Denver Summit's Season One Report Card. And, Janine's Case for MVP.

Kate Hanson: Fifty-three goals. Only two teams in the NWSL scored more than the Denver Summit this year. Angel City and Kansas City. And they each beat us by one. Same 30 games as everybody else, and an expansion team finished third in the league in goals. And who led the way? Not a striker. Our left back. Queen Janine put in 12 of them. And now she is a finalist for MVP. Welcome back to the 5280 pitch Women's Soccer at Altitude. I'm Kate Hanson, and I can't believe it! Season one is in the books. Season one, folks. And boy, have we learned a lot and have we seen a lot. 63,04 people at Empower Field for our very first home game. A brand new team going into Gotham and beating the best team in the league. Not once but twice. And then two 6-1s. Lindsey walking out at Centennial for the first time. And yeah, a few leads that got away that I'm still mad about. we finished the year, 11 wins, 11 losses, 8 draws, 41 points. 10th place. what a ride. So here's the plan for today's episode. I'm answering the big question first. Was this season a success? You'll hear from Kurt Johnson and Nick Cushing from last week's end-of-season press conference. then how close we really were, because guess what? I did the math. Then Bay, because I'm still not over that bay game. we're gonna talk about the report cards for all of the team. Then we're gonna talk about my off-season wish list, and we're gonna wrap things up with Queen Janine because fan voting for MVP and Defender of the Year closes out soon and she needs your vote. All right, let's start with the big one. Was this season a success? And I say yes. For me, it's a yes, and I know that we finished 10th, and I know that we missed the playoffs. But we saw glimpses of what this team is And they were real glimpses. We went into Gotham in just our third game ever and won 2-0. Then we beat them 3-0 at Centennial in September. That's 5-0 over two games against the team that won the Shield, a team that gave up only 23 goals all season. And nobody else did that to Gotham this year. So I'll just say it. I think we are the most exciting team to watch in this league. And next year. We'll have a full season under our belts. Nick knows this league now, the players know each other, we know who zigs, we know who zags, and it is really clear what gaps we need to fill. And don't worry, we will get into that. Now, 5280 Pitch's own Mariah Dean was at the press conference last Friday and she asked Kurt that exact question: Was this season a success? Here's Mariah and Kurt.

110626 Media Availability: Mariah Dean with 5280 pitch. was this season of success with kind of how the club started. And then also on top of that, what is the top roster priority in this off season defensively midfield attacking? Yeah, good morning. it's immense pride in the foundation. that is here, the identity that the team has, the fact that it resonates in the community. All those are things that are, you can never take them for granted. We started from scratch in January. And so those are huge success stories. With that said, we're sitting here empty, right? Because every time you get a chance to win a trophy, we had two chances this year and we weren't able to do that. So that's a hollow feeling. It's both. That's the best way that I can describe it. And yet, out of that, for me, and I know that our group feels the same way, is this urgency to improve and to be a top four team come this time next year at a minimum. So it's a swirl. I don't think it's a yes or no answer. It's not black or white. But there's a lot to build from. I think we're positioned very well for the future.

