San Diego Wave FC finishes regular season in second place with win over Bay FC

San Diego Wave FC closed out the regular season with a one to zero victory against Bay FC at PayPal Park on Sunday afternoon. Defender Mimi Van Zanten scored the lone goal in the ninth minute to secure the crucial win for the visitors in front of 15,927 fans. Bay FC applied early pressure, but the Wave defense held firm to maintain their advantage through the final whistle.

Midfielder Kenza Dali provided the assist after finding Van Zanten making a sharp forward run through the penalty area. Van Zanten collected the pass and fired a right-footed shot across goal into the top-left corner for her second goal of the season. Goalkeeper Sandra Paños recorded four crucial saves to preserve the shutout and anchor the defensive effort for San Diego.

Defenders Kennedy Wesley and Kristen McNabb capped a historic regular season by playing nearly every minute together as the league most-used center back pairing. Wesley earned the distinction of becoming the first iron woman in club history by playing every single minute across all 30 regular season matches. Midfielder Kenza Dali also celebrated a personal milestone by making her 50th regular-season start for the club during the match.

With the victory, the Wave finished the regular season in second place in the league standings with 58 points and an 18-8-4 record. The team will host nwsl playoff quarterfinal at Snapdragon stadium against the seventh-seeded Utah Royals FC on Friday evening.

The upcoming playoff matchup offers San Diego home-field advantage in the opening round of the postseason tournament. Team representatives announced that tickets for the upcoming clash at Snapdragon Stadium are currently available for purchase by local fans.