Since arriving in San Jose, Penelope Hocking has been coming into games as a late substitute to provide a spark for Bay FC. Over the past week, both Hocking herself and head coach Albertin Montoya saw something different at training. Combine that with the fact that Rachael Kundananji was unavailable, Hocking found herself in the starting eleven against the Kansas City Current on Saturday.

That match had critical implications on the expansion club’s playoff chances, as a result, it signified just how much trust Bay FC has in the 24-year-old. Once Kundananji was healthy for the final home game against the North Carolina Courage, Hocking remained in the starting lineup, taking the spot that Rachel Hill had previously held.

Hocking was acquired from the Chicago Red Stars at the end of August, and she immediately seemed like a player who would complement the duo of Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala tremendously, much like Rachel Hill has as well. On top of that, considering she was the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, her potential is sky-high. 

When Kundananji was announced as unavailable, it wasn’t a surprise to see Hocking get an opportunity in the starting lineup. Kansas City is a team she has had success against previously as well, as she scored her first career brace against the Current. She didn’t look out of place on Saturday either, in fact, she seemed to be one of Bay’s most notable players over the course of the night.

Afterward, Hocking was named player of the match for Bay FC and received nothing but praise from Montoya. “That’s exactly why we brought her in because we knew she could have performances like this. She’s an outstanding player, player of the match.” He then went on to add, “We knew it would also take time. It took a couple of weeks for her to really get integrated and get a good feeling for what we’re trying to do. Now she’s playing with freedom. What you saw today is what we’ve seen for the last week of practice.”

Hocking herself said that she felt much more comfortable over the course of the week, and it was evident on the pitch as she had her strongest performance since joining her new club. She went on to say, “I think the past couple of weeks, I’ve been pretty frustrated. I just wanted to produce for the team and really help the team. I’ve been going to games and trying my best, but I felt like I just hadn’t been clicking. This week at practice I felt really good, like I was finally clicking. To get the chance to start in today’s game, I felt really relieved and I was probably the most confident going into this game.”

We’ve only seen the beginning of what Penelope Hocking will bring to Bay FC. As a player with the potential to become a top forward in the NWSL, once she gets to the top of her game there’s no saying what she’ll be able to do.