Kate Hanson: So what he's saying is that he's proud of what they built from scratch in year one. And I am two, but they had two chances at a trophy and they didn't get it done. So it feels hollow. And I like that he said that out loud. He's not pretending that 10th place is fine because we're an expansion team. He set the bar high, a top four team this time next year at minimum. Top four. He's on the record. I'm holding him to that. So I have to tell you something. Going into the season, I've talked about this a few times now. I went on another podcast that talks about all of the NWSL. And they asked me to come on and talk about the Denver Summit. So much fun. We had a great time. I went on that show and they asked me where I predicted the Denver Summit to finish. And I picked sixth place. And the hosts kind of laughed at me. They were nice about it, but they kind of laughed at me. I believe this they said, sixth for an expansion team? and look, I missed it. We finished 10th. I was four spots off, but I wasn't that far off. And I went back and I did the math. So Portland finished sixth with 50 points. We had 41. And nine points, yes, it sounds like a lot. I know. But when you beat a team that's above you in the table, you get the points and they don't. So it swings both ways. So back to those three games, those three games that we could have won. At Angel City in September, we were up 3 1 in the 61st minute, and it ended 3 3. At home against Angel City in October, we were up 2 0 after 18 minutes and we lost 3 2. And Bay. We'll get to Bay. But hold those three leads and we go to 48 points. Angel City drops from 52 to 48. And now we're level with Angel City for six. And depending on the score lines, we are the ones in sixth place. And if you want the version that hurts even more, forget sixth. If we just hold the lead at Boston in May, we were up 2-1 in the 77th minute, and they ended up scoring in the 90th and 94th. If we hold that lead against Bay and we get a draw at North Carolina on decision day instead of losing on an own goal in the 94th minute, that's six more points. That's 47. That's a playoff team, folks. We led in eight games this season that we didn't win. Eight. Let just let that sink in. That is 20 points we let go from winning positions. So, no, I don't think that we're a 10th place team. I think we were a playoff team that gave it away. Which brings me to bay. September 17th at Centennial. I was there, my daughter's soccer team. We're lucky enough to be the mascots for that game. We were up 2 0 in the 57th minute against BFC, who finished 14th this year. And then Taylor Huff equalizes in the 95th minute. 2-2. Of all the blown leads this season, that is the one for me. That was a 100% mental lapse, and it killed us. And I don't think it was a one-off. I went back and I looked at when we gave up goals this year. We gave up 42 goals. 12 of them came between the 31st minute and halftime. 11 came from the 76th minute to the final whistle. So 23 of our 42 goals against, more than half, came in the last 15 minutes of each half. And in the first 30 minutes of games, we gave up four all season. So we start sharp and then late and a half, the focus slips. Over and over. And I think it's tied to how we play, right? we press high, we push numbers forward, and that's why we score so many goals. That's why we're so exciting. But if you switch off for one second, late and a half, there's a whole lot of grass behind you. And a poor goalie being hung out to dry. So, yes, it's mentality, but it's mentality inside our style. Nick got asked about this directly. How do you turn all those goals into three points? His quote here is a long one, but I wanted to have the whole quote in there because it's a good one. And I think it's the most important thing that he said for the entire press conference. Here he is.

110626 Media Availability: One thing I'm really proud of is that the team has played with such a courage and such an attacking intent, such an aggressive bravery in the way that we attack the game. I'm a huge believer you can do that on the defensive side of the game as well. You know, you've got to be a very courageous player to be able to defend 1v1 and to be able to defend with space in behind you and for your goalkeeper to play high. And I think we've just got to find the balance in that. how many numbers are we going to add and how are we going to adjust and adapt our coverage behind the ball? How high are we going to set our line and are we going to put our team up the field or are we going to drop a little bit lower to decrease the space in behind? And the one thing that I'm really content with is that as a technical staff, we're really capable of making those decisions and those changes. And as a playing group, there's a real commitment and a buy-in. collectively as a club to land on a solution here. although that sounds like major changes, I think it's very, very small details. And the reality is I'll always be a coach that will want to score 53 goals. It's just the way that I see the game. It's the way that I like to watch the game. And it's the way that I believe that we become an even more incredible environment to play and watch soccer. But we have to decrease the 41 goals.

Kate Hanson: So what he's saying is they're not gonna stop attacking, but they have to find the balance. How high do they set the line? How many players stay behind the ball? And he says it sounds like major changes, but really it's just little small details. So I believe, Nick, he's not saying blow it all up. And I don't think this team needs to be a different team. I mean, we are just now starting to find our footing. It needs to stay switched on for 95 minutes instead of 89. Okay, so before the report cards, let's do something fun. Because I feel like I've been harsh. But so so what were the moments this season? The most fun I had all year was the two six one wins. how could you not have fun with that, right? Chicago at Centennial in August, and then Louisville in October. Five different scores in each one. Tash scored in both of them, and KK got her only goal of the season against Louisville. Those were just fun nights, folks. But the biggest moment of this inaugural season was March 28th. At Empower Field, 63,004 people. That is the NWSL single game attendance record for a nothing draw in our very first home game. And that is a core memory for me and my family forever. But I think it's bigger than us two. That was a moment for women's sports. Sixty-three thousand people came out to watch women play soccer in Denver. Nick talked about well both of those, the six one wins and the game at Empower. And he also gave his own answer to Mariah's question about whether this season was a success. Here he is.

