Experience Goes A Long Way: Cal’s Women Open With Impressive 90-58 Win Over Short-Handed St. Mary’s

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Lost among the excitement of Cal’s decisive 90-58 opening night win and their prospects for a competitive debut season in the ACC was former Cal assistant Jeff Cammon trying to get his Gaels’ back to Moraga with their confidence intact.

Last season, Cammon had a lot more experience on the team bus, and St. Mary’s nagged Cal in a 74-69 loss in which they came dangerously close to the home team after trailing by 15 with just seven minutes remaining.

On Monday, with two freshman guards playing extensively, without marquee offensive leader Zeryhia Aokuso and his entire team flubbing on an intricate, defensive game plan, Cammon watched the evening unravel in a 2nd quarter that saw the Bears outscore his group 22-6 and lead 42-21 before the break.

“It’s super challenging,” Cammon said. “You’re dealing with young ladies who have almost zero experience at the Division 1 level, not to mention we haven’t been together too long. We went to Italy but this is a whole different deal.”

Meanwhile, Charmin Smith’s Bears were unyielding, relying on their size, talent, and experience to wear down St. Mary’s from the early minutes to the final horn. Sophomore Lulu Twidale led Cal with 24 points, Marta Suarez added 17, and the graduate core of Ioanna Krimili (124 games at the D1 level), Kayla Williams (112 games) and Michelle Onyiah (105 games) combined for 34.

Cammon said Onyiah might have presented the biggest challenge with her quick, rehearsed post moves and 6’3″ grown woman confidence.

“Michelle is such a challenge for us. She’s so big and athletic for us,” Cammon said. “It puts a little pressure on us. Do we sink down and try to help or leave her to go one-on-one against our bigs?”

Smith wanted improvement, and she has it, declaring that this is her most impressive roster in six seasons as head coach. Last year, Smith and the Bears experienced a breakthrough with 19 wins and a WNIT Tournament postseason berth. With the additions of impact transfer portal additions, Williams, Jayda Noble, and Natalia Ackerman, Cal could surprise in the coast-to-coast ACC.

Williams ran the offense seamlessly in place of departed point guard Leilani McIntosh, and Krimili selflessly assisted Williams as Cal complied 17 assists on 28 made baskets. Inside the paint, Cal had their way with 18 more free throw attempts than the Gaels. Outside, they made 14 threes on 30 attempts.

Cal’s 22nd-ranked recruiting class showed nerves as the quintet of rookies combined to shoot 1 of 8 from the floor.   Kamryn Mafua, the highest ranked Cal freshman according to recruiting services, buried a wide-open three with 1:09 remaining to give Cal its biggest lead of 34 points.

The Bears have a Thursday matinee affair at 11:00 a.m. against Idaho State at Haas Pavilion before traveling to San Jose State on Saturday.

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Kings Blowup In Third Quarter Hanging On To Beat Miami Heat 111-110

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The Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) defends against the Miami Heat Bam Adebayo (13) in the first half at Miami on Mon Nov 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (4-3) trailed after the first quarter, they trailed at the half in their game with the Miami Heat (3-3). They caught fire in the third quarter outscoring the Heat 37-17 and hung on to win the game 111-110.

De’Aaron Fox led the charge in the third quarter scoring 16 points. Domantas Sabonis had another double double in this amazing win. They have now improved to 4-3 on the season winning three games on this four game road trip.

Game recap: After the first 12 minutes of play, the Kings were trailing by a single basket 22-25. It had been a competitive quarter. The second quarter was not a great one for the Kings and at the half, the Heat had taken a 61-48 lead.

Miami had closed the first half with a 13 to 1 flurry. They outscored the Kings by ten points in the second quarter 36-26. It was a lackluster first half for Sacramento. The Kings were 3 of 14 from downtown while the Heat were 11-20.

They seemed at times that they were having trouble communicating defensively. They did protect the ball well with six turnovers in the half. The huge problem for Sacramento was the 21% accuracy from beyond the arc.

The Heat on the other hand were shooting 55% from downtown. The Kings had hit 3 three’s and the Heat scored 11 of 20. Sacramento had numerous open shots but just couldn’t hit them. The Kings had a bit of an uphill challenge in front of them but they tend to rise to the occasion when they are behind the eight ball.

