DENVER — It was a historic afternoon in Colorado as Denver Summit FC christened Centennial Stadium in style, earning a memorable 2-1 comeback victory over the Portland Thorns in front of a crowd of 12,372 supporters.
Facing one of the National Women’s Soccer League’s top clubs, Denver (5-5-4, 19 points) overcame an early deficit to secure the club’s first-ever victory at its new home. The result also marked the Summit’s first comeback win of the season after conceding the opening goal.
Portland struck first in the 25th minute when star forward Sophia Wilson found the back of the net, giving the visitors an early advantage. While the Thorns entered halftime with the lead, Denver continued to create opportunities, finishing the opening 45 minutes with its highest first-half shot total of the season.
The momentum finally paid off early in the second half.
Playing less than 10 miles from where she grew up, hometown favorite Janine Sonis delivered a memorable moment in the 53rd minute, scoring the first goal in Centennial Stadium history. The equalizer was Sonis’ sixth goal of the season, surpassing her previous career high and energizing the home crowd.
Denver continued to dictate play throughout the remainder of the match, controlling 58.6 percent of possession while limiting Portland’s attacking opportunities. After Wilson’s opener, the Summit outshot the Thorns 14-6 over the final 73 minutes, demonstrating their control of the contest.
The decisive moment arrived in the 86th minute.
Rookie Natalie Means, who entered as a second-half substitute, scored her first NWSL goal after a perfectly timed assist from Colorado native Lindsey Heaps. The game-winning helper marked the 10th assist of Heaps’ NWSL career and her third career assist on a game-winning goal, capping an emotional return against her former club while wearing the captain’s armband.
The victory represented a milestone for Denver Summit FC, not only delivering the club’s first win inside Centennial Stadium but also proving its resilience by earning points for the first time this season after falling behind. The performance against one of the league’s top teams provides another encouraging step forward as the expansion club continues establishing itself in the NWSL.
With history now made at Centennial Stadium, Denver Summit FC will look to build on the momentum as the season continues.
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