Rachel Daly and Sofia Huerta were named to the NWSL Second XI, the league announced today.
This is the first time that Daly has been named to the league team of the year and the third career honor for Huerta, who also earned Second XI accolades in 2015 and 2017. They are the third and fourth players in Dash history to earn year-end recognition, joining midfielder Carli Lloyd (Second XI, 2015) and forward Kealia Ohai (Best XI, 2016).
Daly began the season at left back, earning Team of the Month honors in March for her work in limiting the Chicago Red Stars and Utah Royals FC to a combined one goal in two games. That was the first of three Team of the Month honors for the third-year veteran this season. The forward went on to earn Player of the Month honors in May after scoring four goals and leading the club to a 3-1-2 record and again in July after scoring three goals in the month, including two game-winners, leading the Dash to a 2-2-0 mark that month.
Huerta scored five goals and tallied four assists in 12 games for Houston after joining the Dash in June via a trade with the Chicago Red Stars, and finished the year with eight goals and six assists overall. The forward ranked amongst the league’s top 10 in goals (seventh), assists (fourth), shots (fourth) and shots on goal (fifth) during the regular season. Huerta was named the league’s Player of the Month in April after scoring two goals in four games for the Red Stars and earned Team of the Month honors twice, both for Chicago (April) and Houston (August).
Both players were key to Houston’s 9-10-5 season as the club finished with 32 points, a new franchise record for victories and points in a single season.
HOUSTON DASH PLAYERS NAMED TO NWSL BEST XI OR SECOND XI
<strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Player</span></strong> |
<strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Position</span></strong> |
<strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Year</span></strong> |
<strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Team</span></strong> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Rachel Daly</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Forward</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">2018</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Second XI</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Sofia Huerta</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Forward</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">2018</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Second XI</span> |
<p paraeid="{e8fe62ed-345c-4f15-8e21-31f156d1fbe2}{196}" paraid="1571245350"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Kealia</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Ohai</span></p> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Forward</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">2016</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Best XI</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Carli Lloyd</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Midfielder</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">2015</span> |
<span xml:lang="EN-US">Second XI</span> |
