Denver Summit FC has little time to reset. Following a loss to the Washington Spirit, The Summit now enters a three-game home stretch against Boston Legacy, North Carolina Courage and Utah Royals in Week 20, with the playoff race still within reach.
The timing matters because this stretch comes fast. Denver already saw what Boston and Utah can do earlier in the season, and those results are part of the backdrop here: a 3-2 loss to Boston Legacy on May 3rd and a 2-1 loss to Utah Royals on May 23rd. With another meeting against each team coming now, Denver has a short window to collect points at home and avoid letting the race slip away.
Boston Legacy first, and the danger is obvious
Boston Legacy’s attack will look a little different this time. Top scorer Aissata Traore is unavailable because she is competing at WAFCON, and Boston’s next top scorer, Amanda, is questionable with a thigh injury. That does not eliminate the challenge, but it does change the shape of the matchup for Denver.
Boston still has players who can create problems, and Denver cannot afford a slow start. The Summit has struggled this season when conceding first against several teams, and that pattern is especially important in a compressed home stretch where one bad opening can tilt the entire week.
North Carolina and Utah round out the stretch
After Boston, Denver will face North Carolina Courage, a team coming in with momentum after a 5-0 win over Orlando Pride on Friday. Evelyn Ijeh scored her first hat trick in the league in that match, a reminder that North Carolina can quickly turn a game into a runaway if it finds rhythm early.
Utah Royals then returns to the schedule after a Saturday performance that saw them score four goals against North Carolina Courage. Denver already knows how difficult Utah can be, and the previous 2-1 result in May shows how narrow the margin can be between a workable result and another setback.
Lindsay Heaps will matter in the middle of it
With three straight home games on deck, Denver Summit FC needs leadership as much as it needs goals. Lindsay Heaps is one of the key players who will have to step up in that role. In a stretch like this, the club’s veterans are often the difference between a quick recovery and a longer slide.
The bigger picture is simple: Denver is trying to get back into the playoff race, and this home run offers a chance to do it. A strong week would change the mood quickly. A poor one would make the remaining path much tougher.
