GLENDALE — The soccer world was watching as Denver Summit FC last weekend set a National Women’s Soccer League attendance record.

Photos from the crowd at Empower Field flooded social media feeds, and public figures like Aly Raisman and Malala Yousafzai made the trip to witness it for themselves. 

Denver Summit FC players are grateful to have played in front of 63,004 fans, but also know they will need to continue improving to keep up the excitement established at “The Kickoff.” Denver’s home opener against the Washington Spirit ended in a 0-0 draw. 

“We just need to focus on the game and how we improve ourselves,” coach Nick Cushing said after practice Thursday. “How do we make sure we create enough chances to go on and get points and win a game? I told the team that having 63,000 there shows there’s a possibility that they will come back, but that all comes down to our performance.”

Denver Summit FC (1-2-1) faces Seattle Reign (3-0-1) in Spokane, Wash., at 6:45 p.m. Saturday before returning home April 25 for a match against San Diego Wave FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.   

Denver had several scoring opportunities against Washington, including a wide shot by forward Yazmeen Ryan in the first half. Cushing was pleased with the team’s attacking game but disappointed to come away with zero points. 

“That’s our job,” Cushing said. “Our job now is to create a team that fans can connect with and that fans are proud of and that fans are excited to come and watch. That’s an opportunity we have every week, whether we are on the road or at home.”

The crowd at Spokane Stadium will look and sound much different than Empower Field with a capacity of just 5,000. Still, Denver Summit FC’s plan for Saturday is to “attack the game” and give itself chances to score. 

“We really appreciated the support from the city of Denver, but we are focused on us day to day,” midfielder Emma Regan said. “We know there are more games to come. It’s a long season, so we are focused on what we can bring on the field and putting in the work in training, no matter who is coming to watch.”

The expansion team is looking for its second win after taking down 2025 NWSL champion Gotham FC on March 25. Despite a scoreless home opener, Denver Summit FC held the Washington Spirit to a clean sheet, including two saves by Abby Smith, who had a league-leading 20 saves in March to be named to the NWSL Best XI for the month. 

Summit FC forward Delanie Sheehan praised the club for its marketing and feels the city is ready for a women’s pro soccer team. She and the rest of the team look forward to hearing fans’ reaction to their first goal at home. 

“Every game, every week, we have new energy and momentum, and we just take the last game and learn from it,” Sheehan said. “We have looked at it and will look more at it, and try to improve on the things we missed. I wish we could have scored a goal for (the fans), but we’ll get them next time.” 

How to watch Denver Summit FC

Most of Denver’s games can be watched on The Spot Denver 3, a local independent station, which is available for free with an antenna. The station works with Denver7 to broadcast games and can also be found on streaming apps, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and YouTube TV. Denver7 also has a free streaming app called Denver7+ Colorado News. 

The Summit’s game Saturday against Seattle Reign FC can be watched on ION, a national network on The Spot Denver 3. 

Games throughout the season will be broadcast and streamed on various platforms, including Prime Video, CBS, Victory+, CBS, ESPN, and Paramount+. 

Seven Summit players earn call-ups for international play

Seven Denver Summit FC players will represent their national teams during the April FIFA international window. Janine Sonis and Emma Regan will represent Canada, and Yuzuki Yamamoto will represent Japan, including in a match against the United States in Denver on April 17. 

Pauline Peyraud-Magnin will represent France, and Ayo Oke and Yuna McCormack were named to the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team and will participate in the training camp in Murcia, Spain. Lourdes Bosch has been called up to the Mexico U-23 Women’s National Team training camp. 

The NWSL season will pause regular-season matches from June 1-28 for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. The league resumes July 3 following the tournament’s group stage.