Bay FC disheartened in 2-2 draw with Dash

Bay FC has earned points in consecutive matches. However, their 2-2 draw with the Houston Dash on Saturday evening at Shell Energy Stadium stung almost as much as a loss.

In a crowded NWSL standings where seven teams are separated by just three points, a win can potentially propel a team up to four spots in the standings. This was a match where Bay FC let it get away from them at the end. It was a match they dominated the play and scoring chances for the majority of the 90 minutes despite conceding the match's first goal in the first half.

“It was a good point away from home, one that hurt a little bit since we were up 2-1 in the second half. But it showed a lot of character from our team being down 1-0 at halftime, it's the first time this season we’ve been able to come back and come out with at least a point,” said Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya. “We came out in the second half with the right mentality, created opportunities, made some changes that allowed us to get forward a little bit more. Overall, I thought we played some really good football.” 

Bay FC (3-4-3) controlled the pace of play in the first 15 minutes. Just six minutes after the opening whistle, Midfielder Caroline Conti and forward Racheal Kundananji combined inside the penalty area to open up Conti from 10 yards out, but the midfielder’s effort sailed just high of the bar. A few minutes later, midfielder Taylor Huff came inches from her first pro goal. After a long ball by midfielder Hannah Bebar, who made her first start of her pro career, fell to Hocking on the left flank, Kundananji got on the end of service into the box and helped the ball along to Huff, who redirected the header toward the left post, but just wide of the target.

Both teams received a hydration break near the 30-minute mark due to hot and muggy conditions. But Houston (3-5-2) was the one who took advantage of the quick break. Barbara Olivieri broke past two Bay FC defenders along the left sideline before sending a long ball across the pitch to Avery Patterson along the right wing. Patterson dribbled into the middle, as Bay FC's defenders backed off of her, before launching a left-footed shot past Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz from just outside the box for her second goal of the season in the 33rd minute.

Bay FC took over in the second half when it scored two goals in a three-minute span that had the Dash reeling. First in the 53 minute, Alyssa Malonson, who came in as a sub for Maddie Moreau to start the second half, found Penelope Hocking just inside the box split between two Houston defenders. Hocking quickly made a move inside before calmly burying the ball into the right corner of the net past Dash goalkeeper Abby Smith for her third goal of the season.

Hocking has been on fire since Montoya inserted her into the starting XI three weeks ago. The third-year striker has three goals in her last three matches, which was a franchise first for the second-year club. According to Montoya, Hocking has earned her way into the starting lineup thanks to her effort on the practice field.

"This is something where she continues to have the right mentality. She's always putting her team first. She's putting the work in as always when you're putting the work in, and you work hard at certain things, they pay off over time. And that's exactly what we're seeing with Penelope (Hocking). Throughout the entire time when she wasn't starting and playing as much, she still had that positive attitude, that mentality of wanting to get better and continue to work. She's been rewarded and made the most it," Montoya said.

Then in the 56th minute, Bebar won a 50-50 ball at midfield and sent a pass up the pitch where it became a one-on-one race between Kundananji and Paige Nielsen. Kundananji used her size and strength to win the ball away from Neilsen. The Zambian striker then made a move around Smith before leaving the ball for Rachel Hill to slam it home into an open net for her first goal of the season. It was one of the easiest goals Hill has scored in her career.

"I saw Rudy (Kundananji) pressing and she won the ball. I know when she gets it she will go. So I was like do my best to get up there as fast as I can and and try to catch her, which is hard to do. But just kept running and Rudy took a great touch inside (past the goalkeeper) and layed it on perfectly to me on a platter. So, I just had to pass it onto the back of the net," Hill said.

The Dash scored the equalizer in the 88th minute when Messiah Bright received the ball from 30-yards out and dribbled in all alone into the middle of the box before depositing her left-footed shot past a diving Silkowitz for her first goal in a Dash kit.

Bay FC threatened for the winning goal a minute later when Asisat Oshoala had a point-blank chance from six yards out, but Smith stopped it from entering the back of the net with a left leg save and corralled the ball with no chance for a rebound. Houston responded with two chances in the first minute of stoppage time. On both chances Silkowitz used the crossbar as her friend. First after a leaping save off of a shot by Kiki Van Zanten the ball caromed off of the crossbar. Then Silkowitz just got a piece of Maggie Graham's shot the pinballed off the crossbar and out of bounds.

"I think we have to look back and take a lot of positives from it on what we did well," Hill said after the match. "Then also reflect and know that we can't let that happen and that three points is super important and we need to get those next time."

Kundananji was named the Player of the Match, but an argument can be made for Silkowitz's saves she made near the end of the match that allowed Bay FC to escape with a point from the difficult Southwest atmosphere.

GAME NOTES:

• Bay FC fullback Abby Dahlkemper reached a career milestone with her start and appearance in Saturday’s match. The contest marked the 2017 NWSL Defender of the Year and Menlo Park native’s 150th career regular season game played, making her the 42nd player in league history to reach the milestone.
• Bay FC have a week off before they return home to host the Portland Timbers on Saturday June 7th at 4:30pm at PayPal Park.