North Carolina Courage left it until the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time to secure a 1–0 victory over Denver Summit FC on Sunday, with a Kaleigh Kurtz own goal (90+4′) deciding a closely contested NWSL fixture at WakeMed Soccer Park.
A goalless draw was within reach for both sides before that late intervention handed the Courage all three points and left Denver with no time to recover.
Little to separate the sides
The teams went into halftime level at 0–0, and the final statistics reflected the narrow margins throughout the contest. North Carolina finished with 51.4% possession and 13 attempts to Denver’s 12, while the hosts registered five shots on target against the visitors’ four.
The Courage also held a six-to-three advantage in corners, but neither side found a breakthrough during regulation time. Denver remained firmly in contention, producing almost as many attempts as their hosts in a fixture that stayed unresolved until its closing moments.
Denver goalkeeper Abby Smith received a yellow card in the 30th minute, with teammate Emma Regan also booked in the 78th.
Stoppage-time heartbreak for Denver
The decisive moment arrived at 90+4′, when Kurtz’s own goal put North Carolina ahead. After more than 90 minutes without a goal, one costly moment transformed the outcome.
There was no subsequent equalizer, and the Courage saw out the remaining time to complete a clean-sheet victory. For Denver, the late concession turned a prospective away point into a narrow defeat.
North Carolina’s statistical edge was modest, but the reward was substantial: three points from a fixture that appeared destined to finish level. Denver’s competitive display, meanwhile, ended with the frustration of losing at the last.
