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This is the fifth year for the San Diego Wave FC as members of the National Women’s Soccer League. It marks the fourth season the team has qualified for the league’s championship playoff tournament.
The second-seeded Wave (18-8-4) will host a quarterfinal elimination match against the seventh-seeded Utah Royals (14-11-5) on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium.
Eight of the league’ 16 teams qualified for postseason play. Top-seeded (and defending NWSL champion) Gotham FC (18-5-7) will host the eighth-seeded Seattle Reign (14-11-5) on Sunday while the third-seeded Washington Spirit (17-9-4) will host the sixht-seeded Portland Thorns (14-8-8) in another match on Sunday.
Saturday’s lone playoff match will pit fifth-seeded Angel City FC (15-8-7) at the fourth-seeded Kansas City Current (16-9-5).
Quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals Nov. 13-15. Semifinal winners advance to the championship game Nov. 21 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
The Wave enters the playoffs riding a club-record seven-game unbeaten streak (six wins, one tie). The San Diego team prepped for postseason play with a 1-0 victory at Bay FC last Sunday.
Mimi Van Zanten scored the lone goal in the afternoon match at Pay Pal Park in San Jose in the ninth minute after taking a pass from Kenza Dali and firing a shot across the goalmouth into the top left corner.
The goal was Van Zanten’s second of the season while Dali picked up her fourth assist. Dali made her 50th NWSL start for San Diego.
Goalkeeper Sandra Paños recorded four saves to post her fourth shutout of the season.
Defender Kennedy Wesley made club history as its first iron woman by playing in every minute in the team’s 30-game regular season schedule.
Kimmi Ascanio and Perle Morroni each made their 60th appearance for the Wave in Sunday’s match while Lia Godfrey appeared in all 30 matches during her rookie season.
Of note, the Wave improved to 15-0-3 when scoring the first goal in a match and to 9-3-0 when leading at halftime.
San Diego put-shot Bay FC 12-9 and owned 57 percent of possession.
Goal-scoring leaders for the Wave include Trinity Byars with 11 goals in 24 matches, Melanie Barcenas with seven goals in 28 matches, Godfrey with six goals in 29 matches, Dudinha with five goals in 13 matches and Corley with four goals in 24 matches.
Assist leaders include Godfrey with six in 29 matches, Corley with five in 24 matches and Dudinhua with four in 13 matches.
How they stacked up
The Wave (58 points) finished three points behind Gotham FC (61 points) in the single table standings. In turn, the Wave finished three points ahead of the Spirit (55 points) and five points ahead of the Current (53 points).
The league was highly competitive in 2026 with six standings points separating the fourth and eighth place teams. Angel City (52 points) finished one point behind Kansas City (53 points). The Thorns (50 points) finished two points behind Angel City.
The Royals and Reign tied with 47 points — three points behind Portland. The North Carolina Courage (14-13-3) missed the playoff cut by two points. The first-year Denver Summit (11-8-11) was four points behind North Carolina and six points off a playoff berth.
The Wave’s 18 wins and 58 standings points are both club records.
Community College Soccer
PACIFIC COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Women’s Standings
MiraCosta 10-1-3, 33 points (0.821 PCT)
Southwestern 10-2-3, 33 points (0.767 PCT)
San Diego Mesa 9-1-4, 31 points (0.786 PCT)
San Diego Miramar 8-3-3, 27 points (0.679 PCT
Palomar 6-4-4, 22 points (0.571 PCT)
San Diego City 5-7-1, 16 points (0.423 PCT)
Grossmont 3-10-0, 9 points (0.231 PCT)
Imperial Valley 2-12-0, 6 points (0.143 PCT)
Cuyamaca 0-13-0, 0 points (0.000 PCT)
Overall records: MiraCosta 11-1-6; Southwestern 11-2-6; San Diego Mesa 11-3-5; San Diego Miramar 11-3-3; Palomar 6-6-5; San Diego City 5-8-2; Grossmont 3-11-0; Imperial Valley 4-14-2; Cuyamaca 2-13-0
Friday, Oct. 30
San Diego Mesa 8, Imperial Valley 0
MiraCosta 3, San Diego City 0
Southwestern 2, Grossmont 0
Palomar 3, Cuyamaca 0
Tuesday, Nov. 3
MiraCosta 5, Miramar 3
Grossmont 2, Cuyamaca 1
Palomar 2, San Diego City 2
San Diego Mesa 2, Southwestern 0
Friday, Nov. 6
San Diego Mesa at San Diego City, 12:30 p.m.
Grossmont at San Diego Miramar, 1 p.m.
Palomar at MiraCosta, 3 p.m.
Imperial Valley at Cuyamaca, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 10
MiraCosta at Grossmont, 1 p.m.
Cuyamaca at Southwestern, 3:30 p.m.
San Diego City at Imperial, 5 p.m.
San Diego Miramar at San Diego Mesa, 6 p.m.
Palomar at San Bernardino Valley, 6 p.m.
Men’s Standings
MiraCosta 10-1-1, 31 points (0.875 PCT)
Cuyamaca 8-1-3, 27 points (0.792 PCT)
Southwestern 6-2-3, 21 points (.625 points)
Palomar 5-2-3, 18 points (0.650 points)
San Diego City 5-4-2, 17 points (0.545 points)
Imperial Valley 3-8-0, 9 points (0.273 PCT)
San Diego Miramar 2-9-1, 7 points (0.208 PCT)
San Diego Mesa 0-11-1, 1 point (0.042 PCT)
Overall records: MiraCosta 15-3-1; Cuyamaca 13-2-4; Southwestern 11-3-3; Palomar 7-5-4; San Diego City 8-8-3; Imperial Valley 4-15-0, San Diego Miramar 3-14-1; San Diego Mesa 0-17-1
Friday, Oct. 30
Imperial Valley 2, San Diego Miramar 1
Cuyamaca 2, Southwestern 0
Palomar 4, San Diego Mesa 0
MiraCosta 3, San Diego City 2
Tuesday, Nov. 3
MiraCosta 7, San Diego Miramar 0
Cuyamaca 4, San Diego Mesa 1
Southwestern 2, San Diego City 0
Friday, Nov. 6
Imperial Valley at San Diego Mesa, 3 p.m.
Cuyamaca at San Diego City, 3 p.m.
San Diego Miramar at Southwestern, 3 p.m.
MiraCosta at Palomar, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Palomar at San DIego Miramar, 1 p.m.
MiraCosta at Cuyamaca, 3 p.m.
San Diego Mesa at San Diego City, 3 p.m.
Southwestern at Imperial Valley, 7 p.m.