110626 Media Availability: I think when you asked the question, Mariah, about success, do we see this season as success? If you simply look at it on results, no, because we finished 10, right? And we're in a results business. So we have to fix that. But Empower was success from a... opportunity that we have as a club. It was such a special occasion that it will be one that I will never forget because we got 63,000 of our people into a stadium to show the world that our club is a very special club and it's got the opportunity to be very, very unique and an incredible environment to play. I think from a game idea, I think the Chicago game was exactly how we want to play the game. Yeah, we scored six goals, but our Attacking intent and our connection with the fans and the types of goals that we scored will always be a day when I really feel that this is how we play soccer. Okay, not six goals, but consistent attack, but also just not allowing the opposition anything, almost suffocating the opposition's ability to catch us in counter-attack or have any offensive volume against us. But I do think the marker of our team is the Gotham home game. We can score multiple goals, can grit out, we can absorb your pressure and we can prove that we can take on the best in this league. And I think that to me is success from our identity, environment and also mentality. We've shown elements of it. We've got to bring it all together to get the ultimate success, which is league position, competing for trophies, winning championships. And that's why I feel like there's elements of success this year. because of the experiences that I've had along the way that just convinced me that we're on the right track.

Kate Hanson: Chicago is exactly how he wants us to play. And the home win over Gotham is the marker of who we are. Score goals, absorb pressure, beat the best. I love that and I think that is who we are. We just need to be that team more often. Okay, so let's Get to the report cards. We'll talk about everyone that got minutes, top to bottom. So leading the list is none other than Janine Sonis. I'm giving her an A plus. I'm saving more on Janine for the end of the show. So just know she is an A plus. Lindsey Heaps gets an A. Seven goals, three assists, and she didn't play her first game until July 18th. She has the best scoring rate on the team. And in the 13 games that she's played, we got 21 points. In the other 17, we got 20. The only thing keeping her from an A plus is that she only played half the season. Yaz Ryan, she gets an A minus, seven goals, six assists, and 58 key passes, which is the most on the team. Yaz is our engine. And when she was on the field, we were plus 15. Best on the roster. Tash Flint, if you haven't listened to her episode yet, be sure to go back and listen to it. She is a real fun interview. I'm giving her an A-minus, eight goals and four assists from the midfield coming up from the league below. What a year for Tash making a statement in the NWSL. Up next is KK. Kaylee Kurtz gets a B plus from me. She played every single minute this season, so that's 2,700 minutes, 30 starts. She is the league's first five-time Iron Woman. The own goal decision day hurt, I know, but honestly, it didn't even end up mattering, anyways. And that didn't erase the 30 games of solid defensive play and showing up. Abby Smith also gets a B plus. She is fifth in the league in saves, and Fot Mob's model has her stopping almost five more goals than an average keeper would have based on the shot that she's faced. She was better than the defense in front of her. And I know I just was talking about a defender who also got a B plus, but I digress. Next up on my list, maybe it might surprise you, the third and final B plus that I'm giving out. is for Yazuki Yamamoto. Three goals, two assists, mostly off the bench. She scored in three straight games. And if she played more, this might have been an A. This is something that we can talk about more in the offseason. Next up is Melissa Cussler, MK. She gets a B from me. She scored eight goals and she scored the first goal in club history. She had four goals in our first six games. I had Jordan Angeli On the podcast after the Empower game, and we talked about MK in that episode. And I said, Man, she's a I feel like the Denver Summit's best kept secret. Well, and she said she's not that much of a secret anymore. And it showed. She then went 126 games without a goal. So we're gonna come back to that. Delaney Sheehan gets a B from me. Her box score is pretty quiet. Two goals, two assists, but We were plus thirteen with her on the field, which is second best on the team. Just beneath Ria Yahs Ryan. She makes us better in ways that don't show up on the stat sheet. Next up is another past guest of the podcast, Megan Reed. I'm giving her a B. Really good passing and clearing numbers when she played, but she didn't get a ton of minutes. She've only played eight hundred and fifty-four minutes and she didn't play again after mid-September. up next is our first rookie. Yes, I'm talking about Devin Lynch. She gets a B minus from me. She was our best ball winner, 88 tackles and interceptions, the most on the team. And she played a ton of minutes. She was playing every single match for the first half of the season until we started seeing more Emma Reagan. another B minus on the team, goes to Eva Gaetino. She scored against Orlando in May. she also had four yellow cards tied for the team lead, which I think is a reflection of maturity for the speed of the game. Remember, this is her first year playing in NWSL, and I think that the speed of the game caused her to have to make some questionable fouls at inopportune times, which is why she gets a next rookie. On my list is Natalie Means. She gets a B minus. And it was hard for me, honestly, to grade Natalie because she's played defense and offense for us. She came in as a sub, she was sometimes a starter. She was really a jack of all trades for the Denver Summit. she only had the one goal, but it was the 86th minute game-winning goal against Portland. In the first game ever at Centennial. And we were plus ten with her on the field. Emma Reagan, she gets a C. She is a steady passer, but zero goals and only one assist in over a thousand minutes. And I think that her and Devin Lynch have a very different style of play. And it was interesting to see the games where Devin got the call to start versus her and Emma getting the call over over Devin. I think that what we'll be looking to see a little bit more next year. