Denver Summit FC Match Notes vs. Washington Spirit
NWSL Denver Summit FC

Denver Summit FC Match Notes vs. Washington Spirit

Published on March 28, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Denver Summit FC News Release


ABOUT WEDNESDAY

- Denver Summit FC executed its first win in franchise history by defeating NWSL defending champion Gotham FC.

- Melissa Kössler put Denver ahead after 58 minutes with her third goal of the season ... she is the first player in NWSL history to score each of a franchise's first three goals, and the second player in league history to score in each of a club's first three regular season games.

- Kössler's goal was assisted by rookie Yuna McCormack, her first career assist.

- Tash Flint scored in the 72nd minute, marking her first career NWSL goal and the first time Denver has scored multiple times in a match.

- Abby Smith turned in a clean sheet, the first in Denver Summit FC history and her first since Sept. 19 vs. Chicago.

AT ORLANDO

- Denver earned its first points in franchise history with a 1-1 draw in Orlando.

- Scoring for Denver, Melissa Kössler became the second player in the NWSL to score the first two goals in a franchise's history (also: Sam Kerr, WNY in 2013).

- Tash Flint assisted the goal, her first career NWSL assist.

- In the 54th minute, Abby Smith made her sixth save of the game, the 250th of her career ... she is the 13th keeper in NWSL history to reach that milestone.

- Yazmeen Ryan earned her 100th NWSL cap with a start.

BRICK HOUSE

- In addition to notching her 250th career save at Orlando, goalkeeper Abby Smith recorded 10 total saves on the night, the highest single-save total so far this season.

- Only 11 players have recorded 10+ save games in last five seasons (2021-25), including herself having done so on June 22, 2017 at Houston.

A MILE HIGH WELCOME

- Denver Summit FC announced last week that they acquired forward Yazmeen Ryan and midfielder Delanie Sheehan along with $150,000 in 2026 allocation funds from Houston.

- In exchange, Houston received $800,000 in intra-league transfer fee funds, $200,000 in expansion allocation funds and up to $100,000 in additional conditional intra-league transfer funds and a conditional sell-on fee tied to future player movement.

- Both players helped Gotham to the NWSL Championship in 2023, while Ryan also claimed the Shield (2021) and a championship (2022) with Portland.

- Additionally, the club announced the signing of Japanese international forward and defender Yuzuki Yamamoto last week ... she will join Summit FC from WE League champions Tokyo Verdy Beleza, where she was named league MVP after a standout campaign that saw her score eight goals in 22 appearances.

- After concluding the Asian Cup last week in which she helped Japan to victory, Yamamoto will join the team following the upcoming April international break.

ABOUT ME

- Denver officially received its expansion bid on Jan. 20, 2025, becoming the 16th team to join the NWSL.

- On July 22, 2025, Denver revealed its identity as Denver Summit FC after a fan-led naming process, as well as its colors and crest.

- Summit FC is the first women's professional soccer team to exist in Colorado.

THE KICKOFF:

- On Friday, Denver Summit FC announced over 60,000 tickets sold for today's game.

- Today's game is slated to break the single-game NWSL attendance record of 40,091, previously set by Bay FC against the Washington Spirit at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2025.

TEST OF TIME

- Defender Kaleigh Kurtz extended her consecutive start streak to 117 games and has also played 10,492 consecutive regular season minutes ... she has played every possible minute of the regular season since June 26, 2021 ... both are the longest active streaks in the league.

- Defender Carson Pickett leads the team with 186 NWSL games played.

ON MOUNTAIN TIME

- Summit FC's inaugural roster included four Colorado natives in forward Ally Brazier (Colorado Springs), defender Janine Sonis (Highlands Ranch), goalkeeper Jordan Nytes (Aurora) and midfielder Meg Boade (Lone Tree).

- Midfielder Jordan Baggett (Highlands Ranch) is also a part of Denver Summit FC's roster, but is out on maternity leave, while midfielder Lindsey Heaps (Golden) will join the team this summer.

THE ROOK

- Denver's six rookies to begin the season were the most of any NWSL club.

- Midfielder Devin Lynch (Duke), midfielder Yuna McCormack (Florida State), defender Natalie Means (Georgetown), and forward Olivia Thomas (North Carolina) joined the Summit from the college ranks and all debuted for the club on Saturday at Bay.

- Midfielder Jasmine Aikey (Stanford) was placed on the SEI this week and will miss her debut this season ... goalkeeper Jordan Nytes (Colorado) has yet to debut.

AT THE HELM

- Head coach Nick Cushing made his NWSL coaching debut at Bay FC on March 14.

- Cushing joined Denver after five seasons with New York City FC (head coach June 2022-Nov. 2024) and a long stay with Manchester City Women (2013-20, '25), where he previously coached Janine Sonis and Tash Flint.

Check out the Denver Summit FC Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from March 28, 2026


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