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SANDY — The Utah Royals failed to score in last week's season opener, but they didn't take long to find the back of the net in the second match of their 2024 revival.
Captain Paige Monaghan sent in a perfect corner kick to the box in the 15th minute, and Kate Del Fava got on the end of it to head home the first goal for the Royals.
Rookie Ally Sentnor got her first NWSL goal in the 30th minute almost immediately after the North Carolina Courage equalized, and Utah held on for a 2-1 win Friday at America First Field to win its first match of 2024.
"So proud of the girls," head coach Amy Rodriguez said. "They battled through all those waves, and they went through it; and very excited to have two phenomenal goals on the night, as well."
Ally Sentnor sure made a statement with her first pro goal 😏 pic.twitter.com/qQ9DI5AKWO
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) March 23, 2024
Ashley Sanchez scored the North Carolina goal on an impressive acrobatic volley, but Sentnor — not to be outdone — one-upped it with a distance strike from the edge of the box with her lofty left foot the Royals drafted her first overall for.
"All my teammates were so incredible, and they knew it was coming from a couple of shots in practices. They were just so happy for me and celebrating with me," Sentnor said. "I think just to put us up in the game was such a great feeling, so I'm just so proud of us and ready to score some more goals hopefully."
The result hung in the balance early in the first half when the Courage were awarded back-to-back penalties in the 56th and 58th minutes, but goalkeeper Mandy Haught saved both to maintain the Royals' lead.
MANDY HAUGHT MY GOODNESS
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) March 23, 2024
Saves the second PK and keeps @UtahRoyalsFC in the lead 2-1 as we hit the 60th minute pic.twitter.com/PGeT3u1BTb
"We were able to force the miss on the first one and then Mandy came up huge for us," Del Fava said. "We had all the faith in the world that she would, and I think we just used that to kind of push us through the next couple of minutes."
Utah didn't get out with its first win unscathed, however, as starting right back Imani Dorsey left the match with a ruptured Achilles tendon at the end of the first half.
The Royals hit the road for the first time in 2024 when they travel to Washington D.C. next to take on the Spirit on March 31 at 11 a.m. MDT on KMYU and NWSL+.
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