They needed to play with urgency in the second half but without fouling. The Kings needed someone to get hot in the third quarter and it would not be long before we found out who that someone was.

The Kings came off the critical list at 8:58 going on a 9-0 run and pulling to within six points 57-63. It took nearly three quarters but at 3:09 Sacramento took the lead 77-76. The Kings continued to dominate the quarter going on a 12-0 run taking an 85-77 lead with 24 ticks left on the clock.

Sacramento had outscored the Heat 37-17 in an incredible turnaround. Fox was responsible for this huge third quarter comeback scoring 16 points. They took a 85-78 lead into the fourth quarter. Sabonis kept it clean in the third quarter with the three fouls drawn in the first half as did Malik Monk who had four fouls in the opening half.

The Heat began to creep back into the game cutting the Kings lead to three points 85-82 at 11:26. The game had a wild ending. When it looks as though the Heat would pull this one out, DeMar DeRozan hit a three plus a foul and it was a one point game, the Kings trailing 107-108 with less than a minute left in the game. Sabonis made a 9-foot two point shot with 0.7 giving the Kings the lead 111-110. After this physical brutal game, Sacramento was able to pull this one out.

When the dust had settled on this game four of the Kings starters had four personals along with bench player Monk who also had four but each of them was able to hold on and continue to play a physical game.

The high for the Kings was Fox with 28 points and six rebounds who spurred the Kings climbing back into this game after the first half. DeRozan finished with 26 points. Sabonis had a double double with 16 rebounds and 16 points.

Keegan Murray had 14 points and six rebounds. Monk finished with 14 points and the Kings had a 3-1 record on this road trip. Three road wins on any road trip is no small feat. After being down significantly these guys did not give up, they found a way to win. Everyone on the team had a hand in this game.

Game notes: Monday night the Kings took on the Heat. The Kings had a tough three-point loss in overtime to the Toronto Raptors Saturday night 131-128. Despite some impressive stats, the Kings were off. The turnovers were troublesome with 18 and second and third chance balls would not fall.

A lot of credit goes to the Raptors who did play a very impressive game with RJ Barrett going off for 31 points. The Kings did not get a lot of stops which hurt them throughout the game. The Raptors dictated play from the get go and it was not the case in Monday night’s game.

The Heat have a deep starting roster with Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic. Saturday night Bam Adebayo was the top guy scoring 32 points, last Wednesday it was Tyler Herro with 34 points and last Monday it was Jimmy Butler who had the high score for the team with 23 points.

The Kings have now won three of their last four games. Unfortunately Kevin Huerter missed his second game of the season for the Kings due to a non-covid related illness. The Kings arrived in Miami three hours late Sunday due to various issues on the tarmac but they did get Sunday off and were rested and won Monday night.

The Kings will now return home getting another crack at the Toronto Raptors looking for a little payback on Wednesday night. That game will take place at Golden 1 Center with tipoff scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00 PM.

Cardinal Unsettle Pioneers 85-62, During Exploration on the Farm, Monday Afternoon

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Stanford Cardinal guard Oziyah Sellers (4) led the Cardinal in scoring on Mon Nov 4, 2024 against the Denver Pioneers at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Staford Cardinal (1-0, 0-0 ACC) won their season opener with a 85-62 victory over the University of Denver Pioneers (0-1, 0-0 Summit League) on an Early Afternoon in Palo Alto.

Despite a nip and tuck beginning to the contest, Stanford eventually took charge and pulled away from the competition. The first half had five ties and seven lead changes, and was really competitive until late in the stanza.

“I was really pleased for our first home game; I thought we played well in a lot of stretches, and Denver played really hard.” Explained Stanford HC Kyle Smith.

Near the 7-minute mark of the first half, Stanford went on a 17-0 run, taking a great deal of fight from the Mile-High Explorers. During the initial 20 minutes, the Cardinal hit five threes, blocked 5 shots, swiped 9 steals, dished 8 assists, and forced 12 turnovers.

