Denver Summit FC at Washington Spirit Preview
NWSL Denver Summit FC

Denver Summit FC at Washington Spirit Preview

Published on July 26, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Denver Summit FC News Release


After setting an NWSL all-time attendance record at its last match up in March at Mile High Stadium, Denver Summit FC (5-5-4, 19 pts) travels to the Washington Spirit (9-3-3, 30 pts) to face a squad that tops the league standings.

Just a few months ago, the Summit welcomed the Spirit to Denver for their inaugural home match that saw an NWSL record-breaking crowd of 63,004 fans. The hard-fought battle led to a 0-0 draw.

For the second week in a row, the Summit is entering into one of the biggest matchups of the weekend, sharing the top spot with Angel City vs. Louisville (7 vs 16) and San Diego vs. Seattle (3 vs 12), as the No. 1 Spirit squad welcomes the No. 10 Summit squad.

The Summit will head to DC off the back of three consecutive home matches, while the Spirit will return to Audi Field off the back of three consecutive away matches. The Spirit is on a five-match unbeaten streak at home.

The Spirit boasts a league-high 30 points while coming away with the least amount of losses on the season (3). While the Summit sits in eighth in points (19), the club is only two behind the Spirit in losses, sitting third in the league with five.

In their last six matches, both squads have picked up similar point values with the Summit earning over half of their points this season, going 3-2-1 for 10 points. The Spirit have gone 4-2-0 for 12 points in their last six match ups.

Despite their NWSL record differential, the teams sit in similar positions in multiple league statistics. Both clubs have an average possession of over 50% (WASH - 56.5%, DEN - 51.2%), share just a one goal differential in goals per match (WASH - 1.6, DEN - 1.5), share just a one shot difference in shots on target per match (WASH - 5.3, DEN - 4.3)

The Summit closed out week 13 sitting in the top three of the league standings in eight categories including first place spots for attendance (23,541), big chances created (Ryan, 11) and accurate long balls per 90 (Gaetino, 5.3).

LAST TIME OUT:

On a historic day for the Denver Summit FC, the club welcomed the Portland Thorns to Colorado for their inaugural Centennial Stadium opener. The Summit came away with a 2-1 win in front of a sold out crowd of 12,372, marking the first in Denver's new home.

Stepping onto the pitch donning the crest and captain's band, Colorado native Lindsey Heaps made her return to the NWSL against the Thorns. Seeing six good looks at a goal, Heaps took the most shots of the match and tied for the most shots on goal (2) with her six chances surpassing the single-match high for the Summit this season.

After conceding a goal early in the first half, hometown hero Janine Sonis tied things up in the 53rd minute, putting the Summit on the board and solidifying her spot in the record books as Centennial Stadium's first goal scorer. Sonis scored her sixth goals this season, topping her NWSL career best by two.

Playing scoreless for 33 minutes of the second half, NWSL rookie Natalie Means came off the bench to give Denver the score they needed to win in the 86th minute. tallying her first career goal off an assist from Heaps made it the latest goal of the season for the Summit. The assist signified Heaps' 10th overall in her career and her 3rd career game-winner.

The win marked the Summit's first points of the season when conceding first in a match. The Summit are now 1-3-0 when conceding first while handing the Thorns their third draw when scoring first this season and just the ninth in their last 13 seasons.

Denver's 14 shots (counting blocks) and 10 shots (not counting blocks) were their most in a first half this season. The Summit finished the match 18-10 in shots against the Thorns and 7-3 in shots on target.

Taking the pitch in the 71st minute, Ally Brazier marked her 100th NWSL match.

NEW DIGS

In a historic milestone for the Denver Summit FC franchise, Centennial Stadium welcomed fans and teams for the first time on July 18, marking the beginning of a new era for the club.

The 12,372-seat stadium features premium fan amenities and a designated supporter section, ensuring a comprehensive professional matchday experience, while also boasting a pitch home-grown in Colorado alongside World Cup fields, ensuring the best playing environment for its world-class female athletes.

