What to Expect When Denver Summit FC Plays Their First NWSL Game

Bay FC made a $1.1 million move to fix their biggest weakness. Here's what Denver faces on Saturday.

Saturday, March 14th. Denver Summit FC plays their first-ever NWSL game. Not a preseason friendly. Not a scrimmage. The real thing.

Bay FC at PayPal Park in San Jose. 4:30 PM Mountain Time. On ION and Denver7.

This is the moment everything has been building toward. The roster construction. The preseason at Coachella. The tactical preparation. All of it leads to this.

So what should Denver expect from Bay FC? What does the starting lineup look like? And what does success actually mean for an expansion team playing their first game on the road?

Who Bay FC Actually Is

Bay FC finished last season 13th in the league. Four wins, eight draws, 14 losses. They didn't make the playoffs. But they weren't a mess.

They were structured. They were organized. The problem was scoring. Bay managed just 26 goals in 26 games—the lowest total in the entire NWSL.

But here's what makes that number misleading: Bay created chances. Their expected goals total was 34.1, which ranked seventh in the league. They were getting into dangerous positions. They were generating quality opportunities. They just couldn't finish.

The gap between their expected goals and actual goals was 8.1—the biggest disparity in the NWSL last season. Nine one-goal losses. Eight draws. They were in games. They just couldn't find the final product.

Penelope Hocking led the team with six goals. Rachael Kundananji and Taylor Huff each had four. That's not a lot of firepower spread across a full season.

Defensively, though, Bay was solid. Caprice Dydasco played every single minute last season, earning ironwoman status. She's a veteran left back who's been in this league for over a decade and knows how to organize a backline.

Jordan Silkowitz in goal had 74 saves and four clean sheets. She was nominated for Save of the Week 12 times—more than anyone in the league. She's capable. She makes stops.

And Alyssa Malonson at center back had five assists last season, tied for third-most in the league from a defender. Bay wasn't just defending. They were trying to build from the back and create from deep positions.

So what does that tell us? Bay FC knows how to defend. They won't beat themselves. But offensively, they struggle to break teams down and put the ball in the net.

The Claire Hutton Factor

And then Bay made a move that changes everything.

On February 11th, Bay FC acquired midfielder Claire Hutton from Kansas City Current for $1.1 million in transfer funds. That's the second-highest transfer fee in NWSL history.

Claire Hutton is 20 years old. She was named to the 2025 NWSL Best XI First Team. She's a U.S. Women's National Team midfielder who captained the team in January. She helped Kansas City win the Shield last season. She's one of the best defensive midfielders in this league.

Last year, Hutton ranked in the top 10 in the entire NWSL in duels won, successful tackles, and possessions won. She's the kind of player who controls the middle of the field, breaks up play, wins the ball back, and can pass. Her vision and technical ability are elite.

Bay FC's midfield is completely different now. Last season, they struggled to control games through the middle. They bypassed midfield with long balls, unable to sustain possession or dictate tempo. Hutton changes that. She's the spine. She's the player who connects defense to attack.

For Denver, this is huge. They're not facing the same Bay FC that finished 13th last year. They're facing a team that just paid $1.1 million to fix their biggest weakness. Bay has a new coach in Emma Coates, a revamped system, and one of the best young midfielders in the world anchoring everything.

Denver's Likely Starting Lineup

Nick Cushing hasn't officially announced Denver's starting eleven, but based on preseason performances and roster composition, the lineup is coming into focus.

In goal: Abby Smith. She's the veteran. She made a mistake in the San Diego preseason game, but she also made saves that kept Denver in it. She's the starter until proven otherwise.

The backline will likely feature Carson Pickett at left back, Kaleigh Kurtz and Eva Gaetino as the center back pairing, and Ayo Oke at right back.

Pickett is a two-time NWSL Best XI selection who led the league in assists as a left back in 2022. She gets forward, she creates, she's a two-way threat. Kurtz is the captain—an ironwoman who holds the NWSL record for consecutive minutes played. She's the vocal presence, the organizer, the leader of this defense.

Gaetino came from PSG in France. She had a shaky start in preseason but settled in as games progressed. She's adjusting to the pace of the NWSL, but the talent is clearly there. Oke is a U.S. U-23 international who's fast, athletic, and can get up and down the flank.

In midfield, expect Emma Regan and Yuna McCormack as the double pivot. Regan is a Canadian international who wins tackles, reads the game, and breaks up play. McCormack is a box-to-box player with work rate for days. She's everywhere.

Lourdes Bosch will likely slot in as the attacking midfielder. She's creative, she can pick a pass, she shields the ball well. Against Bay's compact defensive shape, Bosch will be critical in unlocking space.

Up top, Denver will field some combination of Melissa Kössler, Olivia Thomas, and Ally Brazier. Kössler is a German international who scored two goals in two preseason games. She's a clinical finisher who's always in the right spot.

Thomas is a rookie out of UNC who scored three goals in two preseason games. She's fast—4.8 40-yard dash fast—and she's a problem in the air. She's forcing her way into the starting lineup with performances.

Brazier is a Colorado native and Summit's first-ever signing. She's won championships in Australia and the NWSL. She knows how to score. She's experienced. She's a leader up top.

Whether Cushing lines them up as a front two or a front three remains to be seen. But those are the attacking weapons Denver will deploy.

