Sentnor shines in last Royals tune-up earlier than season opener

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SANDY — The Utah Royals lastly received to put on their new jerseys and play of their dwelling stadium Friday in a scrimmage towards BYU.

The closed scrimmage served as the ultimate preseason prep match because the group opens the NWSL season every week from Saturday towards the Chicago Pink Stars on March 16 at America First Area.

It took a short time for the enlargement aspect to heat up because the temperature dipped under 40 levels within the first half, however a purpose simply earlier than the break opened issues up and allowed the Royals to drag away for an encouraging however far-from-perfect 3-0 win over the collegiate powerhouse from Provo.

The largest difference-maker for the professional aspect may need been the participant closest in age to the Cougars in 2024 first-overall draft decide Ally Sentnor.

Sentnor took benefit of the brand new NWSL draft guidelines and left the College of North Carolina after only one yr. She turned 20 on Feb. 18, and head coach Amy Rodriguez mentioned, “We have solely seen a really small sliver of Ally Sentnor and her capabilities.”

That sliver was large on Friday, because the U.S. youth nationwide group member performed as if the ball was tied to her toes with a string and launched greater than a handful of promising pictures towards purpose, one among which curled in and gave RSL its third-and-final purpose late within the second half.

“I am so grateful she was accessible within the draft and we received her at No. 1,” Rodriguez mentioned. “She is No. 1 for a purpose. She’s a particular participant. You noticed that tonight and he or she’s hopefully gonna rating us lots of objectives this yr.”

The opposite two objectives for the Royals had been scored by five-year NWSL veteran Paige Monaghan, who began on the other wing from Sentnor and mixed with ahead Hannah Betfort on a number of events in entrance of purpose.

The protection held robust to get the clear sheet with draft decide Cristina Roque and Utah alum Carly Nelson splitting the match at goalkeeper. Seemingly starter Mandy Haught is suspended for the season opener attributable to a purple card she acquired with Gotham FC within the 2023 NWSL Championship match, which Gotham received.

“They had been sitting fairly low, so simply ensuring we keep sharp within the moments the place they’re breaking,” defender and former Royal Kate Del Fava mentioned of what went into the clear sheet. “A number of communication (and) good defensive rules.”

Despite the fact that the Royals existed beforehand in Utah, the group was constructed from scratch as an NWSL enlargement franchise, that means the final two months of the preseason had been essential in bringing collectively 24 new gamers beneath first-time head coach Rodriguez.

“I believe simply our largest high quality proper now’s relentlessness, grit and work ethic,” Sentnor mentioned of how the group is gelling. “Every single day one thing new comes (into our recreation) and I hope that we are able to actually showcase our possession fashion of soccer to the NWSL, but additionally simply the work that we put in defensively.”

The season kicks off on Saturday, March 16 at 5:30 p.m. MST at America First Area towards Chicago.

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