SAN DIEGO (Oct. 15, 2026) – San Diego Wave FC (16-8-3, 51 points) travels to First Horizon Stadium to face the North Carolina Courage (13-11-3, 42 points) on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcast live on NWSL+.
San Diego and North Carolina will meet for the second time this season, with the Wave earning a 2-1 victory over the Courage on September 12 at Snapdragon Stadium. Gia Corley opened the scoring in the 23rd minute scoring her first goal of the season. Melanie Barcenas doubled San Diego’s lead in the 72nd minute, cutting inside onto her left foot and finding the back of the net. North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez pulled one back in the 82nd minute, but the Wave defense held on to secure all three points.
Last Time Out
San Diego enters Saturday’s matchup following a 2-1 road victory over the Orlando Pride on October 2 at Inter.co Stadium, a result that clinched the Club’s place in the 2026 NWSL Playoffs. Lia Godfrey opened the scoring in the fourth minute after Trinity Byars held up play and set her up inside the box. Corley extended the lead in the 22nd minute with her third goal of the season. Orlando’s Barbara Banda converted a penalty in the 52nd minute to cut the deficit, but San Diego maintained its advantage to secure the victory.
North Carolina is coming off a 1-0 road win over the Seattle Reign on October 2 at Lumen Field. Gianna Paul scored the game’s only goal in the 48th minute after receiving a pass near the edge of the box. She took a touch and fired a shot that deflected over a diving Claudia Dickey and into the net. The Courage have now scored in 13 consecutive NWSL matches, their longest scoring streak in the competition since 2022.
Players to Watch:
Lia Godfrey has continued to make an impact in her first professional season, recording six goals and five assists in 2026. The forward ranks second among NWSL rookies in goals and is second on the Wave in total goal contributions. Godfrey has opened the scoring in three NWSL matches this season and is the third American player since 2014 to record at least five goals and five assists in her first NWSL season, joining Trinity Rodman (2021) and Croix Bethune (2024).
Ashley Sanchez has scored 20 goals in 27 matches for North Carolina this season, leading the NWSL Golden Boot race. Her 20 goals tie the league’s single-season scoring record, previously set by Temwa Chawinga in 2024. Twelve of Sanchez’s goals either leveled the score or put the Courage ahead, the most tying or go-ahead goals by a player in a single NWSL season.
