Match Recap: Kansas City Current Downs Denver Summit FC 4-1 Behind Hopkins Hat Trick

KANSAS CITY (Sept. 26, 2026) — The Kansas City Current (12-9-5, 41 pts., 6th place) earned a crucial victory Saturday afternoon at CPKC Stadium, as a hat trick from forward Haley Hopkins lifted the Current to a 4-1 win over Denver Summit FC (9-9-8, 35 pts., 10th place). The Current extended their NWSL-record unbeaten streak to 30 matches with the result, which also completed the regular season sweep of the Summit.

Denver opened the scoring in the 13th minute, but Hopkins equalized just before halftime on a close-range finish assisted by forward Michelle Cooper. In the 47th minute, Hopkins beat the Summit's goalkeeper to an errant back pass before sending a composed finish into the back of the net. Hopkins completed her hat trick 10 minutes later with a breakaway finish assisted by forward Temwa Chawinga. Chawinga then scored in the 76th minute, set up with a brilliant backheeled assist by midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo. 

The victory vaulted the Current into sixth place on the NWSL table with four regular season matches remaining. Saturday also marked the 50th match played at CPKC Stadium across all competitions, and Hopkins capped the occasion with the club’s second-ever hat trick in NWSL regular season history and fourth ever across all competitions.  
 

"We all knew it was an important match and what the implications could be. For us, we have a process of how to work, how to show up every day." said head coach Chris Armas. "The culture is strong on this team. The way the team responded was a team that has real belief...We can guarantee we're on the same page, and we have a winning, clear way of playing. I think today's an example of that, and probably the most important thing is the mentality of that team. We said in the huddle after the game, 'Why not us? Why not the Kansas City Current. Why can't we make noise and make a splash?'"

In an end-to-end first half, Denver broke the deadlock with a goal from midfielder Lindsey Heaps in the 13th minute. Seven minutes later, Current goalkeeper Lorena kept the visitor’s lead at one with a diving save from a shot outside the penalty area by Denver forward Tash Flint. 

The Current ultimately found an equalizer in the 39th minute through Hopkins’ first goal of the day. DiBernardo began the move near midfield, looping a through ball down the right wing for Cooper. Cooper tracked the ball down in the penalty area, then rolled a first-time ball across the 18-yard box for Hopkins, who was crashing towards goal as Cooper made her run. Cooper’s cross met Hopkins in stride at the six-yard box, and she poked the ball off Smith’s glove and into the back of the net for the equalizer. 

The assist marked Cooper’s fifth assist of the regular season and 11th of her regular season career. Kansas City continued to push for a go-ahead goal as the first half progressed, but the 1-1 deadlock remained as the halftime whistle sounded.  

Kansas City went ahead within the first few moments of the second half, capitalizing on a Summit turnover to take a lead it ultimately would not relinquish. The move began in the Current’s own defensive third, as defender Gabrielle Robinson fizzed a ball up the field that made its way behind the Summit back line. Hopkins continued to chase the through ball as Smith came off her line in an attempt to clear. Smith barely beat Hopkins to the ball, but Hopkins picked it off her foot and turned ahead towards a vacated goal. As Denver defenders raced back to the net, Hopkins clipped an effort from just outside the 18-yard box that bounded into the center of the goal to give Kansas City a 2-1 lead. 

Hopkins completed her hat trick 10 minutes later, sealing a quintessential Current counterattack with a composed breakaway finish. After the home team defended well to deny a Denver scoring opportunity, defender Izzy Rodriguez sent a clearance up the left wing for Chawinga to chase. Chawinga broke free from the Denver defense near midfield, bursting ahead for a two-on-one opportunity with Hopkins flanking her down the center of the pitch. Chawinga made her way inside the 18-yard box then rolled a pass across goal for Hopkins, who calmly curled a one-time effort into the bottom right corner. 