At the midway point of the game, Stanford led by 16 (38-22), although their largest advantage during the initial half was two points greater. Junior guard Benny Gealer led the home team with 12 points, on four made 3-pointers. Senior forward Maxime Raynaud was near a double-double, with nine points and eight rebounds. Sophomore guard DeAndre Craig topped the Pioneers with eight points and four rebounds..

The second half had even more contributions from the Cardinal hooper, including junior guard Oziyah Sellers and his 17 additional points to the teams’ tally. Sellers had a productive seven points in the first half, but exploded for more than double his early output. Raynaud also continued his consistent play with points, rebounds and assists,

Denver continued to fight; however, the Cardinal ‘s attack and defense was too strong, as they led by as much as 27 points late in the game. When the final horn sounded and the 40 minutes of regulation expired, the Cardinal had secured their first win of the 2024-25 season, 85-62.

The aforementioned Sellers led all scorers with his career high 24 points, and he grabbed 7 rebounds. Raynaud accomplished a double-double (16 points & 12 rebounds) and gave 6 assists, swiped two steals and blocked a shot.

Two other Cardinal hoopers were in double figures: Gealer (12) and graduate guard Jaylen Blakes (12), who also dropped 6 dimes himself for the squad.

The Pioneers had three players to eclipse the 10-point plateau. Craig (12), freshman guard Sebastian Akins (150 and senior forward Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente (10).

The Cardinal will next be in action Friday, November 8 at Maples hosting Fullerton at 1:00 PM PST on ACC Extra/ESPN+. Denver heads back to Colorado to host Western Colorado on the same date at 1:00 PM MST on Micro Sports Plus/Summit League Network.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda get swept by Wild in Des Moines losing Sunday 5-2; San Jose drops third straight game

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San Jose Barracuda forward Andrew Poturalski (22) scored twice against the Iowa Wild at Iowa Wild Arena in Iowa on Sun Nov 3, 2024 (San Jose Barracuda photo)

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 Marko tough road trip to Iowa as the San Jose Barracuda (6-3-0-0) were swept in a brief two game series to the Iowa Wild (3-6-1-0) and on Sunday losing 5-2.

#2 The Barracuda after winning four straight now have lost three straight for head coach John McCarthy is there any concern right now? The Wild in those two games seemed to have figured out the Barracuda’s formula?

#3 The Wild scored the first three goals of the game all unanswered, in the first period at 13:19 Liam Olgren and at 18:18 David Spacek, Michael Milne scored the first goal of the second period at 5:13 the Wild were quickly up 3-0.

#4 At 19:13 of the second period Andrew Poturalski scored the first of two unanswered goals for the Barracuda and in the third period at 8:32 cutting the Wild’s lead to 3-2.

#5 The Wild would put it out of reach in the third period at 13:18 on Hunter Haight’s goal and at 15:50 Devine Shore scored the game’s last goal for a 5-2 final. Tough Sunday for Barracuda goaltender Georgi Romanov allowing five goals stopping 31 shots.

#5 Up next the Barracuda open up a two game set against the Colorado Eagles on Sat Nov 9th at Tech CU for a 6:00pm PST. The Eagles have won their last two games are in fourth in the Pacific Division at 4-3-0-1. How do you see these two games this coming Saturday?

Join Marko for the San Jose Barracuda podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings tip off against Heat tonight in Miami

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The Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis scored his 60th career triple double against the Toronto Raptors on Mon Nov 4, 2024 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (Sacramento Kings X photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Toronto Raptors RJ Barrett was the top scorer with 31 points as the Sacramento Kings were defeated 131-128. The Kings just couldn’t keep Barrett down he was just hitting his shot on Saturday night.

#2 Barrett’s teammates were also able to connect with the bucket Ochai Agbaji scored a season high of 22 points and teammate Grady Dick had 22 points as well and it was challenging for the Kings who kept up with the Raptors.

#3 In spite of the loss the Kings Domantas Sabonis chalked up his 60th triple double had 17 points, 20 rebounds, and ten assists but the Kings fell short and ended their three game win streak.

#4 Former Raptor DeMar DeRozan missed two three pointers in the last minute of the game but scored 33 points.

#5 The Kings take on the Miami Heat on Monday night in Miami with a 5:15pm PST. The Heat have won three of their last four games including their last game Monday night defeating the Washington Wizards 118-98. Talk about how you see the Kings and Heat match tonight?

