Bay FC
SAN JOSE — A new head coach, a refurbished roster equal to a fresh start for Bay FC in season number three.
The Bay's NWSL team did something they haven't experience since June of 2025. Win a match.
Bay FC's spoiled Denver Summit FC's inaugural match as they defeated the newly expansion team in a 2-1 victory in the season and home opener on Saturday afternoon at PayPal Park.
“I think it's huge,” said head coach Emma Coates of the win. “It means a lot for the club, you can see that it means a lot for the players, the staff, the fans, everyone. And I think, you know, we've been building the way that we want to play and the way we want to approach things. As a starting point, it's just, it's a really good place to be.”
Bay FC, who debuted their brand new "Poppy Kit" uniforms, brought in Coates to take over the reins from previous head coach Albertin Montoya who left after coaching the team's first two seasons. Coates comes from across the pond in England where she coached the country's under-23 team from 2023-25 including going unbeaten in European League play in 2024. Coates helped over 25 players get promoted to the national senior team. One of those players she brought over to help out her backline is fullback Anouk Denton.
The major move the team made during the offseason was acquiring U.S. National Women's Team midfielder Claire Hutton who was with the current Supporter Shield winners Kansas City Current laat season in exchange for $1.1 million in intraleague transfer funds. Other players brought in to help bring more scoring punch to the squad were Alex Pfiefer, Keira Barry and Italian national Christiana Girelli. Combined with Racheal Kundananji, Taylor Huff, Karlie Lema and Tess Boade, Bay FC will have no trouble putting a dent on the scoreboard in 2026.
The one major subtraction was striker Penelope Hocking, who led the team in goal last season with six, who was traded to the Current in exchange for $325,000 in intraleague transfer funds. Other notables that weren't retained with Kiki Pickett, Rachel Hill, and Catherine Paulson. Wingback Alyssa Malonson had her season end before it began when she tore her ACL in her knee during preseason training.
Bay FC controlled the possession for the majority of the game creating chances that were created from their backline. Sydney Collins, normally a center back. was on the wing and she used her athleticism and speed to start attacks before giving it off to her midfield. The home team drew first blood in the eighth minute thanks to a great individual effort from Pfiefer. A pass from the middle of the pitch pinballed off of two players and shot out to the right wing. Pfiefer raced in, collected the ball, made a move inside to the middle of the box before beating Summit goalkeeper Abby Smith with a left footed shot to the far corner of the net for her first goal of the season.
"Today means a lot," said Pfeiffer. "I haven't scored in two years, so I'm just super grateful to be given the opportunity to come here to Bay (FC) and just to be who I am. I'm loving it so far."
Denver scored the equalizer in the 20th minute. Captain Janine Sonis raced down the left wing and crossed the ball into the middle where Melissa Kossler booted in a one-timer into the near corner past Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz for the franchise's first goal. It was the first time Bay FC were caught flat footed on a counterattack by the Summit.
The momentum of the match changed five minutes later when Sonis dove into the shin of Pfiefer without making a play on the ball. Referee Nabil Bensalah issued a yellow card immediately after the play. After a VAR review the yellow was overturned to a red car and an automatic ejection for Sonis. Denver played with 10 players the rest of the match.
On the ensuing free kick from 25 yards out, Huff sent the ball to Pfiefer along the right wing. Pfiefer drew four defenders on her before she centered the ball over to Joelle Anderson inside the box. Anderson, the San Jose native, sent a shot that deflected off of a Summit defender and off of the hands of Smith into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
Anderson, whose natural position is in the midfield, started at center back alongside Brooklyn Courtnall. Anderson alluded that she had her midfielder instincts kick in when she stepped up inside the box. She has some experience playing in the backline as she started a couple of games at center back last season when the team was decimated by injuries at that position. Montoya asked Anderson to help out as a defender for the first time in her career.
"I think I learned a lot last year just playing center back, said Anderson. "The people at this club helped me and supported me. When I moved back there in that position, I really owned it and embraced it. Obviously, it was nice to get a goal today, it was like my midfielder days when I was up in the box. So, it was really, really exciting for me."
Bay FC took advantage of Denver being down a player for the rest of the game. They created scoring chances in the second half only to have Smith comes up with big saves that could have extended Bay's lead and put the game away.
Barry and Denton each made their NWSL debuts in the second half. Barry nearly helped her new club get a second score shortly after entering the match, drawing defenders to provide space as Taylor Huff tried her luck from distance.
The club put on a stellar defensive showing in the second half, holding over 70% of the possession balance after the break. Kundananji nearly added a third goal for Bay FC with two minutes remaining in the match, but her breakaway effort was stopped by Denver’s backline after the Zambian got in behind.
It's only one game, but it was a great way to make the fans forget about the bad taste of the 2025 season out of their mouths. This team led by Coates has a chance to be a force in the league. Their backline will be even stronger when Abby Dahlkemper and Emily Menges return from maternity leave and Girelli healthy.
Bay FC returns to the pitch on Saturday March 21st when they host their Socal rival Angel City FC for the club’s Women’s Empowerment Match at 5:45pm at PayPal Park.
