San Jose, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2026) –San Diego Wave FC (18-8-4, 58 points) closed out the 2026 NWSL regular season with a 1-0 victory against Bay FC (7-17-6, 27 points) on Sunday afternoon at PayPal Park. Defender Mimi Van Zanten scored the lone goal as the Wave secured the No. 2 seed in the NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, and will host No. 7 seed Utah Royals FC in the quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 6 at Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego opened the scoring in the ninth minute when midfielder Kenza Dali found Van Zanten making a forward run. Van Zanten took a touch before firing a shot across goal into the top-left corner for her second goal of the season, while Dali recorded her fourth assist.
The Wave carried its 1-0 advantage into halftime and continued to create opportunities in the second half. Midfielder Melanie Barcenas nearly doubled the lead in the 71st minute after receiving a pass from Kimmi Ascanio, but her shot sailed just over the crossbar.
Defenders Kennedy Wesley and Kristen McNabb capped a historic regular season, playing all but one minute together as the NWSL’s most-used center back pairing. Wesley became the first Iron Woman in club history after playing every minute of San Diego’s 30 regular season matches, while McNabb also appeared in all 30 matches. Dali made her 50th NWSL start for the Wave in Sunday’s match and goalkeeper Sandra Paños recorded four saves to earn her fourth shutout of the season.
The victory extended San Diego’s unbeaten streak to seven matches, including six wins. With Gotham FC earning a 2-0 victory on NWSL Decision Day, the Wave finished second in the standings and secured home-field advantage in the semifinal round should the club advance.
Next on the schedule: San Diego Wave FC will host Utah Royals FC in an NWSL Playoff quarterfinal at Snapdragon Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. PT. Tickets are available for purchase HERE.
Social: Twitter – @sandiegowavefc | Instagram – @sandiegowavefc | Facebook
Player Notes:
- Mimi Van Zanten scored her second goal of the season in the ninth minute.
- Kenza Dali recorded her fourth assist of the season on Van Zanten’s goal.
- Dali registered her fourth game-winning assist of the season, setting a new club record.
- Defenders Kennedy Wesley and Kristen McNabb played all but one minute together on the Wave’s backline this season, the most of any center back pairing in the NWSL.
- Wesley played every minute of San Diego’s 30 regular season matches, becoming the first Iron Woman in club history.
- Goalkeeper Sandra Paños made four saves and recorded her fourth clean sheet of the season.
- Dali made her 50th NWSL start for San Diego in Sunday’s match.
- Kimmi Ascanio and Perle Morroni each made their 60th appearance for the Wave, moving into a tie for sixth in club history.
- Lia Godfrey appeared in all 30 matches during her rookie season, tying Kat Rader and Leah Klenk for the most appearances among NWSL rookies.
- Van Zanten started 29 matches during her rookie season, tying Leah Klenk for the most starts among NWSL rookies.
Match Notes:
- San Diego extended its unbeaten streak to seven matches, setting a new club record.
- The Wave extended its road winning streak to four matches, tying the club record set in 2025.
- San Diego earned its 10th road win of 2026, extending its single-season club record.
- The Wave extended its single-season records for wins (18) and points (58).
- San Diego improved to 15-0-3 when scoring first this season.
- The Wave improved to 9-3-0 when leading at halftime this season.
Goals by Half:
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay FC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Scoring Summary:
| Minute | Team | Goalscorer | Assisted by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9′ | San Diego Wave | Mimi Van Zanten (2) | Kenza Dali (4) |
Misconduct Summary:
| Minute | Team | Player | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
Boxscore:
| Team | S | SOG | Saves | Corners | Fouls | Offsides | Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay FC | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 43% |
| San Diego Wave | 12 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 57% |
Bay FC Lineup: GK Jordan Silkowitz, D Jenna Nighswonger, D Aldana Cometti, D Kelli Hubly, D Sydney Collins (Maddie Moreau 76′), M Hannah Bebar, M Dorian Bailey (Claire Hutton 61′), M Kennedy Fuller (Cristiana Girelli 74′), F Agostina Holzheier (Keira Barry 54′), F Karlie Lema, F Caroline Conti
Unused Substitutes: D Emily Menges, GK Camryn Miller, GK Emmie Allen
Head Coach: Emma Coates
San Diego Wave FC Lineup: GK Sandra Paños, D Perle Morroni, D Kristen McNabb, D Kennedy Wesley ©, D Mimi Van Zanten, M Kimmi Ascanio (Laila Harbert 80’) , M Kenza Dali, M Gia Corley (Ludmila 74’), F Lia Godfrey (Barbara Bonansea 88’), F Melanie Barcenas, F Trinity Byars
Unused Substitutes: GK Luisa Agudelo, M Gabi Portilho, M Laurina Fazer, M Tatum Wynalda, F Adriana Leon, GK Didi Haracic
Head Coach: Jonas Eidevall
Attendance: 15,927
