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SANDY — Change was in the air at America First Field from the opening minutes on Saturday.
Utah Royals starting forward Hannah Betfort had two shots on goal in the first four minutes and scored her first goal of the season on the second with a quick flick off a cross from captain Paige Monaghan.
"I blacked out; it was awesome," Betfort said of her goal. "It was an unbelievable feeling. I mean, we all know there's a lot of meters in between that goal and the last one I scored, so I'm grateful."
Spotted: A flick of that @hcbetfort flair ✨ pic.twitter.com/Fpm82deL0t
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) July 28, 2024
It was a sign of things to come, as Ally Sentnor scored less than 20 minutes later, and Sandy-native Michele Vasconcelos scored in the 76th minute to give Utah three goals in a game for the first time this season.
The Portland Thorns got one back in the 66th minute on the foot of Utah-born Olivia Moultrie, but the Royals were able to hang on for their first win in Summer Cup group play and also get interim head coach Jimmy Coenraets his first win at the helm.
"Where we are at the moment, it's more about attitude, and just making sure that the attitude gets us as long as possible into the game," Coenraets said. "I think that's what they showed (tonight)."
The team is tied in Group A with Portland and Seattle with 3 points each, with the final match of group play on Wednesday against Liga MX Femenil club Tijuana at AFF at 8 p.m. MDT.
