San Jose, Calif.- Opening day expectation for Denver Summit FC fell short for both the team and its faithful supporters’. Proudly wearing their boss’ evergreen kits and full of confidence, Denver played at a disadvantage for 66 minutes, and lost to a refreshed and Bay FC team, 2-1. The captain Janine Sonis red card will be the talking point from this one.
Bay FC had not won a match since June of 2025.
The home side came into the match to their first match of the season with a few objectives. Foremost, was to hold the ball. That they accomplished, and even more so, after Denver’s Sonis earned a red card midway through the first half.
Her assertive slide tackle, more specifically, her boot-angle during her slash, earned her a yellow that was elevated to a red after VAR, for serious foul play.
“I didn’t think it was a red card. I don’t think anyone thought it was a red card until it was reviewed,” Denver Summit Head Coach Nick Cushing said postgame.
“There was no malicious intent.”
Sonis’ ejection put Denver in a tough position going forward. From there on out, Bay effectively contained the few attacks Denver could muster up. Bay cut-off Denver’s passing avenues and prevented their abilities to charge up the pitch and attempt to score and tie the sluggish match.
Bay FC scored first. In the 7th minute of play, attacker Alex Pfeiffer drove down the right side, then cut hard into the box. When she found a slim opening in Denver’s compressed backfield, she swiped a gorgeous left footed shot past Denver’s veteran goalkeeper and two-time NWSL Champion, Abby Smith. 1-0 hosts.
Twelve minutes later, Denver roared down the pitch and scored with just two passes and a shot on goal. Leftback, and former NWSL Champion and Shield winner, Carson Pickett whalloped the ball two-thirds the length of the field to a waiting Sonis. The captain charged into the box, and served the ball across the mouth of the goal and to an oncoming Melissa Kösser, who had just 1-yard to strike the ball into the back of the net, a Denver first.
Just eleven minutes later, Bay FC’s Pfeiffer was back in the mix. She found her counterpart, Joelle Anderson, who beautifully finished with her left-footed.
In the second half, Denver was back on their end, barricading the goal and hoping to mount a counterattack or two. With that never happening, Denver’s inaugural match ended on a sour note.
“We can take away the effort and the togetherness. We said at half time, stay in the game. We’ll get some chances. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any chances. Pleased but disappointed. It’s so tough to play for 65 minutes with ten players,” lamented Cushing.
The team will flush away their loss and return home tonight. After a solid week of practice in Glendale, they will head off to Orlando for a Friday evening match with the Pride.
Read More: The Denver Soccer Attendance Litmus Test
Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. Support us via our Patreon starting at $5/month. You can also make a one-time contribution via Tip Jar. We’re always looking for new talent. Let us know if you’re interested in covering Colorado Soccer.
Matt Pollard 