SAN JOSE, Calif. (July 18, 2026) – Bay FC bested the North Carolina Courage 3-0 Saturday afternoon at PayPal Park, claiming the second straight clean sheet win for the club. Bay Area native forward Karlie Lema dominated the day with two goals in the first half, the first brace of her professional career and the club’s first multi-score performance since its inaugural season. Forward Racheal Kundananji added a third after halftime to extend the club’s advantage, while a stellar defensive outing kept the visitors out of net for all 90 minutes.
“Obviously delighted with the play today,” said head coach Emma Coates. “Really nice to get a clean sheet, three goals, a really solid performance. I thought the first half in particular, I thought we were outstanding, and I thought some of our defensive play in the second half to sort of manage some of their momentum again was really good. So two games on the bounce, two clean sheets. We’re very happy.”
Bay FC started fast with near constant pressure on the Courage in the opening moments of the match. Lema came inches from the game’s first goal just six minutes after the opening whistle, but after the club charged forward on the break, her effort rattled off the woodwork. Forward Alex Pfeiffer nearly found her third goal of the season moments later off a set play but was denied by a diving save from North Carolina goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.
The club fed off its early momentum after the 15-minute mark, scoring twice in two minutes and 25 seconds . After winning possession in the midfield, Kundananji put Lema in a footrace towards goal. The Bay Area native beat a lone defender and the goalkeeper before slotting the ball through on a tight angle. With the goal, she tied the club’s record scoring streak with her third in as many matches.
Lema found her second right after the first, finishing a cross played into the middle from Pfeiffer. The first half brace was Lema’s first career multi-score game and the second in Bay FC history. Kundananji was the last Bay FC player to tally multiple scores in a match, doing so at Houston in the club’s playoff-clinching victory on the last day of the 2024 regular season.
The club added to its advantage coming out of the break. After midfielder Kennedy Fuller tried her luck from a set play, Kundananji put her name on the scoresheet, intercepting an errant pass back by North Carolina’s backline and putting it past Sheridan for her club’s third tally of the day. The goal marked the Zambian’s second of the season, making for the third match of her NWSL career with multiple scoring contributions.
A piece of strong defending kept the club’s clean sheet intact at the hour mark. A shot from North Carolina defender Maycee Bell was deflected and bounced around in the penalty area in front of goal. Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton was able to shield a defender off the ball before defender Brooklyn Courtnall cleared it off the line.
Bay FC’s clean sheet effort marked the club’s fourth of the season and second in as many weeks. The victory claimed the club its first time with back-to-back shutout wins since June 2024, when the club defeated Angel City and Louisville in consecutive matches without conceding a goal.
Bay FC returns to action Friday, July 24 from Houston, Texas as the club visits the Houston Dash for the two sides first meeting this season. Kickoff from Shell Energy Stadium is set for 5 p.m. PT, and the match will broadcast live on Victory+. Bay FC returns home the following Wednesday, July 29 as defending league champion Gotham FC visits PayPal Park for a midweek contest.
Bay FC v North Carolina Courage
July 18, 2026
PayPal Park, San Jose, Calif.
Kickoff: 1:14 p.m. PT
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 12,081
Discipline
None
Scoring Summary
BAY – Lema (Kundananji) 15’
BAY – Lema (Pfeiffer) 17’
BAY – Kundananji 54’
| Goals | 1 | 2 | F |
| Bay FC | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| North Carolina Courage | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Starting Lineups
Bay FC: Silkowitz, Moreau, Courtnall, Cometti, Collins (C), Bebar (Bailey 75’), Hutton (Hubly 85’), Fuller, Kundananji (Girelli 85’), Lema (Barry 75’), Pfeiffer (Conti 67’)
Unused Substitutes: Miller, Allen, Gamero, Boade
North Carolina Courage: Sheridan (C), Rauch (Parkinson 45’), Williams, Shiragaki (Weatherholt 63’), Bell, Staude, Jackson, Koyama, Sanchez (Okafor 87’), Ijeh (Younce 63’), Schlegel (Betfort 63’)
Unused Substitutes: White, Brooks, Wingate, Wickenheiser
