Several Thorns bag notable first goals and assists as Portland goes five matches unbeaten and record third straight win against Houston.
HOUSTON (Saturday, May 16, 2025) – Portland Thorns FC are now five matches undefeated after a dominate 4-1 road win against Houston Dash on Friday evening.
Rookie forward Pietra Tordin – who got her first career start tonight – would open the scoring for the Thorns, controlling a cross from forward Mimi Alidou and showcasing her finishing quality with an impressive left foot strike to bag her first professional goal.
Portland would then double their lead thanks to forward Payton Linnehan, who brought down a long cross from midfielder Sam Coffey to take the ball into the Houston box and bury it past the outstretched hands of the keeper.
Coffey would join the goalscoring action in the final moments of the first half when she stepped up to convert a penalty, the first time in her NWSL career that she’s bagged a goal and assist in a single game.
After the break, it would be rookie forward Caiya Hanks to help the Thorns go four unanswered. After a strong tackle from defender Reyna Reyes in the Houston third, Hanks regained possession of the loose ball, dribbled it into the box past a sliding Houston defender and placed it perfectly into the top right corner to score her second career goal.
Houston would get one back from a deflected shot off Thorns defender Sam Hiatt, but the Thorns were able to hold out for the rest of the night and secure a massive three points to boost the team with confidence ahead of their massive Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinal next Wednesday in Monterrey, Mexico against Tigres UANL.
TEAM NOTES
- The Thorns are now unbeaten in their last five matches (3W, 2D).
- Portland have now won their last three matches against Houston and have won nine away matches against the Dash, the most by one team against a single opponent in the NWSL.
- The Thorns now have a league high of 11 different goal scorers in 10 games this season, three of which are rookies. The Thorns had 10 different goal scorers all season in 2024.
- Tonight was the third time in series history that Portland have scored four times against Houston, the joint-second most number of goals scored against the Dash in a single match. It’s also the 6th-time in NWSL history that the Thorns have scored four goals on the road.
- Midfielder Sam Coffey recorded a goal and assist tonight, her first goal and second assist of the season. It was also the first time Coffey has registered a goal and assist in a single NWSL game.
- Coffey’s assist is joint-most for the Thorns this year alongside fellow midfielder Hina Sugita. It was her 15th regular season assist for Portland, tied for 4th-most in club history alongside Sophia Wilson and the 19th player in league history to reach the 15-assist milestone.
- Coffey’s start tonight was her 72nd in regular season action, surpassing Emily Sonnett for 7th-most in club history.
- Rookie forward Pietra Tordin registered her first career goal and start, contesting 76 minutes. She is the third rookie to score for Portland this year alongside Caiya Hanks and Jayden Perry and the 10th rookie to score across the NWSL.
- Rookie forward Caiya Hanks scored her second goal of the year.
- Forward Payton Linnehan scored her first goal of the season, her third career regular-season goal and first since scoring vs Seattle Reign FC on May 11, 2024.
- Forward Mimi Alidou tallied her first NWSL assist with her cross to Tordin to open the scoring.
- Portland’s streak of most consecutive regular-season games without conceding in the second half ended tonight at 10-games.
UP NEXT: The Portland Thorns travel down to Monterrey, Mexico for a major semifinal clash against Tigres UANL in the Concacaf W Champions Cup. The Thorns will kick off from Estadio Universitario at 7:30 pm PT on Wednesday, May 21 and the match will be available to watch on CBS and Paramount+ as well as ESPN Deportes.
GOAL-SCORING BREAKDOWN
FIRST HALF
POR – Pietra Tordin (Mimi Alidou) 26’: Controlling a cross from Alidou with her right foot, Tordin spun around the defender and struck it with her left foot to put the ball into the bottom right corner past the diving Houston keeper.
POR – Payton Linnehan (Sam Coffey) 30’: Controlling a deep cross from Coffey into the box, Linnehan brought the ball down cleanly and shot the ball into the bottom right corner past the outstretched hands of the Houston keeper.
POR – Sam Coffey 45+8’: Stepping up to take the penalty, Coffey placed the ball into the bottom left corner to beat the keeper.
