Bay FC took a first-half lead Sunday in hot, humid Chicago but could not hold on, settling for a 1-1 tie with the lowly Red Stars at SeatGeek Stadium.
Rookie midfielder Taylor Huff opened the scoring for Bay with a point-blank goal in the 29th minute on a volley at the back post. A Caprice Dydasco corner kick was headed on by a Chicago defender and came to Huff for her second career goal after she scored in last week’s draw against Houston.
“It just helps with her confidence,” coach Albertin Montoya said of Huff scoring in consecutive matches. “She’s starting to really understand what we want her to do and she’s fitting in really well with the team.”
The Red Stars answered back before halftime with a goal from Shea Groom 13 minutes later. Groom dribbled deep into Bay territory, then put the ball into the bottom right corner past the outstretched leg of backtracking defender Dydasco and diving keeper Jordan Silkowitz.
The second-year club remains in 10th place in the NWSL standings with 17 points, three behind Gotham FC for the eighth and final playoff spot, with North Carolina in ninth. Bay has just 17 goals in 15 matches, the third-fewest in the league for a team that aims to play an aggressive style under Montoya.
“I thought our quality was not good enough,” Montoya said, acknowledging the 90-degree heat and humidity that necessitated hydration breaks. “We could have been a lot better and cleaner on the ball at moments, and our game plan was there. We just didn’t necessarily execute as well as we would like.”
Earlier this season, Bay gave Chicago (8 points, 13th place) its only win of 2025 as the Red Stars won 2-1 at PayPal Park in April.
“A tie is not good enough in these past two games,” Huff said. “We haven’t been performing how we want to play, but it’s going to continue to get better. … It’s going to click at some point.”
Midfielder Hannah Bebar had perhaps the best chance of the second half by either team when she shot from just inside the 18-yard box in the 59th minute, but her attempt went wide to the left. She’s still looking for her first professional goal.
Each team had a big chance early as Silkowitz made a tough save to her right on a shot from Grosso in the eighth minute, pushing it just outside the post.
Rachel Hill had a golden chance in the 13th off a cross on the ground from Racheal Kundananji, but she sent the shot into the path of veteran Chicago keeper Alyssa Naeher, who was racing back across the goal.
Bay had three corner kicks in the first three minutes of stoppage time but each time Dydasco curled the ball toward the goal mouth, Naeher kept it out of her net. Naeher had two saves to Silkowitz’s one, but neither team mustered a shot on goal in the second half. Bay FC had more shots overall, 13-10, and had 53 percent possession.
Bay FC’s next match is Saturday, when San Diego Wave FC comes to PayPal Park (7 p.m. PT, ION TV).
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