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it will be interesting to see what happens because of the FIFA World Cup and who plays when, who plays at the beginning, who plays at the end, what happens with injuries. So it'll be interesting to see what happens because Emma Reagan does play for the Canadian national team. All right. Next up on my list is Olivia Thomas. She gets a C plus Two goals and both of them came late in wins against Chicago and Gotham, but we were minus four with her on the field. Ayo Oke gets a C. She had 22 starts and three assists, but she was the only regular starter where we were outscored on on the field. And she was tied for the team lead in yellow cards. going back to what I said with Eva Gaetino, I think that it was a little bit of that. maturity and adjusting to the speed of the NWSL and having to make some questionable penalties to just save a goal. Up next is a face that we didn't get to see too much in the second half of the season, Carson Pickett. I'm giving her a C because she only had eight starts. She had an own goal against San Diego back in April. And we didn't get to see her too much in the second half of the season. Another C on the list is Euna McCormick. She gets a C. She had 20 appearances and one assist. I think that it'll be interesting to see where she ends up finding her footing on this team. Allie Brazier, she also gets a C. She scored the only goal in the 1-0 win at Louisville, but otherwise, one goal from a lot of chances from our striker. And then incompletes for three players who didn't play enough to get a grade from me. Kat Astman, our backup keeper, she made three starts, one two, and then got the clean sheet in that three-zero win over Gotham. I think that she is super promising. Gemma Bonner, we didn't get to see Naomi Eto. We're gonna I'm sure see her in 2027, but we only got to see Naomi Eto for about 10 minutes. Yeah, and that's it, right? That that's basically everyone that we got to see in year one. We still have Jasmine Aiky, We still have Nahikari Garcia that are gonna be coming back from injury. We have some players that were on maternity leave, some players that were on personal leave. So I think that towards the end of the list here is hard for me to grade people that we only got to see maybe a collective of 20 minutes from. That is your report card, folks. Tell me who I got wrong, who I got right, who you agree with. Be sure to connect with me on Instagram threads and Facebook at Fifty two eighty pitch. you can tell me in person. I'm gonna be at the Fourteeners Fest at Soccer Post this Saturday, so depending on when you're listening to it, Saturday, November 14th, the 14ers are having a big end-of-season party at Soccer Post Denver. More details can be found at the 14ers website or on their socials. Be there or be square. I'll be there. I'm gonna be doing a live podcast recording. I'm gonna be hearing from all of you. With your favorite moments from this inaugural season and what your player grades are. So be sure to be there. Come over and say hi. I'm gonna have the whole podcast booth set up. it's on Saturday, November 14th. Be there, be square. Okay, so let's talk about the offseason. Kurt said they want to add talent at every line: attack, midfield, defense. And sure, but if you're asking me, striker is our biggest need, right? we need more goals, especially with the type of game that we play. We need someone we can rely on to finish. Scoring was a team effort this year, which is great. It's great to see multiple people have eight plus goals. And honestly, it's amazing. Twelve different players scored for us, but the dry spells hurt. MK went a hundred and twenty-six days without a goal. Like I said at the beginning, our leading scorer plays left back. And here's the number that bugs me. Fopmob counts something called big chances, which are the really good looks. We created seventy-nine of them, tied for second in the league. And we missed forty eight of them. Which is the third most in the league. So we're getting into these spots. We just need someone to bury him, which brings me to the obvious target. Yes, folks, Sophia Wilson. She's from Windsor. She's a Colorado kid, and she is a free agent after this season. She also plays on the US women's national team with our captain, Lindsey Heaps. She scored 15 goals for Portland this year, third in the league, and she led the entire league in expected goals. She's also an MVP finalist, right along Janine. Can you imagine? Now Portland said back in the summer that they're working on an extension, so I'm not saying that she's definitely coming. I'm just saying that she's at the top of my wish list. Kurt did say that they're going after the top players in the world. Well one of them grew up right Up the road in Windsor. So Sofia, come on home. And speaking of the MVP, we need to talk about Janine Sonis Yes, she is a finalist for NWSL MVP and Defender of the Year. and I want you to vote for her for both. But if I had to pick one, and I'm only picking one really, just for this episode because it's a soapbox that I'm standing on and I'm going to continue standing on to make my case for her for MVP. Her defense was real good, but MVP stands for most. Valuable player. And boy, was she valuable to this team. 12 goals and eight assists from left back. She's tied for fourth in the league in goals, tied for fourth in assists, and tied for third in goals plus assists. She had a hand in 20 of our 53 goals. And look when she did it. Remember those 126 days that MK went without a goal? From the end of April to the end of August. We scored nineteen in those games. And Janine scored eight of them. When nobody else really could find the back of the net consistently, Janine did. Two at Houston, two more at home at Orlando, the stoppage time equalizer against Portland right before halftime. And then the winner against Utah in the ninety fourth minute. To me, that's that is valuable. That is valuable, folks. And think about where she started. Opening day at bay. Yeah, March 14th. She got sent off in the first half for that red card, the our only red card all season. And then she went out and had the best season of her career. Janine Sonis is the true heart of this team. She grew up in Highlands Ranch. She played at Valor Christian and was the Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year. And she played her whole youth career for Real. She's an Olympic gold medalist with Canada, and she came home to captain her hometown club. And you can see that Colorado pride on the pitch every single game. Now, Nick, when I had him on my podcast episode, he talked about coaching Janine back at Manchester City. So he's known her a long time. Here's what Nick said about her season this year.