SECOND HALF
POR – Caiya Hanks (Reyna Reyes) 54’: After Reyes’ tackle to win the ball back for Portland, Hanks recovered the ball and ran it into the box, dribbled past a sliding Houston defender and shot the ball into the top right corner.
HOU – Sam Hiatt (Own Goal) 75’: The shot from Houston’s Michelle Alozie was deflected off Hiatt and redirected into the bottom right corner.
LINEUPS
Portland Thorns FC (4-3-3): Bella Bixby, Reyna Reyes, Sam Hiatt, Mallie McKenzie, Kaitlyn Torpey, Sam Coffey-C (Sophie Hirst 63’), Hina Sugita (Olivia Moultrie 63’), Mimi Alidou, Payton Linnehan (Jessie Fleming 45’), Pietra Tordin (Deyna Castellanos 76’), Caiya Hanks (Alexa Spaanstra 63’)
Subs not used: Morgan Messner, Isabella Obaze, Jayden Perry, Reilyn Turner
Houston Dash (3-4-3): Abby Smith, Natalie Jacobs, Avery Patterson, Christen Westphal (Paige Nielsen 61’), Katie Lind-C, Delanie Sheehan, Barbara Olivieri, Maggie Graham (Evelina Duljan 61’), Danielle Colaprico (Sarah Puntigam 72’), Messiah Bright (Michelle Alozie 61’), Ryan Gareis (Kiki Van Zanten 72’)
Subs not used: Jane Campbell, Sophie Schmidt, Isabella Briede, Rebeca Costa da Silva
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
POR: Pietra Tordin (Yellow) 58’
HOU: N/A
MATCH STATS
POR | HOU
Goals: 4|1
Assists: 3|0
Possession: 47|53
Shots: 14|8
Shots on Target: 7|2
Saves: 2|3
Tackles: 20|20
Tackles Won: 14|16
Interceptions: 8|9
Fouls: 9|12
Offsides: 1|2
Corner Kicks: 2|3
Several Thorns bag notable first goals and assists as Portland goes five matches unbeaten and record third straight win against Houston.
HOUSTON (Saturday, May 16, 2025) – Portland Thorns FC are now five matches undefeated after a dominate 4-1 road win against Houston Dash on Friday evening.
Rookie forward Pietra Tordin – who got her first career start tonight – would open the scoring for the Thorns, controlling a cross from forward Mimi Alidou and showcasing her finishing quality with an impressive left foot strike to bag her first professional goal.
Portland would then double their lead thanks to forward Payton Linnehan, who brought down a long cross from midfielder Sam Coffey to take the ball into the Houston box and bury it past the outstretched hands of the keeper.
Coffey would join the goalscoring action in the final moments of the first half when she stepped up to convert a penalty, the first time in her NWSL career that she’s bagged a goal and assist in a single game.
After the break, it would be rookie forward Caiya Hanks to help the Thorns go four unanswered. After a strong tackle from defender Reyna Reyes in the Houston third, Hanks regained possession of the loose ball, dribbled it into the box past a sliding Houston defender and placed it perfectly into the top right corner to score her second career goal.
Houston would get one back from a deflected shot off Thorns defender Sam Hiatt, but the Thorns were able to hold out for the rest of the night and secure a massive three points to boost the team with confidence ahead of their massive Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinal next Wednesday in Monterrey, Mexico against Tigres UANL.
TEAM NOTES
- The Thorns are now unbeaten in their last five matches (3W, 2D).
- Portland have now won their last three matches against Houston and have won nine away matches against the Dash, the most by one team against a single opponent in the NWSL.
- The Thorns now have a league high of 11 different goal scorers in 10 games this season, three of which are rookies. The Thorns had 10 different goal scorers all season in 2024.
- Tonight was the third time in series history that Portland have scored four times against Houston, the joint-second most number of goals scored against the Dash in a single match. It’s also the 6th-time in NWSL history that the Thorns have scored four goals on the road.
