Stoppage time dwindled as the San Diego Wave held a 2-0 lead over the Chicago Stars on a chilly April night in the “Windy City.”

San Diego dominated possession throughout the match, which continued as Delphine Cascarino found Kenza Dali at the top of the penalty area for yet another promising attempt. 

Although Alyssa Naeher dove and got her hands on it, she could not corral the loose ball, and Wave FC’s Adriana Leon hustled to gain possession near the endline. Leon quickly one-hopped the ball into the middle of the box, where Kimmi Ascaino, whose age matches her jersey number of 17, calmly flicked the ball with the outside of her right foot past a diving Naeher into the far side of the net.

Ascanio, as if both relieved and exhausted, placed her hands on her knees as teammates huddled around to celebrate the 17-year-old netting her first professional goal. 

Exactly two weeks later, Ascanio found herself in a similar location, this time in the sixth minute of a home match against the Portland Thorns. Perle Merroni collected a rebound off a Gia Corley blocked shot and sent a cross into the far side of the goal area, where Ascanio tucked a diving header just under the crossbar. 

San Diego Wave FC’s No. 17 scored the second goal of her career, a would-be game-winning goal for the Wave if not for a late push by the Thorns. After San Diego was down to just 10 players thanks to a Kennedy Wesley red card in the 41st minute, Portland converted a penalty kick in the 98th to equalize the match.

Not only was Ascanio’s confidence growing, but so was the team’s chemistry, which became even more evident in a road showdown with Gotham FC the following week. Gotham came out of the gates strong, applying pressure that resulted in several early attempts, none of which were converted into tallies on the score sheet.

After fending off another Gotham opportunity, San Diego’s Hanna Lundqvist advanced the ball to Kenza Dali along the right side of the pitch just past midfield. Dali cut to the center of the field and eventually sent a through ball to a streaking Perle Merroni on the opposite side. 

Merroni struck a ball that somehow ended up at the feet of Ascanio, who took two touches and sent what is becoming her patented shot, a right-footed flick with the outside of her boot, careening to the back of the net. 17… again.

Ascanio had another attempt go off the crossbar in the 72nd minute, but her third professional goal proved to be the difference in San Diego’s 1-0 road victory. 

Wave FC’s hot start to the 2025 season has been fueled mostly by their ability to share the ball, totaling a league-best 13 assists in just nine matches. Manager Jonas Eidevall has instilled an “everybody eats” methodology, resulting in 11 players tallying at least one goal. Not only that, but in a league where experience is such a coveted trait, Eidevall has spent the early part of the season ensuring his youngsters have started gaining such experience.

Kimmi Ascaino is one of three 17-year-olds on the roster, along with Melanie Barcenas and Trinity Armstrong. They have seen playing time in at least eight of the nine matches thus far. Barcenas and Armstrong have shown promising contributions, but it is Ascaino who is quickly becoming one of the squad’s most dangerous scoring threats. 

A typical NWSL team will experience many ebbs and flows throughout the season. However, it’s only a matter of when, not if, that we hear “17… again.”

Andy Olsson

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Andy’s passion for sports has followed him across the country. With meaningful stops in Cleveland and Indianapolis, he finally landed in sunny San Diego in 2023. Now rooted on the West Coast, he covers the San Diego Wave and San Diego State Aztecs, bringing a rust belt work ethic to SoCal sidelines. Spreadsheet enthusiast. Serviceable golfer. Everyone watches women’s sports. Be good, do good, Go Bills.