94th-minute own goal seals Denver Summit FC's first NWSL season

Kaleigh Kurtz’s own goal in the 94th minute ended Denver Summit FC’s first NWSL season on Sunday night.

The 1-0 loss to the North Carolina Courage in Cary, North Carolina, decided the final playoff spot on Decision Day. Denver finished the regular season with an 11-11-8 record and 41 points. The result placed the Summit in 10th place, one point behind North Carolina, which finished with 45 points. Seattle Reign secured the eighth and final playoff berth with a 1-0 win on the same day.

Denver controlled the early stages of the match. The team held 70% possession during the opening 20 minutes and generated three scoring chances. The Summit recorded seven shots before halftime, but the score remained 0-0 at the break. Goalkeeper Abby Smith made five saves for Denver, including two on direct free kicks, to keep the Courage from taking the lead.

The game turned in stoppage time. Kurtz deflected the ball into her own net in the 94th minute, giving North Carolina the decisive goal. The result sealed Denver’s elimination from postseason contention. Despite the loss, Kurtz achieved a major individual milestone. Her 90 minutes of play in the match made her the first player in NWSL history to earn five ironwoman awards.

Kurtz now has a streak of 12,922 consecutive minutes played across 144 matches. She became the league’s first four-time ironwoman after the 2025 season. Sunday also saw the return of forward Ally Brazier. She played 16 minutes after missing seven matches due to an injury that sidelined her from late August through early October.

The Summit concluded their inaugural campaign with 53 goals. This total set a new league record for the most goals scored by an expansion team in its first season. The 53-goal figure also tied the 2018 North Carolina Courage for the third-most goals in a single NWSL regular season. Denver’s season ended with a 10th-place finish and a new expansion scoring record.