Only one 12 months after making historical past as solely the second growth group to ever attain the NWSL playoffs of their inaugural season, Bay FC is again within the combine throughout their favourite a part of the 12 months. They’re on the hunt to show their 2024 run wasn’t a fluke, and now that the second half of the season is formally underway after a summer season break for worldwide tournaments, Bay FC needs a repeat playoff look.
Bay FC ahead Penelope Hocking joined the group late final season, in time for his or her playoff push, and she or he remembers the surge the group was on a 12 months in the past. The group gained three of their final 5 video games to launch themselves into the 2024 postseason as a seventh-seed, and within the quarterfinal, pushed eventual 2024 NWSL Championship runners-up Washington Spirit into additional time, the place Hocking recorded her second help with the group.
This 12 months, she’s the membership’s main aim scorer with 5 targets, 4 of them scored over Bay FC’s final six video games.
“I do know groups have been afraid to play us final 12 months presently, and they need to worry us once more this time of the 12 months, simply because we now have one thing to show,” Hocking stated forward of Bay FC’s rivalry weekend recreation on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
“I do know groups do not take us flippantly, regardless that we sit on the decrease half of the standings. I do know individuals are like, “Shit, we now have to play Bay FC this weekend?’ prefer it’s gonna be a tough one.
Growing a rivalry
It is arduous to label a rivalry between two groups which have solely met twice throughout one group’s first 12 months of existence. Whereas different golf equipment with regional feuds will meet this week, Bay FC will face Chicago Stars FC, on the highway at Seatgeek Stadium for simply the fourth time of their brief franchise historical past. You think about roughly one historic recreation at iconic ballpark Wrigley Area, and maybe for some, it turns into the catalyst to market a rivalry.
Whereas many NWSL trustworthy would be the first to name a manufactured rivalry deepfakes, there’s nonetheless loads of lore across the upcoming recreation. Together with Hocking’s arrival within the Bay Space from Chicago final 12 months, and typically participant motion between golf equipment builds rivalry extra within the stands than on the pitch. Hocking’s focus is on her new membership and teammates, their current surge, and the profession 12 months she’s having — although it wasn’t a straightforward course of at first.
“It was tremendous difficult. I do not suppose I noticed how difficult it was till I bought there, identical to, studying a brand new group, new construction, being in Chicago for nearly two years, after which going right into a model new surroundings. It was, like, sort of a whirlwind, proper at first [for me] or finish of season [for Bay] too,” she says of her arrival final 12 months.
“However then getting to start out contemporary in preseason, and like, sort of studying the construction, and sort of getting my ft beneath me, continues to be actually arduous. I felt like, after I began scoring targets, they only stored coming. So it was, it has been very nice. It has been nice. Like, I really feel like we have been taking part in nicely … the ball’s simply discovered my ft extra. It is discovered all of our ft extra.”
Hocking’s sentiments mirror Bay FC’s need to claw its means again into the 2025 postseason dialog. She was one participant they made a transfer for final 12 months to spice up the roster, they usually added extra items with free agent defender Kelli Hubly, and first-year prospects in midfielders Taylor Huff and Hannah Bebar. There have been video games this season which have proven the rising pains of a bunch evolving collectively, however the group is simply three factors off of the playoff line, and loads of season nonetheless stays to make an announcement.
“I really feel like we now have one thing to show to the league,” Hocking says. “I believe we have dropped factors in video games within the first half of the season the place we actually should not have, and actually, like that pisses me off,” Hocking defined.
“As a result of, you already know, I do know we must always win video games. We all know we are able to win video games, we are able to. We have stayed with nearly, in all probability, each single group within the league, and I’ve little question that we are able to beat any group within the league. I believe we now have such an amazing group. We’re peaking on the proper time. And it is identical to that closing piece, and as soon as that clicks, I believe we’ll be unstoppable.”
Hocking is approaching one 12 months with Bay FC, after being drafted in 2023 after which traded from the Chicago Stars late mid-2024 season, and the variations in getting acclimated to a group mid-year vs. having a complete preseason to construct with a squad is beginning to present. Her 5 targets are outperforming her anticipated aim charge (xG 4.54), a profession excessive and finest on the group this season.
