Legacy score late to defeat Denver for first win in team history

FOXBOROUGH — The Denver Summit started their inaugural season at a dash, leaving Boston Legacy FC just a few steps behind. On Sunday, Boston caught up. 

Aïssata Traoré scored simply earlier than the beginning of second-half stoppage time and Bianca St-Georges scored 4 minutes into it, offering the Legacy their first victory of their inaugural season, 3-2, over Denver in entrance of an introduced 12,524 followers at Gillette Stadium.

The Summit took an early lead earlier than Nichelle Prince tied the sport at one simply earlier than halftime. Natasha Flint stole the lead again for Denver within the 77th minute, however Traoré — who got here on as an alternative within the 71st — discovered the equalizer within the closing minute of regulation and St-Georges scored the winner. 

Introduced as the NWSL’s 15th club in 2023, the Legacy had a runway practically two years longer than the Summit, who had been formally introduced as the 16th in January 2025 and kicked off this yr.

The 2 growth groups entered Sunday in vastly totally different positions. The Summit (1-3-3, 6 factors) had been twelfth, 4 spots forward of Boston (1-5-1, 4 factors) on the backside of the desk. 

Each groups made headlines with their residence openers. The Legacy’s inaugural recreation on March 14 drew 30,207 fans to Gillette Stadium, a report for an inaugural residence NWSL match till Denver greater than doubled that quantity with 63,004 at Empower Field at Mile High two weeks later.

The Legacy had been coming off their most promising efficiency but, a 2-2 draw with North Carolina on Wednesday by which they scored two first-half targets earlier than letting their lead slip late. 

Boston managed the tempo Saturday for a lot of the primary half, recording 5 pictures on aim to Denver’s one, and had been inches away from three early targets — one shot rang off the put up, one off the crossbar, and one was blocked by a defender on the aim line. 

Regardless of Boston’s offensive strain, Denver struck first within the 18th minute. Yazmeen Ryan took on St-Georges one-on-one simply outdoors the 18-yard field and ripped a shot on internet. Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy acquired her fingertips on the ball, however punched it simply contained in the put up because the Summit took a 1-0 lead. 

Prince evened the rating simply earlier than halftime, heading residence a bouncing ball off of Alba Caño’s nook kick within the forty fourth minute. The aim was Prince’s first with the Legacy, although she assisted on each of Boston’s tallies on Wednesday — the primary participant in NWSL historical past to report two assists within the first quarter-hour of a match. 

Denver’s second-half possibilities had been few and much between, however Flint capitalized on a uncommon alternative contained in the field to beat Murphy and take a 2-1 lead within the 77th minute.

Traoré’s second aim of the season tied the sport at 2. The Malian ahead collected a cross within the field and fired a volley round Denver’s Eva Gaetino within the closing minute of regulation.