The 5280 Pitch - Denver Summit FC Podcast

Denver Summit FC lost their first-ever professional game 2-1 at Bay FC on March 14, 2026, but the story is so much bigger than the scoreline. In the 20th minute, Melissa Kössler headed home the first goal in club history off a beautiful Carson Pickett ball and Janine Sonis cross. Six minutes later, Sonis was sent off with a controversial red card that changed everything. Kate breaks down the VAR d...

BONUS EPISODE: Carson Pickett joins the show! Carson Pickett has been in the NWSL since 2016. She's played 185 games. She's seen the league go from $8,000 salaries and host families to expansion teams selling out NFL stadiums. And now she's helping build Denver Summit FC from the ground up. In this episode, Carson talks about why she chose Denver as a veteran in a league that's finally treating pl...

Denver Summit FC plays their first-ever NWSL game on Saturday, March 14th against Bay FC at PayPal Park. This is it—the real thing. In this episode, I break down what to expect from Bay FC, including their massive $1.1 million signing of USWNT midfielder Claire Hutton. Bay struggled to score last season (26 goals, lowest in the league), but they were organized defensively and just acquired one of...

Kaleigh Kurtz has played every single minute of every game for four consecutive NWSL seasons. What most people didn't know? She finished last season on a broken back. In her first interview since joining Denver Summit FC, the veteran defender sits down with Kate Hanson to talk about why she chose an expansion team, what it's like training at altitude, how the Summit's chemistry clicked faster than...

Denver Summit FC wrapped their first preseason tournament with a 2-0-0 record at the Coachella Valley Invitational. Seven goals scored. Two conceded. But what did we actually learn? In this episode, I break down both games—the 2-0 win over Utah Royals and the wild 5-2 shootout against San Diego Wave. We'll talk about the attack that looks legitimate, the defensive issues that need fixing, and the...

Jordan Angeli co-founded For Denver FC and helped bring the NWSL to Colorado. In this episode, the Denver Summit FC part-owner discusses the team's expansion journey, from organizing watch parties in 2023 to securing ownership with Rob Cohen, Peyton Manning, and Mikaela Shiffrin. Topics: Denver Summit FC roster construction, Nick Cushing as head coach, Lindsey Horan signing with Denver, NWSL expan...

Denver Summit FC didn't mess around building their back line. They went out and got veterans. Championship winners. Players who've actually won stuff in this league. In this episode, we break down all eight defenders on the Summit roster—from Kaleigh Kurtz's ironwoman durability (played every single minute for four straight years) to Carson Pickett's attacking threat from fullback (3 goals, 2 assi...

Denver Summit FC's most important month. Six matches. Four at home. This is what they've been building toward. In this episode, we break down August's schedule match by match—starting with the expansion rematch against Boston Legacy FC, then North Carolina Courage's structured attack (featuring Manaka Matsukubo's 33 shots on target), the altitude revenge game against Utah Royals' 345 tackles, two...

Denver Summit FC faces its toughest month of the season. Five matches. Four on the road. Every opponent brings a different challenge. In this episode, we break down May's brutal schedule match by match—starting with fellow expansion side Boston Legacy FC, then Houston Dash's relentless pressure (281 tackles last season), Orlando Pride's league-best efficiency with Barbra Banda, Utah Royals' physic...

The Denver Summit open their inaugural NWSL season with a challenging first half of the schedule. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch , we break down every match in the opening stretch — key opponents, player matchups to watch, and how home games at altitude differ from life on the road for an expansion team.

The last few weeks around Denver Summit FC have been a lot. Signings came fast, the NWSL schedule dropped, and then the stadium news hit. This episode is me stepping back to talk through where the Summit actually are right now — what this expansion roster is telling us, why the Lindsey Heaps signing matters, and how Denver is preparing for its first NWSL season.

Lindsey Heaps is coming home — not as a symbol, but as a foundation piece. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch , we break down why the Golden, Colorado native and U.S. Women’s National Team captain is such a rare signing for an expansion club. From her development with Colorado Rush to Olympic gold, 150+ international caps, and a career built on reliability and control, this isn’t a story about hype...

Carson Pickett is more than a left back — she’s a foundational signing for Denver Summit FC. In this episode, we break down where Pickett ranks among NWSL defenders, why she’s one of the league’s elite attacking fullbacks, and how her game fits perfectly at altitude. We also explore her historic USWNT debut and the impact of her advocacy off the field.

Denver Summit FC took a major step toward permanence — and it didn’t come quietly. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch — women’s soccer at altitude , we examine the approval of the club’s purpose-built stadium at Santa Fe Yards and what it represents beyond soccer. We break down the Denver City Council vote, the $70 million public funding package, and the legally binding community benefits agreement...

When you’re building from scratch, certainty matters. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch: Women’s Soccer at Altitude , we dive into why Denver Summit FC’s signing of Abby Smith is about more than goalkeeping — it’s about trust, experience, and setting a tone for an expansion team. A two-time NWSL champion and one of the league’s most consistent keepers, Smith brings calm, professionalism, and champ...

This is Part II of our Ally Watt player deep dive — where we move from story to substance. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch — women’s soccer at altitude , we break down what the numbers reveal about Denver Summit FC’s first-ever signing. Ally Watt’s underlying data tells the story of a forward who doesn’t wait for chances — she creates them. From elite non-penalty xG production and high shot volu...

Denver finally has an NWSL team — and in our first episode, we’re breaking down how it happened. From the grassroots movement behind the bid, to the powerhouse ownership group featuring Rob Cohen, Mellody Hobson, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Peyton Manning, this is the full origin story of Denver Summit FC. You’ll learn why the league chose Denver, what the “Summit” brand really stands for, where the tea...

Denver Summit FC’s first-ever signing isn’t just a roster move — it’s a homecoming. In this episode, we spotlight Colorado-born forward Ally Watt , the club’s historic Player No. 1 and the hometown hero returning to lead Denver into its inaugural NWSL season. We dive into her journey from Colorado Springs to Texas A&M stardom, through the NWSL, the W-League, a championship run in Orlando, and...

Get your first look at Denver’s newest sports chapter. In this trailer, host Kate Hanson introduces The 5280 Pitch — the fan-driven podcast dedicated to Denver Summit FC and the NWSL. You’ll hear what this show is about, why women’s soccer at altitude is something special, and what to expect as Denver builds its first NWSL roster. This isn’t the official team podcast… it’s the place where fans get...