"We are absolutely thrilled to open the doors of Centennial Stadium and give our players and fans a place to call home," said Denver Summit FC Controlling Owner Rob Cohen. "This stadium is the crowning achievement of our Centennial campus, creating a fully integrated hub for professional soccer and community athletics. We are so appreciative of the City of Centennial, the Cherry Creek School District, Centennial Mayor Christine Sweetland and former Mayor Stephanie Piko. Their partnership and shared vision have allowed us to build something truly special that will serve both our club and local youth for years to come."

LOOK TO THE PEAK:

Through week 13, the Summit continues to hold the top spot in the league in average attendance (23,541) and lands second in big chances (42), goals per match (1.5) and third in set pieces goals (5).

Forward Yazmeen Ryan holds the top spot in the league in big chances created (11) while Defender Eva Gaetino takes the top spot in accurate long balls per 90 (5.3).

Entering the weekend, Abby Smith jumps into second in goals prevented (5.6) and holds the second place in recoveries per 90 (11).

Defender Kaleigh Kurtz is a leader in the league in blocks per 90, with Kurtz tying for third (1.1).

Denver became the second team in league history to have three different players score four goals within the team's first 10 games (Melissa Kössler, Tash Flint and Janine Sonis) (last being Seattle in 2015 (Fishlock, Little, Yanez).

Co-Captain Janine Sonis is one of seven league players to remain perfect from the penalty spot this season, going 2-for-2, converting multiple penalty attempts without a miss.

IRON WOMAN:

Defender Kaleigh Kurtz extended her consecutive start streak to 128 games and has also played 11,482 consecutive regular-season minutes, every possible regular-season minute since June 26, 2021 ... both marks are the longest active streaks in the league.

Kurtz is on the way to becoming a five-time ironwoman after securing a league-record four time ironwoman title at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Goalkeeper Abby Smith has also played every minute for Summit FC this season, joining Kurtz as two of 16 players to do so for their respective teams through week 13, outlasting two players from the previous week ... Smith is just one of six league keepers to man the goal for every minute of this season.

THE LYNCH PIN

Midfielder Devin Lynch continues to be one of three rookies to have started each match for their respective clubs alongside Mimi Van Zanten (San Diego) and Linda Ullmark (Houston).

Lynch's 1167 minutes played are the fifth-most in the league among rookies at the conclusion of week 23, while her 20 tackles were the second-most behind Van Zanten (SD).

Thursday, Denver announced the signing of Lynch to an extension through the 2028 with a mutual option for 2029. It is the first extension deal in franchise history.

FAMILIAR FACES

With a roster backed by multiple seasoned NWSL veterans, the Summit boasts three past Washington Spirit players on their squad.

Joining the squad in 2021, Camryn Biegalski helped the Spirit to their first NWSL Championship title in club history, going on to play three total seasons in DC ('21-'23) while appearing in 51 total matches, scoring one goal and tallying one assist.

Making her professional debut on March 14, 2025, Meg Boade spent one season with the Spirit playing in three matches, scoring one goal.

Assistant Coach Angela Salem saw Spirit matchplay during the 2015 season (16 GP), returning in 2022 to take the reins as Assistant Coach for the '22 and '23 seasons, crossing paths with Biegalski in the process.

The weekend matchup will also see two members of the 2023 US Women's World Cup team go head-to-head as Lindsey Heaps and Trinity Rodman faceoff in DC.

HEAPS IS HOME

US Women's National Team Captain and Colorado native Lindsey Heaps touched down on July 1, making her Denver Summit debut on July 18 against Portland.

In her 15-year professional career, Heaps has collected 33 titles across various leagues, including a World Cup title (2019) and an Olympic Gold Medal (2024).

Officially signing with the Summit on January 12 to a four-year contract, Lindsey's arrival signifies the Summit's continued dedication to the growth and elevation in professional women's sports.

Check out the Denver Summit FC Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from July 26, 2026


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