- Midfielder Sam Coffey recorded a goal and assist tonight, her first goal and second assist of the season. It was also the first time Coffey has registered a goal and assist in a single NWSL game.
- Coffey’s assist is joint-most for the Thorns this year alongside fellow midfielder Hina Sugita. It was her 15th regular season assist for Portland, tied for 4th-most in club history alongside Sophia Wilson and the 19th player in league history to reach the 15-assist milestone.
- Coffey’s start tonight was her 72nd in regular season action, surpassing Emily Sonnett for 7th-most in club history.
- Rookie forward Pietra Tordin registered her first career goal and start, contesting 76 minutes. She is the third rookie to score for Portland this year alongside Caiya Hanks and Jayden Perry and the 10th rookie to score across the NWSL.
- Rookie forward Caiya Hanks scored her second goal of the year.
- Forward Payton Linnehan scored her first goal of the season, her third career regular-season goal and first since scoring vs Seattle Reign FC on May 11, 2024.
- Forward Mimi Alidou tallied her first NWSL assist with her cross to Tordin to open the scoring.
- Portland’s streak of most consecutive regular-season games without conceding in the second half ended tonight at 10-games.
UP NEXT: The Portland Thorns travel down to Monterrey, Mexico for a major semifinal clash against Tigres UANL in the Concacaf W Champions Cup. The Thorns will kick off from Estadio Universitario at 7:30 pm PT on Wednesday, May 21 and the match will be available to watch on CBS and Paramount+ as well as ESPN Deportes.
GOAL-SCORING BREAKDOWN
FIRST HALF
POR – Pietra Tordin (Mimi Alidou) 26’: Controlling a cross from Alidou with her right foot, Tordin spun around the defender and struck it with her left foot to put the ball into the bottom right corner past the diving Houston keeper.
POR – Payton Linnehan (Sam Coffey) 30’: Controlling a deep cross from Coffey into the box, Linnehan brought the ball down cleanly and shot the ball into the bottom right corner past the outstretched hands of the Houston keeper.
POR – Sam Coffey 45+8’: Stepping up to take the penalty, Coffey placed the ball into the bottom left corner to beat the keeper.
SECOND HALF
POR – Caiya Hanks (Reyna Reyes) 54’: After Reyes’ tackle to win the ball back for Portland, Hanks recovered the ball and ran it into the box, dribbled past a sliding Houston defender and shot the ball into the top right corner.
HOU – Sam Hiatt (Own Goal) 75’: The shot from Houston’s Michelle Alozie was deflected off Hiatt and redirected into the bottom right corner.
LINEUPS
Portland Thorns FC (4-3-3): Bella Bixby, Reyna Reyes, Sam Hiatt, Mallie McKenzie, Kaitlyn Torpey, Sam Coffey-C (Sophie Hirst 63’), Hina Sugita (Olivia Moultrie 63’), Mimi Alidou, Payton Linnehan (Jessie Fleming 45’), Pietra Tordin (Deyna Castellanos 76’), Caiya Hanks (Alexa Spaanstra 63’)
Subs not used: Morgan Messner, Isabella Obaze, Jayden Perry, Reilyn Turner
Houston Dash (3-4-3): Abby Smith, Natalie Jacobs, Avery Patterson, Christen Westphal (Paige Nielsen 61’), Katie Lind-C, Delanie Sheehan, Barbara Olivieri, Maggie Graham (Evelina Duljan 61’), Danielle Colaprico (Sarah Puntigam 72’), Messiah Bright (Michelle Alozie 61’), Ryan Gareis (Kiki Van Zanten 72’)
Subs not used: Jane Campbell, Sophie Schmidt, Isabella Briede, Rebeca Costa da Silva
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
POR: Pietra Tordin (Yellow) 58’
HOU: N/A
MATCH STATS
POR | HOU
Goals: 4|1
Assists: 3|0
Possession: 47|53
Shots: 14|8
Shots on Target: 7|2
Saves: 2|3
Tackles: 20|20
Tackles Won: 14|16
Interceptions: 8|9
Fouls: 9|12
Offsides: 1|2
Corner Kicks: 2|3
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