's defense has shown improvement throughout their first season. Initially allowing 25 goals over 13 matches, they have reduced that number to just 14 goals over the last 11 fixtures. With an effective attack and solidifying defense, Bay FC hopes to clinch a playoff spot in their debut year.

North Carolina has qualified for playoffs six times in seven seasons and aims to compete for another championship title. These remaining matches are crucial for building momentum and confidence ahead of the quarterfinals.