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Wild dominate Barracuda in 5-2 win, sweep series

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Iowa Wild winger Liam Ohgren fires a shot on net for his first goal of the season as San Jose Barracuda center Filip Bystedt attempts to defend the shot at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday NOV 3, 2024. (Iowa Wild)

by Marko Ukalovic

The Iowa Wild enacted revenge two weeks later on the San Jose Barracuda as they defeated the visiting team 5-2 to sweep the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.

San Jose were swept for the first time this season, while Iowa swept a series for the first time this season.

Iowa (2-6-1) drew first blood with a 5-on-3 power play goal late in the first period. Devin Shore found Travis Boyd behind the net to the right of the goal. Boyd centered a pass out to the slot where Liam Ohgren beat Cuda goalie Georgi Romanov with one-timer top-shelf to the far side for his first goal of the season.

The Wild doubled its lead with under two minutes left in the opening frame. After a faceoff win inside the ‘Cuda zone, Ryan O’Rourke found David Spacek at the left point and Spacek blasted a one-timer past Romanov for his first goal of the season.

San Jose (6-2) could not stay out of the penalty box in the second half of the opening 20 minutes as they weren’t able to generate much offense as they only had seven shots on goal. Wild goalie Dylan Ferguson was able to keep the ‘Cuda out of the net.

Iowa scored their third unanswered goal early in the second period. Boyd received the puck in the slot from O’Rourke. Boyd’s shot pass was redirected past Romanov by Michael Milne for his fourth goal of the season at the 5:13 mark. Milne has scored in back-to-back games against the ‘Cuda.

The Barracuda got on the scoreboard late in the middle frame with a power play strength goal. Luca Cagnoni set up Andrew Poturalski at the left slot. Poturalski skated inside the left faceoff circle before beating Ferguson for his first goal of the game and fourth of the season with 47 seconds remaining.

Poturalski made it a one-goal game near the halfway mark of the third period. The Barracuda had pressure inside the Wild zone. Brandon Coe centered a pass from the left board over to Poturalski in the slot. The veteran forward skated in, got Ferguson to go down before depositing the puck into the back of the net for his team leading fifth goal of the season at the 8:32 mark.

Iowa gained an insurance goal late in the final frame. A turnover in the neutral zone by the Barracuda was picked up by Hunter Haight at the red line. Haight skated in and used a ‘Cuda defender as a screen before wiring a wrist shot top shelf to the short side for his fourth goal of the season at the 13:18 mark.

The Wild put the game away thanks to the Barracuda failing to clear the puck of its zone. Ben Jones picked up the puck behind the net and centered the puck back in the slot. Devin Shore buried a wrist shot past Romanov for his first goal at the 15:50 mark.

Ferguson (1-0), who made his first start of the season, earned his first win as he stopped 22 of the 24 shots from San Jose. Romanov (1-2) made 31 saves on 36 saves in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-6 on the power play. Iowa went 1-for-5.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Boyd 2) Milne 3) Haight.

UP NEXT: San Jose returns home to host the Colorado Eagles for a two-games series starting on Saturday 11/9 at 6:00pm at Tech CU Arena.

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez: Raiders can’t stop Burrow and Bengals get crushed 41-24 for 5th straight loss

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Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki left is on the run against the Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett in second half action at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sun Nov 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez:

#1 The Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) once again get pummeled this time by the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati 41-24. In the first half Rich the Raiders did have a close half coming out of it trailing 17-10 and it looked like the Raiders were going to stay in step with the Bengals.

#2 Raider starting quarter back Gardner Minshew was 10-17, 124 yards, did not throw or carry for a touchdown and didn’t throw an interception. Minshew and the Raiders just couldn’t much going on scoring in the third and fourth quarters.

#3 The Raiders couldn’t shut down the Bengals scoring in the second half as the Bengals in third quarter scored 14 points and ten points in the fourth quarter to run away with the game.

#4 Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow got good protection and was mobile against the Raiders pass rush finishing with a line of 27-39, 251 yards, had all day to throw with five touchdowns and was intercepted once.

