Episodes

Ten years in this league. Franchises folded. A knee injury that almost ended everything. And right now, by every advanced metric, Abby Smith is having the best season of her professional career. She's back on The 5280 Pitch for her second conversation with Kate, and this one goes deeper. Abby talks about what it actually feels like inside the Summit locker room 11 games in — the eagerness, the growth, the moments that don't make the highlight reel. She breaks down her preparation as a goalkeepe...

Denver Summit FC beat Barbara Banda and the Orlando Pride 3-1 on Pride Night — and Tobin Heath and Christen Press were watching. Janine Sonis scored twice. Eva Gaetino scored her first career professional goal in Denver's first home win in franchise history. And the two World Cup legends said they can smell the winning ingredients in Denver. This week on The 5280 Pitch: full match recap, a conversation with Tobin Heath and Christen Press on the Football Loves You campaign and where women's soc...

Denver Summit FC went from 46.8% possession in March's 1-1 draw to 56% and four goals in Houston last weekend. The rematch is Saturday — and this time, the Summit have the ball. Kate Hanson breaks down everything you need to know before Denver Summit FC hosts the Orlando Pride on Pride Night at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park — including post-practice interviews with Ally Brazier, Natalie Means, and head coach Nick Cushing. What we cover: ⚽ Pride Night at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park — fan zone opens...

Denver Summit FC went to Houston and put up a 4-1 road win — and the possession numbers tell the whole story. 38%. 43%. 53%. That's Denver's possession in their last three games. The first two ended in losses. Friday night in Houston, this team looked completely different. This week Kate breaks down what actually changed, why the Ryan and Sheehan homecoming delivered, and whether this is finally the turn in the tide. This week on The 5280 Pitch: ⚽ The possession flip that explains everything...

Denver Summit FC heads to Shell Energy Stadium for a major NWSL road test against the Houston Dash, and this match preview comes with one big question: How different will Denver’s lineup look? On this episode of The 5280 Pitch, Kate Hanson breaks down Denver Summit FC vs Houston Dash, including Nick Cushing’s post-practice comments about expected lineup changes, what those changes could mean after two tough losses, and why this match could become an early turning point for Summit FC. Kate als...

Denver Summit FC blew a second-half lead for the second match in a row, and the pattern is starting to look like an identity. Kate Hanson breaks down the 3-2 loss to Boston Legacy at Gillette Stadium — Yazmeen Ryan's first goal in a Summit kit, Tash Flint's second screamer of the season, Carson Pickett's 15,000th NWSL minute, and the structural problem with leads that cost Denver three points for the second straight match. Boston earned their first win in franchise history on a stoppage-time go...

Denver Summit FC heads to Foxborough to face Boston Legacy FC — the only other expansion team in the league, and the only one still searching for its first win. Their first win cannot come against us. In this episode, Kate breaks down everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's road trip to Gillette Stadium. We dig into why a 0-5 Boston side is more dangerous than their record suggests, what Filipa Patão's system is actually trying to do, and why Casey Murphy is going to be a real problem for...

Denver Summit FC led the #1 team in the NWSL 2-0 at halftime. Then San Diego scored three goals in 16 second-half minutes to break a 30-match curse and walk out of Dick's Sporting Goods Park with a 3-2 win. It hurts. It also tells you something about where this team really is. In this episode, Kate breaks down the full match — from the rehearsed buildup that produced Denver's first ever home goal, to the second-half collapse, to the Pickett own goal that sealed it. We dig into the formation sw...

Denver Summit FC hosts San Diego Wave FC Saturday, April 25 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park — and I'm calling it: Denver wins. The league-leading Wave come to Commerce City on Denver Unite Night in snow, rain, and 33-degree weather at 5,280 feet of elevation. In this preview, I break down why altitude, the Cuiabá travel, and Kenzo Dali's possession game all point to a Summit upset. What's covered: Why San Diego's second-half scoring pattern collapses at altitude Abby Smith's 5.05 goals prevent...

A defender who scored 21 goals in college. Her first professional contract. And somehow, she ended up exactly where she always dreamed. Kate Hanson sits down with Denver Summit FC defender Natalie Means (#4) — Georgetown's do-everything wingback who just made the jump to the NWSL in the club's inaugural season. Kaleigh Kurtz personally vouched for her. The stats speak for themselves. And after this conversation, you'll understand why this rookie is one of the most interesting players on the ro...

Devin Lynch’s road to Denver Summit FC starts here. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch — Women’s Soccer at Altitude, host Kate Hanson sits down with Denver Summit FC rookie midfielder Devin Lynch to talk about her journey from Duke University to the NWSL. Devin shares what it’s like entering the league as a rookie and joining Denver’s expansion team during its historic inaugural season. In this episode we talk about: Devin’s soccer roots growing up in Illinois Her development at Duke and the...

Denver Summit FC lost their first-ever professional game 2-1 at Bay FC on March 14, 2026, but the story is so much bigger than the scoreline. In the 20th minute, Melissa Kössler headed home the first goal in club history off a beautiful Carson Pickett ball and Janine Sonis cross. Six minutes later, Sonis was sent off with a controversial red card that changed everything. Kate breaks down the VAR decision that upgraded a yellow to a straight red, why the call didn't meet the IFAB standard for ex...