Natalie Means is worth watching. She's listed as a defender but played as a winger in preseason, scoring a goal and recording an assist. She'll likely feature off the bench, but don't be surprised if Cushing finds a way to get her on the field.

The Tactical Matchups That Matter

The biggest question heading into Saturday: Can Denver control the midfield against Claire Hutton?

This is the matchup. Hutton will sit in front of Bay's backline, breaking up play, cutting off passing lanes, winning duels. She's elite at this. Emma Regan and Yuna McCormack will have their hands full. Can they match Hutton's work rate? Can they win second balls? Can they keep her from dominating possession in the middle third?

If Hutton controls the midfield, Bay dictates the game. If Denver can disrupt her, press her, force her into mistakes—that's when Bay's offense stalls.

Building out of the back cleanly will also be critical. Bay FC is going to press. They're not going to let Denver pass it around comfortably. They're going to try to force mistakes high up the field.

Abby Smith's distribution matters here. If she can find Kurtz or Gaetino with clean passes, and they can find Regan or McCormack in midfield, Denver breaks the press and suddenly they're in space. But if Smith is shaky, if the center backs can't find the midfield, Bay will win the ball in dangerous areas and create chances.

Exploiting Bay's lack of finishing is another avenue. Bay created chances last year—they just didn't score. If Denver can stay compact defensively, limit the quality of chances Bay gets, and make them finish from difficult positions, that plays into Denver's hands.

Kurtz and Gaetino can't give up easy headers on set pieces. Pickett and Oke have to track runners coming from deep. Regan has to cut off passing lanes into Bay's forwards. If Denver defends with discipline and organization, Bay will struggle to score. And if Bay can't score, Denver just needs one or two moments of quality to win.

The attacking trio—whether it's Kössler and Thomas as a front two, or Kössler-Thomas-Brazier as a front three—needs to create chances. Kössler drifts into pockets and finds gaps between lines. Thomas is physical and fast, capable of running in behind or holding up play. Brazier is experienced and knows how to find space and finish in tight areas.

If those players can combine effectively, Denver has a real attacking threat. If they're isolated and disconnected, it's going to be a long day.

Set pieces matter too. Bay's Alyssa Malonson had five assists last year, many from set pieces. Denver has to be organized defensively—no easy headers, no unmarked runners. On the flip side, Denver has height. Kurtz, Gaetino, and Thomas can all attack the ball in the air. If Denver gets set pieces in dangerous areas, they need to capitalize.

And finally, fitness. Denver has been training at altitude for weeks. Bay is coming from sea level. This game is at sea level, so Denver doesn't have the altitude advantage on Saturday. But Denver's conditioning is built for this league now. They've been through the grind of preseason. They know the pace. If this game is tight in the 75th minute, Denver's fitness could give them an edge. One more run. One more tackle. One more chance.

What Success Looks Like

Bay FC is better than their 2025 record suggests. They've got a new coach. They just spent $1.1 million on Claire Hutton. They're not the same team that finished 13th last year.

But they're also still figuring things out. New system. New players integrating. First game of the season.

So what does success look like for Denver?

First, stay organized defensively. Don't give up soft goals. Don't make mistakes that lead to easy chances. Make Bay earn everything.

Second, create quality chances going forward. Denver doesn't have to score three goals. But they need moments where they look dangerous. Where Thomas gets in behind. Where Kössler finds space. Where Bosch picks out a killer pass.

Third, compete for 90 minutes. Expansion teams can have moments where they lose focus, where the game gets away from them. Denver can't afford that. Stay in the fight. Stay disciplined.

If Denver does those three things and comes away with a point—a 0-0 draw, a 1-1 draw—that's not a bad start.

But if they can do those things and find a way to win? If they can get all three points on the road in their first-ever game? That's a statement. That's Denver telling the league they're not just here to participate. They're here to compete.

And Bay is beatable. Denver has the roster. They have the tactics. They have the preparation. Now they just have to execute.

How to Watch

Saturday, March 14th. Kickoff is 4:30 PM Mountain Time. The game is on ION nationally and Denver7 and The Spot Denver 3 locally in Colorado. If you don't have cable, ION streams on their website. You can also watch on NWSL+ if you're a subscriber.

For fans in Colorado, there are two official watch parties. The Denver Summit FC inaugural watch party will be at Stoney's at 1111 Lincoln. Doors open early. There will be merch, raffles, and new kits available for purchase.

The 14ers supporters group is hosting their season opener watch party at Number 38. Doors open at 3:45 PM. If you want to be around other fans, if you want game-day energy even though the team is on the road, that's the move.

What Comes Next

After Saturday's opener, Denver's schedule gets real fast.

March 20th: At Orlando Pride. The reigning NWSL champions. That's a test.

March 25th: At Gotham FC. The 2025 NWSL Cup champions. Another massive test.

March 28th: Home opener at Empower Field at Mile High against Washington Spirit. Over 45,000 fans. History.

This first game is just the beginning. But it matters. It sets the tone. It shows what this team is capable of.

Denver Summit FC has been built intentionally. The roster has veterans like Pickett and Kurtz who know this league. It has young talent like Thomas and McCormack who are hungry. It has international stars like Kössler and Gaetino who bring a different level of quality.

And in a couple of weeks, Lindsey Heaps arrives from Lyon to anchor that midfield.

Saturday, March 14th. 4:30 PM Mountain Time. History starts now.