110626 Media Availability: think Janine was a standout performer based off, has only been a fullback for, although, She did play fullback for me in Manchester City. I'm not going to claim that I was the person that converted her, but in 2018 she played us right back for me. But she played last year for Louisville as an outside back and she captained Louisville last year. But to come in and captain her sort of home town club and play a second season outside back and put up the numbers that she put up and the performances that she put up, think Janine has made a step in her career. into being almost world-class as an outside back. Now, the challenge for Janine is to sustain that season over season. And that's my role, to challenge and to support. if she can do that, we have a great chance of continuing to improve.

Kate Hanson: Janine took a step this year into being almost world class as an outside back. And now the challenge is doing it again next year. Almost world class from her coach. So I'm actually going to include the ballot if you're watching on YouTube. And here is the link to go and vote. If you're listening, I will include the link in the show notes. Folks, you need to vote for Janine Sonis, And I get it. Ashley Sanchez has a great comeback season, but so has Janine. And scoring goals, I get it. Okay, people have been coming at me for this. So they say, well, Ashley Sanchez has scored 20 goals on a mid team. I get that. But Janine Sonis, she finished on a tenth place team. She played a different position. She had an entire different responsibility other than just scoring goals. So the MVP finalists are Janine, Temwa Chwinga, Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez, and Sophia Wilson. And Janine is the only one of those five. Who is also a Defender of the Year finalist. For Defender of the Year, it's Janine, Tierna Davidson, Kate DeFava, Sarah Gordon, and Kennedy Wesley. Fans get 10% of the final vote, and fan voting closes on November 11th. So depending on when you're listening to this, be sure to go vote for her. I think she deserves it. Vote for her for MVP, vote for her for Defender of the Year. And while you're in there, put her on your best 11-2. The winners get announced Wednesday, November 18th when they have the award ceremony on ESPN 2. So be sure to tune into that as well. All right, folks, that is year one, 10th place. A record crowd, two 6-1 games, the Gotham double, and a whole lot of what-ifs. I pick six. And we were three results away. Next year, I want to see top four, like Kurt said. I'd also like to see us maybe get a striker. Maybe. Yeah, or maybe we find our footing with the team that we have. But if we could sign a top striker, that'd be pretty sweet. If you like this episode, please hit subscribe, leave a review and share it with somebody. That is the biggest thing that you can do for an independent show like this, and it is how more people find women's soccer. Come say hi to me at Fort Teeners Fest on the 14th this Saturday. All the details will be on the Fort Teeners websites and on their socials. And if you have something to say, send me a voice memo. Head on over to the5280pitch.com. You can sign up for the newsletter. You can check out the merch that we have. You can listen to past episodes, read the blogs, and Maybe you will hear yourself on an upcoming episode of the 5280 Pitch. I have already gotten a couple voice memos from you all, so be sure to keep sending them in. It's a been a lot of fun to hear you guys, and I will be including them in future episodes. But That is it for this week's episode of the fifty two eighty pitch, women's soccer at altitude. I'll talk with you soon.