Bay FC (1-0-0) secured its first win of the season in its home opener on Saturday at PayPal Park in San José, defeating Denver Summit FC (0-0-1) 2-1.
The match also marked the National Women’s Soccer League debut for Denver Summit FC.
Bay FC started the game strong in the eighth minute when forward Alex Pfeiffer scored the club’s first goal of the season.
A sprint down the right side of the field with the ball gave Pfeiffer the space to cut in and set herself up for a left-footed strike to the bottom left corner of the net.
Pfeiffer said she noticed the space and has been working on different skills to capitalize on opportunities like this one.
“I saw her just kinda stepping away from me, and I think it’s something I’ve worked on a lot, is cutting in with my left foot and having different tools, finish left, finish right, cut in whatever that may be,” Pfeiffer said. “Once I kinda saw her back off a little bit, I just took another touch and put it in the back of the net.”
Nearing the 20-minute mark of the game, Denver Summit FC answered back.
Defender Janine Sonis assisted forward Melissa Kössler, scoring from the center of the box by putting the ball in the top left corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1.
A violent conduct was committed in the 27th minute of the game by Denver Summit FC forward Janine Sonis, resulting in a red card and Denver having 10 players the rest of the game.
In the 31st minute, Bay FC midfielder Taylor Huff won a free kick in the attacking half of the field.
Scoring off a set piece, Huff made a short pass to Pfeiffer, who cut into the middle of the box and assisted the ball to midfielder Joelle Anderson, who finished the ball in the bottom left corner of the net to put Bay FC back on top 2-1.
Anderson said she’s proud of the team for getting the win.
“It was awesome just to get a win to start off the season strong,” Anderson said. “I’m so proud of our performance today, just to come swinging right away and get a win under our belt, especially after last season.”
In the 2025 regular season, Bay FC finished (4-8-14), putting them second to last place in the NWSL season rankings.
Bay FC held 56% of the possession of the game coming out of the first half.
Head coach Emma Coates, in her first season as Bay FC coach, said the team talked about getting a grip on the game at halftime.
“All we talked about at halftime was ‘how do we control the speed of the game, how do we sort of kill them with the ball a little bit and keep them moving and controlling the transitions,” Coates said.
Bay FC maintained 63% of the possession in the second half, creating a strong offensive performance.
Twelve shot attempts were made by Bay FC in the second half, but none were able to find the back of the net.
Coates shared his thoughts on the team’s performance after the match.
“I think it’s good to get off to a positive start, a bit disappointed we never scored more goals, but off to a great start,” Coates said.
With a strong start to the season, Bay FC ended the second half on top, winning its first game since June of 2026.
Bay FC will look to keep its winning streak alive in its next game at PayPal Park in San José against Angel City FC on Saturday, March 21, at 5:45 p.m.
