Bay FC Delivers the First Victory 2-1 of the Season At Home Against Denver Summit

By Fernand0 Abarca

SAN JOSE, Calif –– Women’s soccer was finally back at PayPal Park as Bay FC kicks off the 2026 campaign against one of the two new expansion teams, the Denver Summit. Bay FC came into this game with coaching changes and new additions to the roster that definitely set the tone for a good start to the season.

Bay FC bested Denver Summit FC 2-1 Saturday afternoon, claiming all three points in its first match of 2026. An early goal by forward Alex Pfeiffer injected energy into PayPal Park, before a second goal by defender Joelle Anderson negated a Denver equalizer early in the half and proved the winner.  

“I think it's huge,” said Head Coach Emma Coates of the win. “It means a lot for the club, you can see that it means a lot for the players, the staff, the fans, everyone. And I think, you know, we've been building the way that we want to play and the way we want to approach things. As a starting point, it's just a really good place to be.” 

Bay FC opened its third season with a fast start. Pfeiffer netted her first score with her new club and second of her NWSL career just eight minutes in, carrying a ricochet pass down the right flank before slotting it in the left corner.  

"Today means a lot," said Pfeiffer. "I haven't scored in two years, so I'm just super grateful to be allowed to come here to Bay [FC] and just to be who I am. I'm loving it so far."

Denver evened the scoreline at the 20-minute mark with the first goal in its history. Forward Janine Sonis provided service to Melissa Kössler, charging at the near post, who headed it through. Seven minutes later, however, Denver would go down to 10 players as Sonis was shown read for a foul on Pfeiffer following video review.  

Bay FC got the goal back and retook the lead at the half-hour mark. With the ball at her feet, Pfeiffer found Anderson at the top of the penalty area, who put it through for the club’s second goal of the match. Pfeiffer’s assist marked her second scoring contribution on the day, only the fourth time in Bay FC history a player has tallied more than one in a match since 2024.  

Forward Keira Barry and defender Anouk Denton each made their NWSL debuts in the second half. Barry nearly helped her new club get a second score shortly after entering the match, drawing defenders to provide space as Taylor Huff tried her luck from distance.  

The club put on a stellar defensive showing in the second half, holding over 70% of the possession balance after the break. Racheal Kundananji nearly added a third goal for Bay FC with two minutes remaining in the match, but her breakaway effort was stopped by Denver’s backline after the Zambian got in behind.  

Kundananji nearly added a third for Bay FC with two minutes remaining, but her breakaway effort was stopped by Denver’s backline. Bay FC was able to maintain possession for much of the final minutes of the match. When the final whistle blew, Bay FC had earned the club’s first win of the season, the first of Emma Coates NWSL career, and the first for Bay FC since June of 2025.