Orlando Pride Drops 3-1 Decision to Denver Summit FC
NWSL Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Drops 3-1 Decision to Denver Summit FC

Published on May 16, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Orlando Pride News Release


DENVER, Colo. - The Orlando Pride (3-5-2, 11 points) were defeated by Denver Summit FC (3-3-3, 12 points) via a 3-1 scoreline in the Club's first-ever visit to DICK'S Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night.

Denver opened the scoring early when Eva Gaetino crashed in at the far post to finish off a corner kick in the 10th minute of play. The home side doubled its advantage in the 54th minute via a Janine Sonis penalty kick.

Orlando was reduced to 10 players in the 63rd minute after Angelina received a direct red card. Despite their numerical advantage, the visitors pulled a goal back in the 76th minute when Barbra Banda broke through on goal from Haley McCutcheon's pass and slotted home her league-leading ninth goal of the season.

The Summit responded just a minute later as Sonis tallied her second of the night after capitalizing on a rebound inside the Pride's box, effectively putting the game out of reach.

The Pride will complete their three-game road trip with a visit to San Diego Wave FC at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, May 24 (7 p.m. ET; Victory+).

Scoring Summary:

10' Eva Gaetino - DEN 1, ORL 0

54' Janine Sonis (Penalty Kick) - DEN 2, ORL 0

76' Barbra Banda (Haley McCutcheon) - DEN 2, ORL 1

77' Janine Sonis - DEN 3, ORL 1

Head Coach Seb Hines:

"Frustrating. I sound like a broken record right now. Disappointed with the goal that we conceded, a set piece. We struggled with the way Denver were playing out from the back, playing through the lines. We made some good adjustments at halftime. I thought we started the second half really well. The sending off changes the whole game, but I won't talk about that. And yeah, we were just battling until the end. There were obviously some gaps that started opening. We put ourselves in a really good position at 2-1 with a lot of time left and then let ourselves down with the third goal. We'll analyze it and move on. We've been on the road now for about a week. It's not gone our way-we've got to bounce back, show some resilience and come out stronger against San Diego."

Match Notes:

Barbra Banda scored her ninth goal of the season, which leads the NWSL.

Haley McCutcheon recorded her second assist of the season on the Banda finish.

Kerry Abello made her first appearance of the 2026 season after coming on as a second half substitute.

Head Coach Seb Hines made four changes to his starting XI, with Hannah Anderson, Ally Lemos, Barbra Banda and Seven Castain entering the lineup.

Next Match:

The Pride will complete their three-game road trip with a visit to San Diego Wave FC at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, May 24 (7 p.m. ET; Victory+).

Check out the Orlando Pride Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 16, 2026


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