A brand new membership surroundings and being near dwelling and household are simply among the variations for Hocking in her third 12 months within the league. Adapting to new teaching kinds and ways has additionally performed a job in her breakout 12 months.
As for who has “gained” the commerce that despatched Hocking for $350k in intra-league funds? Proper now, it is trending the Bay’s path when it comes to a profession 12 months for Hocking and the membership being inside placing distance of the playoff line, whereas Chicago is at present nearer to elimination from rivalry than the precise postseason.
“The [Bay FC] teaching fashion is simply, like, very, very completely different. And I cherished [former Stars FC manager] Lorne’s [Donaldson] teaching fashion, and I additionally love our group’s teaching fashion. They’re simply completely different and one thing to get used to. Additionally, just like the personnel that, like we have been taking part in with, I really feel like we have been taking part in a totally completely different construction and clearly completely different means than in Chicago,” Hocking stated.
“So, simply getting used to taking part in extra possession fashion, reasonably than simply attempt to get down and get to the aim within the least quantity of passes as attainable, like that was sort of our recreation plan in Chicago. After which getting right here, extra build-up play, possession-oriented. It was just a bit completely different for me, even loads of getting used to, however you already know, I am glad that I am lastly discovering my ft and studying quite a bit about myself, and other people round me too. It has been loads of enjoyable.”
Second half playoff push
Constructing on budding chemistry shall be key for Bay’s trajectory if they need a repeat look within the playoffs. Hocking’s attacking partnership with teammate Racheal Kundananji has stood out because the duo continues to construct collectively. Kundananji’s relentless efforts are notable. Regardless of not having extra targets (one) on her group main 38 photographs, it hasn’t stopped the participant from repeatedly attacking the aim and continuously on the lookout for Hocking as an additional outlet.
“It is so nice to play with somebody like her. She simply has that chew. And I’ve that. So I like that when somebody simply needs to go to aim and I am like, I am proper there with you. It is actually cool to have the ability to play off her, and I really feel like we have at all times had a bit of little bit of connection, however taking part in alongside her simply increasingly, it simply leads us to getting increasingly snug, and I need us each to be unstoppable within the league,” stated Hocking.
“Even in follow, like we’re at all times making an attempt to be on the identical web page. If a rep does not go our means, we’re at all times making an attempt to repair it. We’ll even watch movie collectively, like, we’ll level out issues in video games. So, I believe we’re at all times making an attempt to assist one another out, and we have each been very receptive to one another’s suggestions. So it has been like a pleasure to work alongside her, simply because she’s such an amazing teammate. She’s not solely an amazing individual on the sphere, however off the sphere, she’s an exquisite individual too. It is simply been nice, and I am actually excited to simply proceed to construct a relationship.”
Balancing group and private targets
Bay FC is a franchise nonetheless constructing group tradition and historical past. Whereas the membership set the bar excessive with a playoff look in its inaugural season, there have been rising pains alongside the way in which. Forward of the 2025 common season, Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya was beneath investigation for allegations of a poisonous work surroundings, and membership executives said Montoya would proceed with the membership as complaints have been associated to “communication challenges” and supported Montoya on the sidelines for 2025. Simply final month, an investigative report discovered Montoya didn’t violate the NWSL harassment and bullying policy.
The group returned to the common season with a 2-2 draw towards Houston Sprint. It is already a greater begin to how they completed the primary half of the season, on a two-game skid forward of the summer season worldwide break. For Hocking and the group, a second-half push seems like a well-recognized place for them and a match load they’re able to embrace.
“I believe we now have such an amazing group. We’re peaking on the proper time. And you already know, it is identical to that closing piece, and as soon as that clicks, like, I believe we’ll be unstoppable. I do know our group is aware of it too, like, we now have a lot confidence. After we’ve misplaced video games, once we’ve gotten scored on, I’ve simply seen us bounce again like so shortly, and we now have that battle in us.”
