INDIO, Calif. (Feb. 15, 2026) – Bay FC played the second of three preseason friendlies today, earning a 2-1 win over the Houston Dash. Forward Penelope Hocking and midfielder Hannah Bebar each found the back of the net for Bay FC. The club’s newest addition, Claire Hutton played 65 minutes as she works her way into the team’s mix.
“Today was really positive,” said head coach Emma Coates. “Every day we spend together, every week, every opportunity, the players are just getting better, and I thought they deserved to win today. But I think the bit that’s most pleasing is that they’re doing the things that we asked them to.”
Hutton earned the first half start today, joining Bebar and Taylor Huff in the midfield. The trio established a possession style strategy that saw the club hold momentum through much of the opening period. Together they were able to open the field, giving the forwards plenty of space to find meaningful attacks. Defensively, they were able to support the back line and thwart any danger coming from the opponents, allowing only one goal in the first 45 minutes.
Bay FC took the lead in the eighth minute on a play that was a whole team effort. Huff sent a corner kick to forward Alex Pfeiffer near the top of the penalty box. Pfeiffer took on her defenders and place a hard shot on goal. Although Houston’s goalkeeper was able to make the stop, the rebound fell to where Hocking had positioned herself and she was able to put the ball home.
Defensively, the only first half danger came in the 39th minute as Bay found itself defending inside their own penalty box. A pass to just outside the box led to a line drive shot on net, but goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz dove to the side and deflected the ball away, stopping the only shot Houston was able to put on goal in the entire half.
With some changes in the second half lineups for each team, play evened out for the first part of the second half. A controversial play in the 67th minute led to a goal for the Dash against the run of play.
Second half substitute forwards Onyeka Gamero and Karlie Lema were clutch working the ball down the sidelines throughout the second period. In the 85th minute Gamero dribbled around and through three defenders as she drove toward the endline. Looking up, she sent a sharp pass to Bebar at the top of the box who was able to collect the ball, then with one touch to her left foot, send a perfectly placed shot into the near post.
Bay FC will head home to continue training and preparation for the 2026 NWSL Season, kicking off at PayPal Park March 14 against expansion side Denver Summit FC. Season and Single Game Tickets are available at BayFC.com.
Bay FC v Houston Dash – Preseason Friendly
February 15, 20256
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Bay FC Scoring Summary:
BAY – 8’ Hocking
BAY – 85’ Bebar (Gamero)
Bay FC Lineups
First Half: Silkowitz, Moreau, Courtnall, Hubly, Collins, Bebar, Hutton, Huff, Conti, Hocking, Pfeiffer
Second Half: Allen, Malonson, Courtnall (65’ Anderson), Gilchrist, Collins, Bebar, Hutton (65’ Bailey), Huff (75’ Shepherd), Conti (65’ Lema), Boade, Gamero
QUOTES:
Head Coach Emma Coates
On today’s match…
Yeah, really positive. Every day we spend together, every week, every opportunity, the players are just getting better and I thought they deserved to win today. But I think the bit that’s most pleasing is that they’re doing the things that we asked them to.
On Penelope Hocking and her second goal this preseason…
We know that she’s a threat in the box, got one-touch finishes, little drop down, things like that. I thought both the goals were taking really well and yeah, just pleased for them both, really, both the goal scorers.
On Claire Hutton’s introduction to the team…
Yeah, I thought she was composed on the ball. I thought she’s, for how little time we’ve had with her, how quickly she’s picked up the structures and some of the things that we want to put in place is really nice. I thought her and Hannah [Bebar] in particular developed a really, really nice relationship. So we’re just looking forward to keep building on her performances.
On Hannah Bebar’s goal and performance…
It’s a nice finish, wasn’t it? I speak to them before, they’ve got to start getting into the area more, taking the shots, being more confident. So the fact that she’s being rewarded with a goal is really nice.
Midfielder Hannah Bebar
On her second half goal…
We had a good switch of play out to Onyeka, and she’s super crafty on the ball, and I think I just saw an opportunity to be there for the cutback, and she saw me making that late run, and I think found me perfectly on the box. And I had a good prep touch and I thought, why not? And I’m not one to usually let it rip, but I took a shot with my left and it ended up going right in the corner. So I was happy I decided to shoot there. I know my dad always tell when I was younger, he’s like would scream shooting from top of the box. And I think I heard that when I decided to shoot.
On today’s match…
I think it was a huge step forward. I think as a team, we’ve been working really hard throughout preseason just to implement the tactics that Emma [Coates] and Gemma [Davies] are implementing. And having Claire in there was huge just to set tempo and to be, you know, a really good presence in the midfield. I think we built nicely into this game and I think it was a huge step forward and we’re just looking to build as each game goes on in pre-season.
On playing with Claire Hutton…
Yeah, she’s an insanely good player and I think just her calmness on the ball and her leadership really helps organize the midfield and you know, I think that the midfield is sort of like the glue and so she came in there and just set play and brought a really high standard which just like makes you want to follow. So she’s the type of player who just makes everyone around her better and I think playing with her is so fun and so creative. She’s so good on the ball and it really worked well today.
On sustaining success across 90 minutes…
I’ll always say our midfield unit is super strong and very connected on this team. So I think we have some really good partnerships and depth. And I think when you make subs and you make rotations, it’s just sticking to those principles. And I think when Jamie [Shepherd] came in, she did so well just stepping high and being a connector in the midfield as well, and she really kept up the tempo. It’s hard to sub-in games, especially in the midfield when it’s fast-paced. I think we did great with that today.
Midfielder Claire Hutton
On her first match with her new club…
It’s exciting just to see what we’re starting to build and how the pieces are coming together. It’s a great start and I’m excited for the season to begin one month away, less than a month.
On integrating with the team so quickly…
I think the biggest thing is just the standard that Emma’s (Coates) laying tactically, technically, and what she expects from us and being able to go out there and perform it together. There’s a clear picture, so it’s easy just to plug in and play.
