Persistence, poise, and a touch of history defined San Diego Wave FC’s latest win — and it came courtesy of a 17-year-old.
Rookie defender Trinity Armstrong delivered a dramatic stoppage-time header to seal a 2-1 victory over Bay FC on Sunday evening at Snapdragon Stadium, extending San Diego’s winning streak to three matches and capping a match full of resilience, missed chances and unwavering belief.
“It’s such a blessing and I’m so honored that I was able to get that goal out there today,” Armstrong said postgame, still trying to process her first professional goal. “Not too long ago, I almost had to quit soccer … just having the opportunity to be on this field and for Jonas to trust me, and the girls to trust me as well — it’s just such a blessing.”
It was a night that began with a flash. Just five minutes in, the Wave struck early — again. María Sánchez, making an impact at both ends, curled in a perfect corner kick that found the head of Kennedy Wesley, who nodded it home to give the Wave a 1-0 advantage.
“Honestly, we have Maria and Kenza to thank for those services,” Wesley said. “We practice them a lot, so to be able to execute it — the timing, the service, and everything — is awesome.”
Wesley’s goal wasn’t just a spark; it was a milestone — the 100th regular-season goal in club history since Wave FC’s inaugural season in 2022.
Bay FC responded quickly. In the 18th minute, a well-placed through ball from Racheal Kundananji set up Karlie Lema, who calmly slotted a low shot past goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to level the score at 1-1.
From there, chaos reigned. San Diego hit the woodwork three times, missed a penalty kick, and dominated possession with 64% of the ball. Still, the go-ahead goal remained elusive — until Armstrong’s moment of magic.
“Leading up to it, Kenza and I were congregating about switching it up and going back post,” Armstrong explained. “I just had a strong feeling about it … and then I locked eyes over the ball, and the rest was a little bit of a blur. But I saw it go in, and I was like, ‘Oh, thank goodness.’”
Armstrong’s 95th-minute goal — assisted by Kenza Dali, who was named to April’s Best XI of the Month — sent the Snapdragon crowd into a frenzy. It was the third-latest goal in club history and perhaps the most symbolic yet: a teenager who once thought her soccer dreams might end, now scoring the winner for a top-three team in front of 20,000 roaring fans.
San Diego Wave FC forward Makenzy Robbe (15) heads the ball towards the goal off a corner kick against Bay FC on May 4, 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium.
“To see a 17-year-old not only scoring a goal on this stage but also taking her space — that is very important if you want to develop,” said first-year head coach Jonas Eidevall. “She has a winning mentality. She’s brave in the way she plays.”
That bravery echoed throughout the locker room. Wesley praised the team’s fortitude in a match that saw nearly everything go wrong — and yet still finished with a win.
“We didn’t deviate from our game plan. We stuck to our principles,” she said. “That was reiterated at halftime, and it played out really well. We earned that win.”
Eidevall, now seeing his team climb to third in the NWSL standings with a 4-2-1 record, emphasized persistence as the theme of the night.
“There are more situations that we handled well,” he said. “We were really pushing in the second part, and it was great to see the mentality — not to be satisfied with a tie result, to keep going for it.”
The Wave finished with 17 shots (five on target) and 11 corners. Despite Bay’s physicality and 16 fouls, San Diego’s depth and youth again proved decisive.
“When you have 11 different goal scorers already this season, that’s the sign of a deep squad,” Eidevall said. “We don’t call them bench players — we call them game changers.”
And Trinity Armstrong — on this night — was the game changer.
“I dedicate it to my past self,” Armstrong said, fighting back tears. “Just for pushing through all the different obstacles to get to this point — and not giving up.”
San Diego Wave FC will stay home to host the Portland Thorns on Saturday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. PT, broadcast nationally on ION.