The San Diego Wave scored three second-half goals to beat Denver Summit 3-2, spoiling the expansion club’s debut Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in front of a capacity crowd.
In other National Women’s Soccer League games on Saturday, Gotham FC dominated visiting Bay FC 3-0, North Carolina beat Houston 1-0 and host Chicago defeated Boston 2-0.
Yazmeen Ryan made a pinpoint pass into the box and Melissa Kessler scored, giving Denver a 1-0 lead and their first home goal in club history. This was Kessler’s fourth goal of the season.
The first shot was cleared over the line by Kristen McNabb and Natasha Flint headed the rebound to make it 2-0 in the 32nd minute.
The second half was all San Diego (5-1-0). Leah Godfrey scored in the 49th minute to cut the lead to 1-2. This season, he scored four goals, the most for a rookie, and set a club rookie record.
From a corner kick by Godfrey, defender Kennedy Wesley sent a header past goalkeeper Abbey Smith for the equalizing goal in the 57th minute.
The visiting team made it back in the 65th minute with an own goal from defender Carson Pickett.
It was the first time in club history that San Diego came back from behind at halftime to win (0-23-6).
The loss at Stadium in Commerce City, Colo., ended Denver Summit’s (1-3-2) shutout streak at three games.
The attack on Gotham begins with Reiten’s appearance.
Rose Lovell scored a goal and converted a penalty to lead Gotham (2-2-2) to a shutout of Bay FC.
In the 20th minute, Carly Lema tried to clear the ball, but the ball was deflected by Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz and into his own goal. Lovell extended the lead to two points with his first goal of the season in the 41st minute.
In first-half stoppage time, Lovell was fouled in the box for a sliding challenge by Maddy Morrow. Esther González converted the penalty kick to make it 3-0.
Gotham entered this game on a four-game winless streak, having scored just two goals all season.
Norway international and former Chelsea winger Guro Leiten started on his debut.
Bay (2-3-0) leading scorer Alex Pfeiffer was out with a knee injury. The club is currently without a goal in consecutive games.
Sanchez scores the only goal in a win at North Carolina Road.
Manaka Matsukubo recorded a goal contribution for the third straight game, this time away against the Dash, for the North Carolina Courage.
In the 42nd minute, Matsukubo served Ashley Sanchez for his fourth goal of the season and the only goal of the game.
In the 77th minute, Arie Schlegel showed some fierce touch. In an attempt to recover the ball, she exposed her cleats and made contact with Daniel Colaprico, resulting in a direct red card. North Carolina (2-2-1) had players down for the rest of the game.
Goaltender Kailen Sheridan made two saves for his second shutout win of the season.
The Houston Dash (3 wins, 2 losses, 0 draws) finished scoreless for the first time this season.
Boston loses 5 games in a row
Jordyn Huytema scored her second goal of the season to give the Chicago Stars the lead.
Huitema scored in the 10th minute after a failed clearance from a corner kick. They ran away and in the 51st minute, Ryan Garais scored off Nadia Gomez to take a 2-0 lead.
Huytema was substituted with a concussion in the 72nd minute after a head-on collision.
It was the first time Chicago (2-4-0) held an opponent scoreless this season.
Expansion Boston (0-5-0) is yet to win this season.
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