Gotham FC picks up another shutout win as Jordynn Dudley goal beats Houston

What a difference a week makes.

Days after Gotham FC returned from Mexico after a medal-less run in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, the Bats pulled out a 1-0 win over the Houston Dash at home.

The win marked Gotham's eighth shutout in the club's first 11 NWSL games, a league-leading number of clean sheets for this season.

Rookie Jordynn Dudley scored the lone goal of the match, her second goal of the season, to hand Gotham the win ahead of an extended international break, one that will see 12 members of the Gotham squad head off on national-team duty.

"After the Mexico trip, it was important for us to come back here to be ourselves," said Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. "I have to give a lot of credit to the players. It was really noisy to perform out there today, and I think from start to finish, every single player, wherever they were playing, they gave everything."

Shelby Hogan steps up

It's not easy to step in the shoes of one Ann-Katrin Berger, yet Shelby Hogan has done so seamlessly.

Gotham's 28-year-old goalkeeper replaced AKB in yesterday afternoon's matchup following an abdomen injury that left the German national sidelined after the first half of the loss to Club América in Mexico.

Against Houston, Hogan made several key saves to keep Gotham in the lead, including a free kick in the 70th minute and a shot taken by Houston's Maggie Graham off a bouncing ball three minutes later.

"I knew that I needed to step up for the team whatever way that I could," Hogan said. "Our defense throughout from the back line all the way to the front line was great throughout the game. So, I didn't have a ton to do in the goal, but when those moments came, I just wanted to make sure I took care of them."

Hogan earned her first regular-season shutout, which was also Gotham's eighth shutout of the season, the most by any team in the league through 11 matches in NWSL history. The Massachusetts native credits Gotham's goalkeeper union as one of the main reasons for her coming to the club.

"I knew that it would be a great environment to learn in, learning from one of the best goalkeepers in the world and then having Brody [Sams] and Michelle [Betos] every day pushing us," Hogan said. "I think our goalkeeper unit is super close, and we're constantly all pushing each other. I would say it's super competitive, but in a very, caring, supporting way."

A star in the making

Jordynn Dudley is quickly establishing herself as the attacking player to watch on Gotham's squad.

In the lead-up to her goal, the 21-year-old held off Houston defender Lisa Boattin to nab the ball off a long pass from captain Tierna Davidson. Dudley pocketed two other Houston defenders as she weaved her way through the opposing side's backline to notch a goal past Houston keeper Jane Campbell.

"We dominated every aspect of the game," Amorós said. "A moment of brilliance there from Jordynn and Tierna with that connection."

Both teams were fairly even through the beginning stages of the match, needing the first ten minutes on the pitch to orient themselves before creating chances. Houston's Avery Patterson and Leah Klenke attempted two shots followed by Dudley and Esther González's attempts on goal prior to Dudley's breakthrough.

For the rest of the first half, the Bats dominated in attack. González had another attempt at goal, with additional shots from Jaedyn Shaw and Jaelin Howell, and although none of them scored, it was a testament to Gotham's aggressive strategy against a well-organized defensive team.

"We knew that they were really good in transition," Midge Purce said. "They're one of the top teams in the league in transition, so making sure that our defensive shape and our structure was good when we were in their final third was really important."

The Dash had a few decent chances early on in the second half, but Gotham's aggression in their attacking line and defensive strategy held off shots taken by Houston. Amorós points to the efforts of staff members like Anton Blackwood, head of player development and management, in taking analysis and executing it on the pitch.

"[My staff] work incredibly hard behind the scenes to make sure that the players are ready and prepared," Amorós said. "Everyone is really giving everything. We are working with so many players, and I think we got a great technical team that really support the players in the best way."

A dozen of those players will head off on international duty for a few weeks before Gotham returns to the pitch for the NWSL Challenge Cup final against the Kansas City Current on June 26 at 8:00 pm ET in Columbus, Ohio.

HIGHLIGHTS: Gotham FC 1-0 Houston Dash