BONUS EPISODE: Carson Pickett joins the show! Carson Pickett has been in the NWSL since 2016. She's played 185 games. She's seen the league go from $8,000 salaries and host families to expansion teams selling out NFL stadiums. And now she's helping build Denver Summit FC from the ground up. In this episode, Carson talks about why she chose Denver as a veteran in a league that's finally treating players like professionals. We cover her rookie year in Seattle, what clicked when she got to North ...

Denver Summit FC plays their first-ever NWSL game on Saturday, March 14th against Bay FC at PayPal Park. This is it—the real thing. In this episode, I break down what to expect from Bay FC, including their massive $1.1 million signing of USWNT midfielder Claire Hutton. Bay struggled to score last season (26 goals, lowest in the league), but they were organized defensively and just acquired one of the best defensive midfielders in the NWSL. I cover Denver's likely starting XI—Smith in goal, Pic...

Coachella Breakdown: What We Learned From Denver’s 7-Goal Preseason The Denver Summit wrapped up their first-ever preseason tournament at the Coachella Valley Invitational with two wins, seven goals scored, and plenty to talk about. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch: Women’s Soccer at Altitude, we break down what actually stood out from Denver’s 2–0 win over Utah and their 5–2 shootout against San Diego — and what it tells us about this expansion team heading into the March 14 opener against Bay FC. Match 1: Utah Royals (2–0) Denver’s first-ever match as a club wasn’t flashy — it was organized. Key Takeaways: Defensive shape was compact and disciplined Possession looked intentional, not frantic Melissa Koestler opened the scoring with a clinical finish Rookie Olivia Thomas came off the bench and scored in her professional debut Utah finished 11th last season, so this wasn’t an elite test — but it was a clean execution of a game plan. For a team playing to…

Denver Summit FC didn't mess around building their back line. They went out and got veterans. Championship winners. Players who've actually won stuff in this league. In this episode, we break down all eight defenders on the Summit roster—from Kaleigh Kurtz's ironwoman durability (played every single minute for four straight years) to Carson Pickett's attacking threat from fullback (3 goals, 2 assists in 2025), Janine Sonis coming home to Colorado with Olympic gold, and the young talent like Ayo ...

May is where the Denver Summit stop being new — and start being tested. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch: women’s soccer at altitude, we break down Denver’s brutal May schedule and explain why this road-heavy stretch is the true examination of their inaugural NWSL season. Five matches. Four on the road. Every opponent asking a different question. This episode walks match by match through Boston, Houston, Orlando, Utah, and Racing Louisville — not to predict results, but to explain what each game reveals about Denver’s growth, adaptability, and identity. If March was the introduction and April was the adjustment, May is the gauntlet — and how Denver handles it shapes everything that comes next. Subscribe for weekly Denver Summit and NWSL analysis, and stick with us as we build this season match by match.

The last few weeks around Denver Summit FC have been a lot. Signings came fast, the NWSL schedule dropped, and then the stadium news hit. This episode is me stepping back to talk through where the Summit actually are right now — what this expansion roster is telling us, why the Lindsey Heaps signing matters, and how Denver is preparing for its first NWSL season.

Lindsey Heaps is coming home — not as a symbol, but as a foundation piece. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch, we break down why the Golden, Colorado native and U.S. Women’s National Team captain is such a rare signing for an expansion club. From her development with Colorado Rush to Olympic gold, 150+ international caps, and a career built on reliability and control, this isn’t a story about hype — it’s about structure. What does Lindsey Heaps actually bring on the field? Why does midfield cont...

Carson Pickett is more than a left back — she’s a foundational signing for Denver Summit FC. In this episode, we break down where Pickett ranks among NWSL defenders, why she’s one of the league’s elite attacking fullbacks, and how her game fits perfectly at altitude. We also explore her historic USWNT debut and the impact of her advocacy off the field.

Denver Summit FC took a major step toward permanence — and it didn’t come quietly. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch — women’s soccer at altitude, we examine the approval of the club’s purpose-built stadium at Santa Fe Yards and what it represents beyond soccer. We break down the Denver City Council vote, the $70 million public funding package, and the legally binding community benefits agreement that promises long-term investment in surrounding neighborhoods. This episode also wrestles with t...

When you’re building from scratch, certainty matters. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch: Women’s Soccer at Altitude, we dive into why Denver Summit FC’s signing of Abby Smith is about more than goalkeeping — it’s about trust, experience, and setting a tone for an expansion team. A two-time NWSL champion and one of the league’s most consistent keepers, Smith brings calm, professionalism, and championship perspective to Denver’s back line. This episode explores her journey, her mindset, and why ...

Denver Summit FC’s first-ever signing is a hometown hero. In this episode, we spotlight Colorado native Ally Watt — her journey from Colorado Springs to Texas A&M, through the NWSL, and now back home as the club’s historic Player No. 1. We break down why her speed, mentality, and championship pedigree make her the perfect foundation for an expansion team and what her homecoming means for fans and the future of women’s soccer in Colorado.

Denver finally has an NWSL team — and in our first episode, we’re breaking down how it happened. From the grassroots movement behind the bid, to the powerhouse ownership group featuring Rob Cohen, Mellody Hobson, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Peyton Manning, this is the full origin story of Denver Summit FC. You’ll learn why the league chose Denver, what the “Summit” brand really stands for, where the team will play, and why this moment matters for women’s sports in Colorado. If you’re ready to get plugged in before the first whistle blows, this is where your 5280 Summit journey starts.