Denver Summit FC delivered the most explosive offensive performance of its inaugural season Sunday, rolling to a 6–1 victory over the Chicago Stars at Centennial Stadium.
Playing Chicago for the first time in franchise history, Denver improved to 7-8-6 with 27 points while setting a new club record for goals in a match. The Summit also became the first NWSL team to score six goals in a game this season.
Janine Sonis started the scoring in the 13th minute. Yuzuki Yamamoto found Sonis near the edge of the box, and the veteran converted for her ninth goal of the season.
Denver doubled the advantage just six minutes later. Lindsey Heaps, returning to Centennial Stadium after missing three matches due to injury, delivered a cross into the six-yard box that Melissa Kössler headed home. It was Kössler’s fifth goal of the season and first since April 25.
The Summit carried the 2–0 advantage into halftime after controlling 66.2% of possession and limiting Chicago to only one shot.
Summit Explodes After Halftime
Denver wasted little time turning the match into a rout.
Yamamoto scored her first career NWSL goal in the 47th minute off an assist from Tash Flint, becoming the third player in Summit history to record both a goal and an assist in the same match.
Julia Grosso briefly gave Chicago life with a goal in the 53rd minute, but Denver’s response was emphatic.
Flint scored an unassisted goal three minutes later before Kössler struck again in the 58th minute. bprovided the assist as Kössler became the second Summit player to record a brace this season.
Denver’s three goals to begin the second half came within just five minutes and 30 seconds.
Rookie Olivia Thomas completed the historic night in the 85th minute, scoring the first goal of her NWSL career off Devin Lynch’s first assist of the season.
Eight Summit players contributed either a goal or assist in the victory, while six of those contributors are playing their first NWSL season.
Sonis also reached an individual milestone, becoming the 94th player in league history to surpass 10,000 regular-season minutes.
Denver finished with 61.7% possession, its second-highest mark of the season, while goalkeeper Kat Asman allowed just one goal in her second consecutive start.
For an expansion side still establishing its identity, the six-goal performance provided another significant milestone in Denver Summit FC’s first NWSL season.
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