Penelope Hocking records assist in debut as Bay FC squeaks by Racing Louisville FC

SAN JOSE — Penelope Hocking, fresh off recording an assist in her first match with Bay FC, tried to downplay her skillset. Asisat Oshoala wasn’t going to tolerate modesty.

“She said she’s just an addition to the speed we have up front already. I don’t think the same,” Oshoala said. “I feel like she’s a special type of player, and she has speed which is an addition to the talent she has. She uses the ball for everyone; you could see that in the game today. Without P on the ball, we wouldn’t have gotten the goal we had today. So, I think that’s a sign that we made a good trade.

“I think this is a steal for us, to be honest.”

Hocking set up Oshoala for the lone goal at PayPal Park on Saturday night as Bay FC (8-0-11) defeated Racing Louisville FC, 1-0, moving up to the seventh spot in the standings in the process. And while it’s far too early to definitively say that Hocking is a steal, Bay FC is more than happy to add her talents to a team that’s playing some of its best ball of the year.

“She adds a goal scoring kind of strength in right foot, left foot, with headers,” said Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya. “She’s got this kind of tenacity, and she’s a winner.”

Hocking’s productive debut comes a week after Abby Dahlkemper, a native of Menlo Park who was acquired in a trade with San Diego, scored a goal in her own debut as Bay FC handily defeated the Portland Thorns, 3-1.

Bay FC’s personnel group and identity has evolved as it navigates its first season in the NWSL, the last several weeks defined by the additions of Dahlkemper and Hocking. With seven matches remaining, Oshoala strongly believes the team is playing some of its most cohesive football of the year.

“Some days you feel frustrated … because where you’re used to is different from where you’re starting from right now,” Oshala said. “But I look at the bigger picture, and the bigger picture is what is happening right now. We’re six steps ahead from where we started.”

Tonight’s match, mathematically, wasn’t of the must-win territory for Bay FC, but the victory provides the team with breathing room ahead of an absolutely brutal stretch to finish the regular season. Of Bay FC’s seven remaining matches, five are against teams that are firmly in the playoffs: the North Carolina Courage (twice), Orlando Pride, Gotham FC and Kansas City Current.

A loss against Racing Louisville FC would’ve made life difficult for Bay FC down the stretch. For the first three-quarters of the match, a stunning loss wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

Bay FC and Racing Louisville FC both entered the half without a goal to their names. At the match’s halfway point, Bay FC held the advantage in shots (eight to six), shots on goal (three to two), corners (three to one) and time of possession (52%). Bay FC had several prime opportunities, most notably around the 13-minute mark when it had two cracks at the back of the net following a corner by Racheal Kundananji yet were narrowly denied each time.

The stalemate continued well into the second half. That looked to change when Kundananji made a Louisville defender touch grass with an ankle-breaker, but Dorian Bailey wasn’t ready for the subsequent pass and Bay FC failed to get off a shot. A sea of cheers transformed into an ensemble of groans.

In the 74th minute, Hocking and Oshoala finally gave their home crowd reason to stand up and shout.

“I tried to get the ball to Tess (Boade), try to slip her in so she could cut it back to Z (Oshoala),” Hocking said. “Then, I saw she got picked off by the other Louisville girl. I saw her kind of trip. That was my time to get the ball and land it to Z, and Z put it away like she does.”