#5 The Raiders hope to end their current five game loss streak as they head to Miami and Hard Rock Stadium for a 10:00am PST kickoff with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have struggled of late as well with three loses in a row and they lost today 30-27 to the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins drop their record to 2-6. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a 25-28 afternoon throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Any chance the Raiders can snap out of this funk against the Dolphins next Sunday?

Join Rich Perez for all home and away post game podcasts following each Raiders game at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Bosa still waiting to hear from NFL on MAGA hat discipline; Can Raiders turn the tide in Cincinnati Sunday?; plus more news

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San Francisco 49ers Nick Bosa points to his MAGA hat standing behind sideline reporter Melissa Stark (left) and quarterback Brock Purdy (13) after the Dallas Cowboys-49ers game on Sun Oct 27, 2024 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara (NBC Sunday Night Football still)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, the San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa is still waiting to hear from the NFL whether he would be fined or not by the league for appearing in a live TV shot post game while teammate and quarterback Brock Purdy was being interviewed with teammates tight end George Kittle and running back Isaac Guerendo were standing with sideline reporter Malissa Stark. Bosa in the shot was pointing to his MAGA that was white with gold lettering.

#2 The Las Vegas Raiders are trying to recover after last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders took a seven point loss 27-20 after the Chiefs picked up some insurance points in the fourth quarter with a field goal and a touchdown after leading the Raiders by just four points 17-13. The Raiders now face the Cincinnati Bengals today the Bengals have won three of their last four games and are banking on quarterback Joe Burrow to deliver last week in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Burrow was 26-37 for 234 yards, one touchdown and was intercepted once. Charlie how do you see this match up?

#3 Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stafanski said that quarterback Deshaun Watson is back at the Browns facility after suffering a season ending Achilles injury where Watson had surgery performed after a week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Stafanski said that Watson is rehabbing after a tough surgery and that’s he’s scooting around the building and that Watson plans to attack the rehab.

#4 The New York Jets wide receiver Devante Adams was excited to join his new team and get things started on last Thursday Night Football’s game against the Houston Texans in a 21-13 win. Adams ended up catching a 37 yard pass from quarterback Aaron Rogers for a touchdown his first as a Jet.

#5 Charlie let me read to you a list of Raiders minority owner Tom Brady’s restrictions. #1 Not permitted to be in another team’s facility.#2 Can not attend another team’s practice. #3 Can not attend in-person or virtual broadcast production meetings with coaches or players. #4 Can not publicly criticize officials and other clubs. #5 Must follow the NFL’s gambling policy. Are these rules in place because he’s a co-owner of the Raiders and since he’s part of the management of the club these restrictions are put upon him to avoid a conflict of interest?

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Vancouver wins it 3-2 snaps Sharks three game win streak at SAP

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San Jose Sharks in Action Against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov 2, 2024 at SAP Center in San Jose (San Jose Sharks Media)

By Fernando Abarca

San Jose looked to keep the streak alive, but Vancouver found a way to do some damage

It was expected to be a close game all night, and that was the case in the final period. San Jose once again had problems maintaining the lead on the scoreboard, and this time, it cost them dearly. Puis Suter put Vancouver 3-2 over San Jose on Saturday Night action.

The first period looked pretty even with neither team scoring considering where Vancouver is in the standings.

San Jose’s Nico Sturm opened the scoring at the 17:27 mark of the second period. With San Jose being the team that opened the scoring it made the atmosphere of the place feel a little more for the 17,435 in attendance.

Vancouver then countered with an assist to Puis Suter tying the score with five minutes to go in the period.

The main action was concentrated in the last period of the game with San Jose killing two penalties, but also missing chances on the powerplays.

Vancouver got the other goal of the night. Jake DeBrusk with just 4 minutes to go put the visiting team ahead, San Jose was in trouble if they wanted to keep the winning streak that was the topic of conversation all week.

With an extra man, San Jose knew how to optimize its resources and Mikael Granlund made it 2-2 with a top-shelf shot, raising hopes of a possible overtime

With just 0:26 seconds left, San Jose could not contain Vancouver’s pressure and offensive attack. Puis Suter scored his double for the night, leaving the chances of a comeback very low.

