LOS ANGELES — The San Diego Wave broke a two-game losing streak Saturday night by rediscovering their offensive touch against one of the National Women’s Soccer League’s better defensive squads.

Mimi Van Zanten scored her first goal as a professional in the 81st minute to give the Wave a 2-1 victory against Angel City FC in front of 17,169 at BMO Stadium.

Dudinha added her third goal of the season before recording her fourth assist on Van Zanten’s goal. Kimmi Ascanio contributed her third assist of the year.

Laurina Fazer, who replaced Ascanio in the 79th minute, began the sequence that led to the winning goal. Fazer passed to Lia Godfrey, who sent the ball to Dudinha, who sent a cross from the left flank to Van Zanten. The Jamaican international finished the play with a 4-yard header between goalkeeper Angelina Anderson and the far post.

“I saw Dudinha 1-on-1 with the outside back, and I made eye contact with her,” Van Zanten said. “I knew that she was going to look for a cross in behind, so I started my run and she played a beautiful, perfect ball. All I had to do was just be there and put it in the back of the net.”

For interim coach Becki Tweed, Van Zanten’s goal represented the latest step in the young defender’s development.

“I’m super happy that she scored the goal tonight. I think that was the next piece for her,” said Tweed, who guided the Wave after Jonas Eidevall sat, the result of receiving a red card last weekend against Bay FC. “But I think the most exciting part is that her ceiling is really high. She has so much room to grow. She knows that, and she’s willing to embrace that. She’s a new pro playing like an older pro with lots of room to grow.”

Dudinha broke a scoreless tie in the 49th minute. Ascanio on the left flank passed ahead to the Brazilian forward, who used her agility to beat defenders Ary Borges and Emily Sams before striking a 15-yard shot that appeared to ricochet off defender Sarah Gorden. That goal was only the eighth Angel City allowed this year.

Angel City tied the score in the 54th minute. Evelyn Shore’s pass from the right flank deflected off Dudinha to Gorden about 30 yards from the goal. Gorden sent a bouncing ball that Sams deflected from three yards between goalkeeper DiDi Haračić and the left post.

Haračić kept the match scoreless in the 38th minute. Wave defender Kennedy Wesley tried a slide tackle to take the ball away from Taylor Suarez on a breakaway but deflected the ball into Suarez’s path. Suarez then took a 13-yard shot that Haricic deflected with her right hand.

The Wave will return home Friday to host the Washington Spirit at Snapdragon Stadium. The match starts at 7 p.m. The club will then travel to play the Houston Dash, host the Orlando Pride and travel to the Chicago Stars before breaking until July.

— JOSEPH D’HIPPOLITO