Maycee Bell barely needed 10 minutes on the pitch.
She’s made her first mark on the NWSL.
On a team full of veterans, it was the rookie who came up big in the clutch.
Bell came off the bench to score a late, 99th-minute winner as Gotham beat the Wave, 2-1, Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena.
The Gotham (8-3-2, 27 points) are now unbeaten in their past nine games and extended their winning streak to five games.
They moved up to third in the table, behind the Current and Pride, who both have 29 points.
They had been on the upper hand most of the second half, and Bell, Gotham’s first-round pick this year, collected a cross from Jenna Nighswonger inside the box before firing past Kailen Sheridan.
She had subbed in for Bruninha in the 84th minute and delivered the goal just 13 minutes later.
Katie Stengel won possession back for Gotham in the fourth minute of first half stoppage time and Rose Lavelle quickly scooped the ball up before driving at the Wave’s defense.
Lavelle was allowed to take five touches without any Wave defender stepping up to challenge her.
So when she found herself alone in the Wave’s half, it almost seemed inevitable that she’d punish her opponent as she thumped a left-footed screamer from outside the box into the top corner past Sheridan.
The goal marked Lavelle’s third this year, and second in her last three games.
Mya Jones equalized for the Wave just minutes into the second half after collecting the errant pass from goalie Ann-Katrin Berger and then firing to the near post.
Berger wasn’t under much pressure, but her one-touch pass went right to Jones in a moment the goalie would like to have back.
United States Women’s National Team legend Alex Morgan subbed on for the Wave at halftime and played the second half but was quiet.