CARY, N.C. — Angel City FC hadn’t lost a game all month, but the league’s leading scorer put an end to that.
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Ashley Sanchez scored once in each half to break the North Carolina Courage’s single-season goals record and lead her team to a 2-0 victory over Angel City on Wednesday night.
Sanchez leads the 16-team National Women’s Soccer League in scoring this season with 15 goals.
Sanchez scored her 14th goal in the 41st minute, tying Lynn Biyendolo’s Courage record (set in 2019). Evelyn Ijeh’s backheel flick found a charging Sanchez, who blasted it into the far corner.
Sanchez added her record-breaking goal in the 78th minute, running down a long ball sent forward by Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and out-running three Angel City defenders before burying her shot. Sheridan, who was credited with an assist, ran up the field after the goal to celebrate with Sanchez.
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Sanchez also scored twice in the Courage’s 2-1 victory over the Boston Legacy on Saturday. Fifth-place North Carolina has won (11-7-3, 36 points) has won five of its past six games.
The loss snapped a four-game streak of draws for ninth-place Angel City (7-8-5, 26 points). Angel City, which hadn’t won or lost a game since a 2-1 defeat against Louisville on July 26, played to a scoreless tie against Gotham at home on Sunday.
North Carolina’s Maycee Bell made her 50th NWSL regular-season appearance, but she was injured early in the second half and had to be stretchered off with an apparent arm injury.
Read more Orange County scores and player stats for Wednesday, Aug. 26