Hopkins’ hat trick was the first of her NWSL career, and she now has eight goals on the season and 13 in her regular season career. It was also the fourth hat trick in club history across all competitions and the second regular season hat trick in club history. Hopkins has accounted for two of the hat tricks in Kansas City Current history, with the other coming in April during the 2026 Teal Rising Cup. It also marked the Current’s second hat trick of the 2026 NWSL regular season, with Chawinga accomplishing the feat on May 10 against Chicago. 

Kansas City sealed the 4-1 victory in the 76th minute, as Chawinga added to the tally with her 11th goal of the season. As the Current entered the attacking third yet again, midfielder Bayley Feist played a pass ahead for DiBernardo near the top of the box. With her back to goal, DiBernardo played a cheeky backheel pass that split multiple defenders before finding Chawinga inside the penalty area. Chawinga cut back on her right foot, then curled a shot that took a deflection before bouncing past Smith for the team’s fourth and final goal. 

The goal was Chawinga’s 46th of her NWSL regular season career. It also marked a historic assist for DiBernardo: the 32nd of her decorated NWSL career. DiBernardo now holds sole possession of second place on the NWSL’s all-time regular season assist leaderboard. Additionally, she is the sixth player in franchise history with at least 10 regular season assists for the Current. 

Kansas City saw out the match to earn a crucial three points as the Current’s playoff push continues. Saturday’s contest was the Current’s 50th match played at CPKC Stadium across all competitions, and Kansas City has now totaled a 39-2-9 home record across that stretch. The match also extended the Current’s ongoing league-record home regular season unbeaten streak to 30 matches. Kansas City has amassed a 23-0-7 record over that stretch, which dates back to July 2024. 

Also on Saturday, Robinson made her first appearance since Aug. 29 against North Carolina. Defender Itala Gemelli made her regular season home debut, while Chawinga played the full 90 minutes for the first time since July 17. 

With four matches remaining in the 2026 NWSL regular season, Kansas City remains at home next weekend to battle Bay FC on Saturday, Oct. 3. The match kicks off at 5:30 p.m. CT and will broadcast nationally on ION. Fans in Kansas City can catch a local simulcast on The Spot – Kansas City 38 with a local pregame show, KC Current Matchday, beginning at 5 p.m. CT. 90.9 The Bridge will broadcast the match over the radio, and an audio feed will be available in English, Spanish and Portuguese on the KC Current App. 

The Oct. 3 game is the Current’s annual Heart Health Awareness Match, presented by CPKC. Fans are encouraged to wear red to next weekend’s contest in support of CPKC’s heart health initiatives. The Current and CPKC will team up to raise awareness about heart health throughout the contest. Fans in attendance will receive an exclusive giveaway pin from CPKC. Tickets can be purchased HERE. 
 

NWSL Match Report 
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Denver Summit FC 
Date: Sept. 26, 2026 
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Kickoff: 11:36 a.m. CT/10:36 a.m. MT
Weather: 71 degrees, partly cloudy
Attendance: 11,500

Discipline 
6’ Denver – Sheehan (Yellow)

Scoring 
13’ Denver – Heaps

39’ Kansas City – Hopkins (Cooper)

47’ Kansas City – Hopkins

57’ Kansas City – Hopkins (Chawinga)

76’ Kansas City – Chawinga (DiBernardo)
 

Scoring Summary
                        1          2          F

Kansas City    1           3          4

Denver            1           0          1

Kansas City Current Lineup: Lorena, I. Rodriguez, Sharples, Robinson (73’ Gemelli), Ball, DiBernardo (81’ Hocking), LaBonta © (73’ Feist), Debinha (64’ R. Rodríguez), Chawinga, Cooper (81’ White), Hopkins
Unused Substitutes: Jordan, Scott, Suliafu
 

Denver Summit FC Lineup: Smith, Kurtz, Sonis, Oke (64’ Means), Gaetino, Sheehan, Regan (64’ Lynch), Heaps ©, Ryan, Yamamoto (73’ Thomas), Flint (73’ Kössler)

Unused Substitutes: Asman, Reid, Bonner, McCormack, Boade