The important thing at the end of the period was that the San Jose team showed fighting spirit and desire to win, as was when Fabian Zetterlund attempted a shot from inches away from Vancouver’s goal.

With this loss, San Jose has not been able to get a victory over Vancouver in quite some time, winning only two games in 15 games since 2020.

The next game will be against Columbus at home this Tuesday night at SAP Center

Bay FC headed to NWSL Playoffs; Big 3-2 win against Houston clinches it

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Racheal Kundananji of Bay FC scores the first of two goals this one at 21st minute against the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston on Sat Nov 2, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC had a crucial game on their final night of the season. It was do or die, as a single point against the Houston Dash would send the expansion side into the playoffs. A loss on the other hand, would put Bay’s fate in the hands of Racing Louisville. Saturday’s game was delayed due to inclement weather, and the game started with a wet pitch.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Malonson, Menges, Dahlkemper, Dydasco, Pickett, Bailey, Blade, Kundananji, Oshoala, Hill

Houston Starting XI: Hinz, Chapman, Jacobs, Nielsen, Schmidt, Yuki, Olivieri, Punigam, Gareis, Patterson, Harris

The Dash were without their starting goalkeeper, Jane Campbell, who was injured during international duty. As a result, Heather Hinz made her first career regular season start. The ball was able to beat Hinz in the 10th off of a set piece.

Paige Nielsen deflected the free kick past her goalkeeper, making it 1-0 early on for the visiting side. Bay FC had been 8-3-1 entering the night when they scored first, meaning a playoff berth seemed heavily in their favor. It didn’t take long for Houston to tie it up, as Barbara Olivieri extended her goal streak to three games in the 13th minute.

Shortly after Rachael Kundananji hit the inside of the goal post, she scored off of a corner. She shot it off of a volley in the 21st minute and Hinz had no chance of getting in front of it. While it would’ve been easy to deflate after giving up an equalizer so quickly, Bay FC bounced back and restored their lead.

A majority of Houston’s offense was going through Olivieri, which certainly a logical approach considering her recent form. Kundananji hit the crossbar late in the half, nearly extending Bay’s lead. Tess Boade had a shot blocked by Jyllissa Harris in the 45th minute.

Had the shot gotten through, it seemed like it was heading for the netting. Nielsen’s rough night continued, when she was shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Dorian Bailey. Bay FC maintained their 2-1 lead heading into halftime.

Bay FC made a couple of substitutions heading into the second half. Savy King and Penelope Hocking started the half in place of Alyssa Malonson and Asisat Oshoala.

Houston didn’t trail for long in the half, Avery Patterson beat Katelyn Rowland in the 46th minute, making it 2-2. While all Bay FC needed was a draw to guarantee a playoff spot, conceding that early in the half is dangerous considering the home team now had an entire half to get the lead.

Kundananji wouldn’t wait long to restore the lead, as she weaved through the defense in the 54th minute before beating Hinz to make it 3-2. Momentum was firmly in favor of Bay FC following the goal, as they immediately launched another attack.

Bailey forced Hinz to make a save early in the 57th minute. Kundananji went down after getting kicked in the face while making a late slide tackle, she was also shown a yellow card for the play. In the 63rd minute, Houston got the ball right in front of the goal but Caprice Dydasco was able to clear it out to save the lead.

Kundananji returned to the game after getting some attention on the sideline. She set up Hocking with a great opportunity in front of goal, but her first shot was saved and she ran out of space on the rebound. Momentum slowly started to head towards the Dash, as they had a few attacks of their own as the half progressed. In the 85th minute, King was taken out for Maddie Moreau. Kundananji hit the crossbar once again in the 86th.

Bay FC carried their 3-2 lead into stoppage time. All they needed to do to make the playoffs was not concede two goals in the final seven minutes of added time. Moreau had an important block in the 93rd minute.

Kundananji fired another shot in the 94th minute that forced Hinz to make another save. Caroline Conti came in for Kundananji late in stoppage time. Unfortunately, moments after coming into the game she took a ball to the side of the head and had to get attention from the training staff.

Ultimately, Bay FC held on to win 3-2. As a result, they became the second expansion side to earn a playoff berth, as the San Diego Wave did it previously.