Denver Summit FC went the distance Saturday in sweltering heat to get its first win at its new temporary home. Denver captain Janine Sonis broke a 1-1 tie late in stoppage time to deliver a 2-1 victory over the Utah Royals at Centennial Stadium.
Sonis also had an assist against the Royals, who look like a potential rival for Denver’s new NWSL team, which is edging closer to making the playoffs in its inaugural season. There is bad blood between Colorado and Utah in MLS, and it is starting to brew in the NWSL.
This time, Denver got the upper hand over its closest geographic opponent after losing 2-1 at Utah on May 23. The Royals sit in third in the NWSL standings with 33 points while Summit is in ninth with 23 points. Angel City (eighth), Seattle (10th) and Orlando (11th) also have 23 points.
The match was moved to later in the day because of the extreme heat.
Hometown hero Sonis assisted on the opening goal and scored the game-winner for Denver, bringing her to a career-best 11 goal contributions (eight goals and three assists) this season. Summit broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Yazmeen Ryan scored her fourth goal of the season. Utah scored a very late equalizer, getting an 89th-minute goal from defender Tatum Milazzo after a long ball was handled poorly by Summit defender Kaleigh Kurtz and fell to a wide-open Milazzo.
Milazzo controlled the ball, found her spot, and blasted it past goalkeeper Abby Smith.
But the home team had the final word in stoppage time when Sonis scored the game-winner on a free kick in the 94th minute, the first Denver goal from a direct free kick and just the fourth free-kick goal in the NWSL this season. It also marked Denver’s latest goal of the season.
“I just knew that she was going to save us,” Summit forward Ally Brazier said of Sonis. “I was in tears on the sideline. I just love for her to get her flowers and also Yaz because she was working so hard.”
Summit improved to 6-7-5, while Utah dropped to 10-6-3.
Summit got away with a few poor moments in possession in the back, almost giving up an easy goal early. Thatap always the danger of how Summit wants to play out of the back, but the Royals couldn’t capitalize.
The star of the first half for Summit was Smith, who has been a key player and has firmly established herself in the starting role this season. She showcased why throughout the first half, making crucial saves to keep the game scoreless through some heavy Royals pressure.
The highlight of Smith’s first half came in the 25th minute. Royals winger Cece Delzer was played through on goal, with only Smith to beat, and she rushed off her line to make the stop. It was a heads-up play that required no hesitation, and Smith was up to the task.
Utah was the better team in the first 45 minutes, but it didn’t take too long for Denver to flip the script in the second half. In the 51st minute, Sonis played a deep cross. Ryan caught Royals defender Nuria Rábano sleeping near the back post. Ryan got on the end of the cross, and coolly and calmly found the bottom corner of the net.
After the scoreless deadlock was broken, the momentum shifted Utah’s way. It was waves and waves of attacks from the visitors, but it was Summit that should have gotten the second goal of the day. Ryan did well to find Brazier through on goal. With only Utah goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn to beat, Brazier couldn’t steer her shot away from the stretching McGlynn.
“We had to win tonight to pay back the effort,” Summit coach Nick Cushing said after the win. “I’m proud of the reaction we show when we go 1-0 down. I’m just tired of going 1-0 down.”
Denver Summit will travel to San Diego next to face the Wave on Friday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m.
