San Diego Wave FC scales Denver Summit with second half surge
Credit: San Diego Wave FC
The sea-level suited San Diego Wave FC faces a unique challenge in its sixth game of the season: altitude.
DENVER — The newly minted Denver Summit put together a sold-out crowd at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of MLS side Colorado Rapids. Denver, whose inaugural home match at the home of the Denver Broncos, also broke attendance records with over 63,000. Needless to say, the top of the table San Diego Wave were coming into a hostile environment.
Between the mile-high air and stadium pulse, Denver came out swinging early. Melissa Kössler put the club’s first-ever home goal in the back of the net in the 16th minute off a beautifully fed cross from Yazmeen Ryan. Mimi Van Zanten was giving chase, but fell just out of step to concede the shot.
The Summit is currently 10th in the NWSL with six points, but cannot be mistaken for an easy bout.
San Diego put together a solid attempt from a Kimmi Ascanio to Dudinha connection, but it would be Denver who found nylon again. In a sequence that almost left them unscathed, Natasha Flint headed a second-chance ball just out of reach and into the goal. Kristen McNabb made an outrageous header save on Flint’s first shot attempt, but it wasn’t cleared far enough.
Jonas Eidevall and company went to the locker rooms with some things to figure out. A few too many fast breaks conceded, and too few opportunities generated meant San Diego’s aggression needed to be refined.
Second-half heroics
Per an ION graphic, the Wave entered the second half with just a 2.5% chance of victory and 10% chance of a tie. The league leaders evidently took offense to that graphic.
49th minute, and Ascanio has the ball at the top of the box. She dishes out a ball to the go-to, Lia Godfrey, with just enough space to slice one home. This was the exact start that San Diego needed to establish momentum.
that's FOUR goals for the rookie Lia Godfrey 🌊 pic.twitter.com/9udOM3Vff7
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) April 26, 2026
Ten minutes later, Godfrey lined up for a corner kick, usually the duty of captain Kenza Dali. She ripped a low line drive, and Kennedy Wesley was ready for it. In what made the goal of the match, Wesley absolutely lasered a header right past Summit keeper Abby Smith. Tie game.
Ken for club Ken for country
🤝
scoring in Denver pic.twitter.com/tePAnneAil— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) April 26, 2026
The Wave had made good on their 10% odds, but they were feeling lucky, or perhaps the odds were mistaken. Odds don’t factor in things like Dudinha’s sprint speed, or the energy of San Diego’s substitutions.
Dudinha found herself in a footrace with Janine Sonis along the left wing, blitzing past while retaining possession. That opened up a lane along the back line and forced an own goal from Carson Pickett. It was an unfortunate break for Pickett, but Dudinha gave her no other option.
Wave after Wave after Wave 🌊
SD leads 3-2 in Denver!!! pic.twitter.com/hy4exlTgeB
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) April 26, 2026
Despite a couple of close calls on potential equalizers, the game was put away after that stretch. The sold-out crowd was handed a brutal welcome to the league, the type that builds the hunger for revenge.
The win streak continues
San Diego Wave FC and the Padres took after each other today, surmounting great odds to find wins. Another three points on the leaderboard and a five-game win streak are keeping spirits high for women’s soccer in San Diego.
They will need all the momentum they can get, though, because April 29 marks the Wave’s matchup against the revenge-seeking Portland Thorns.
Despite the 3-1 win in the third game of the season, Portland has lingered atop the table at second place. With Sophia Wilson returning to form and a home crowd behind them, the Thorns will be a tough test.
This is San Diego’s first-ever win when trailing at the half; a win like this reveals the grit and character of a team. Lia Godfrey’s praises must be sung as well. The rookie has now scored six goals in her four games as a pro, and added an assist to her point production resume tonight.
Nate Tubbs is a recent graduate of Journalism at San Diego State University. In his time at SDSU, he wrote and photographed several different sports for Aztec Link, the school’s NIL collective. He also co-hosted a weekly podcast featuring Aztec athletes, sharing their stories and goals for the season. Tubbs is passionate about photography, storytelling, and most of all, San Diego sports.