By OkayGoal 
Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
U.S. women’s national team captain and Colorado native Lindsey Heaps made her debut for the Summit Saturday in a 2-1 comeback win over her former team, the Portland Thorns. There was Colorado talent galore on display in the win at Centennial Stadium.
Heaps got the start and the captain’s armband, played the full 90 minutes and assisted the game-winner in her first appearance for her hometown team since signing from OL Lyonnes. Prior to her five seasons in France, Heaps spent six seasons with Portland (2016–22), making 105 appearances and earning NWSL MVP honors in 2018. She helped lead the Thorns to two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021) and the 2017 NWSL Championship, scoring the lone match-winning goal in the title match. Heaps finished her Portland career with 31 goals across all competitions.
Sophia Wilson, from Windsor, Colo., opened the scoring for the Thorns in the 25th minute from the penalty spot. But the Summit equalized before halftime with a first-half stoppage-time goal from Janine Sonis, a native of Highlands Ranch, Colo. Sonis now has a career-high six goals for the season while Wilson is up to seven.
In the 86th minute, NWSL rookie Natalie Means came off the bench to score her first career goal and the game-winner. The latest goal of the season for the Summit was assisted by Heaps, the 10th overall in her NWSL career and her third career game-winner. This win marks the Summit’s first points of the season when conceding first in a match, 0-3-0 before Saturday’s comeback.
