One of the newest NWSL teams got on the board on Wednesday, when the Denver Summit stunned reigning league champion Gotham FC 2-0 to claim the 2026 expansion club's first-ever victory.
Denver forward Melissa Kössler opened the scoring with her third goal in as many games in the 58th minute, before fellow attacker Natasha Flint sealed the deal with a 73rd-minute strike.
"We know there's going to be difficult moments, we know there's going to be enjoyable moments — we just want to increase them," said Summit manager Nick Cushing afterwards. "And tonight, it's definitely one of those."
Kössler joins Orlando Pride star Barbra Banda as the only NWSL players to score in every match so far this season, leaving Gotham to rue its missed chances.
"This team is full of winners at every level, and we're disappointed to be starting the season this way," said Bats defender Jess Carter. "We expect higher standards from ourselves."
"We know how the NWSL is — often the team that scores first gets the result. When we've done that, we've won," said Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. "In the last two games, we haven't been able to do it."
How to watch the Denver Summit this weekend
With little time to rest on their laurels, the Summit are gearing up for what will likely be an NWSL attendance record-shattering home debut, with Denver hosting the Washington Spirit at the NFL's Mile High Stadium on Saturday.
The historic match will kick off live at 2 PM ET on CBS.
