The 5280 Pitch

The 5280 Pitch is Denver's home for Summit FC and NWSL coverage—hosted by Colorado native and veteran sports broadcaster Kate Hanson.
Real insight into Denver's inaugural season. Player profiles, tactical breakdowns, match analysis, and the stories that make women's soccer at altitude compelling.
New episodes every Tuesday.

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Sept. 11, 2026

Tash Flint Interview: Denver Summit FC, Nick Cushing and That Shot (BONUS)

Denver Summit FC forward Tash Flint joins me this week, and folks, I've wanted this NWSL interview for a long time. You chant her name at the stadium. Now you get to hear her story. Tash grew up in Salford chasing her brothers to training and playing with the lads. She was in Manchester United's academy at five, then moved to City when United didn't have a women's team for her to step into. At City she won the 2014 League Cup under a coach you might know. Nick Cushing. She tells me what Nick s

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Sept. 8, 2026

Denver Summit Just Beat the Best Team in the League. Angel City Is Next.

Denver Summit FC just beat the best defense in the NWSL 3-0, and it's the team we've been waiting for all season. Scoreless at half. Then three goals in the final forty-one minutes — Yamamoto, Thomas, and Ryan all get on the board, Kat Asman gets her first clean sheet in a Denver shirt, and we end Gotham's ten-match unbeaten run for the second time this year. I break down the numbers behind what was honestly a ruthless performance, and I get into the rookie contracts nobody's talking about — th

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Sept. 1, 2026

Denver Summit FC: Nine Games Left and Four Points From an NWSL Playoff Spot

Denver Summit FC beat the Chicago Stars 6-1 at Centennial Stadium, the most goals any NWSL team has scored in a single match this season, and I've got a lot to say about all of it. Six goals. Five assists. Eight different players with a goal contribution. Melissa Kössler ended a 126-day drought with a brace, Yuzuki Yamamoto and Olivia Thomas both scored their first, and Lindsey Heaps came back at Centennial for the first time since the injury, wore the armband, and set up the second goal inside

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Aug. 28, 2026

Denver Summit FC Host Chicago Stars: The One They're Supposed to Win

Chicago has scored two goals on the road all season. One win, no draws, ten losses away from home. They are last in the NWSL and they come to Centennial Stadium on Saturday night. This is the one Denver Summit FC is supposed to win. Kate Hanson breaks down why that's exactly the problem. Denver sit twelfth on twenty-four points with ten matches left. Seattle hold the last playoff place on twenty-eight. Six of Denver's final ten are at home, and five are against the four clubs directly in this

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Aug. 25, 2026

Denver Summit FC Had the Ball All Night in Portland and Lost

Denver Summit FC held 62.5% of the ball at Portland, got into the Thorns' box 29 times, and lost 1-0 in an NWSL road match that looked nothing like the scoreline. Abby Smith was out of the starting eleven for the first time in club history, which handed Kat Asman the first career start of her life — in the stadium that drafted her and never played her. She made five saves and held Portland under their expected goals and lost anyway, because Sophia Wilson ran past Denver's back line in the 44th

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Aug. 18, 2026

A Point on the Road — Abby Smith's 300th and Eva Gaetino's 16 Minutes

Denver Summit FC take a point on the road in a 1-1 draw at San Diego Wave, and this NWSL recap starts with the news: Eva Gaetino came off in the 16th minute holding her hamstring. Nick Cushing's full answer on her status is in this episode. Denver went into Snapdragon Stadium without Lindsey Heaps, lost a starting center back before the game was a fifth over, went down at halftime, and still walked out with the first home point San Diego had surrendered all season. Cushing called it two points

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Recent Blog Posts

Sept. 8, 2026

Denver Summit FC 3-0 Gotham FC: The League's Best Defense Falls Twice, and the Playoff Math Gets Tighter

Photo Credit: @Fidel.fotos

Denver became the only club in the NWSL to beat Gotham FC twice this season. The numbers underneath the scoreline say the shift is real. The standings say the win barely moved them at all.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Denver …

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Sept. 1, 2026

Denver Summit FC 6-1 Chicago Stars: Eight Goal Contributors, Two First Goals and a Playoff Path

The Summit scored more goals in ninety minutes than any NWSL team has managed in a single match this season. The numbers underneath the scoreline say the performance was real. The opponent says be careful with it.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Denver Summit …

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About the Host

Kate Hanson

Host of The 5280 Pitch | Former 850 KOA Broadcaster | Colorado Native

Kate Hanson is a veteran sports broadcaster and the voice behind The 5280 Pitch, Denver's home for Summit FC and NWSL coverage. With years of experience at 850 KOA—Denver's premier sports radio station—Kate brings professional broadcasting chops and deep Colorado sports knowledge to women's soccer coverage.

As a Colorado native and lifelong soccer fan, Kate covers Denver Summit FC's inaugural season with the same depth and analysis she brought to Denver's other professional teams. Her style is direct, energetic, and unapologetically passionate about treating women's soccer with the respect it deserves.

What Kate Talks About:
-Denver Summit FC's expansion season and NWSL growth
-Tactical breakdowns, player profiles, and match analysis
-The altitude advantage and what makes Centennial Stadium unique
-Building community around women's professional sports in Denver
-Colorado soccer culture and the youth development pipeline
-Women's sports media and broadcast coverage

Kate's broadcast background at 850 KOA gives her a unique perspective on how women's soccer fits into Denver's sports landscape—and why this moment matters for the city and the league.

Available for:
-Podcast guest appearances
-Panel discussions on women's sports media and broadcasting
-Denver sports commentary and NWSL analysis
-Soccer culture and community-building conversations

Contact: 5280pitch@gmail.com

When she's not behind the mic, Kate is usually at a pitch somewhere in Colorado, cheering on the next generation.