It’s difficult to imagine a better start to a rivalry than the one Janine Sonis penned on Saturday night. 

In the final match of the inaugural Continental Divide rivalry series between the Denver Summit and the Utah Royals, Sonis lifted her team to a 2-1 victory with a goal off a free kick in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Denver held the National Women’s Soccer League’s highest-scoring team scoreless until Utah equalized in the 89th minute off a goal from substitute Tatumn Milazzo. After a hard-fought match, the Summit appeared to be headed for a draw, but after forward Yazmeen Ryan was fouled, Sonis unleashed a shot from the top of the arc that sailed just over the Royals’ wall and dropped into the lower-left corner of the net. 

“I was a little nervous because it’s usually on the other side of the 18 for her,” Summit forward Ally Brazier told Burgundy Wave after the match. “But you still have full faith in our captain like that. I just knew she was going to save us. It was just the best, cinematic thing I had ever seen in my life, and I was seriously in tears on the sideline.”

Sonis’ team-leading eighth goal of the season gave Denver its first win of a three-match homestand that’s taken place over the past six days.

“We needed to win that,” Summit coach Nick Cushing said. “I think we needed to win last week and the week before, but I suppose we had to win tonight to keep in the pack.”

Denver (6-7-5) earned a much-needed three points over Utah and jumped two spots in the league into ninth place.

One key to Saturday’s victory, per Cushing, was to avoid conceding the first goal of the match, a daunting task when facing the league’s most potent offense, but keeper Abby Smith, who is a top-five goalie in terms of saves, was up to the challenge. 

Denver employed a high press to generate many of its opportunities, leaving room for Utah to counter. Whenever the visitors did so, Smith was ready. She made back-to-back stops in the 20th minute on Utah forwards Kiana Palacios and Cloé Lacasse. 

Four minutes later, she raced to the top of the box to prevent a shot on goal on a one-on-one opportunity for Utah. 

“We’re going to give chances away. We started the game with three rookies on the pitch tonight, so to have a goalkeeper that can produce in big moments gives us a chance to get three points,” Cushing said. “Every game we’ve gotten three points, she’s played a major part.”

Denver broke through in the 51st minute thanks to the foot of Ryan. Sonis sent in a cross that landed perfectly at Ryan’s feet just outside the six-yard box. She put the opportunity away for her fourth goal of the season. 

Ryan returned the favor for Sonis, drawing the foul leading up to the latter’s heroic free kick. 

The Denver Summit return to action next week against San Diego Wave FC.