SANDY, Utah (Friday, April 14, 2017) – Real Monarchs SLC (3-0-0, 9 points, t-1 West) continue their 2017 USL season Saturday at Colorado Springs with the club seeking to maintain its perfect season under new Head Coach Mark Briggs with a 6:00 p.m. MT kickoff against the Switchbacks (1-0-2, 5 points, 6th West).
Last week saw the club win twice at its Rio Tinto Stadium home, scoring a club-high five goals in Thursday’s 5-3 win over expansion side Reno 1868 – including four first-half goals – on the heels of an April 1 win by a 2-0 scoreline over Phoenix Rising FC in the first game with new Head Coach Mark Briggs in charge.
MF Sebastian Velasquez was named to the USL “Team of the Week” for his efforts in the win over Reno, scoring the team’s second goal and setting up the first, third and fifth goals for the club on the night, ensuring that the Monarchs became the first USL club – and one of just three out of 30 league-wide – to jet out to a perfect 3-0-0 / 9-point record on the early season.
FW Chandler Hoffman assisted on MF Chase Minter’s opener, and scored one of his own against Reno, just four days after scoring the game-winner at home against Phoenix; RSL MF Omar Holness also scored in the Phoenix win to help GK Lalo Fernandez’ clean sheet stand up in Sandy.
In the club’s only previous road game this season, back on March 25, the Monarchs opened the 2017 USL campaign with a 2-1 road win at Providence Park in Portland against the Timbers, a game which saw set-piece goals by DF James Moberg in the first half and later the eventual game-winner by Captain Nick Besler, a former Portland player. Rookie GK Andrew Putna collected his first professional win on the evening.
How to Follow Real Monarchs @ Colo. Springs Switchbacks – Sat., April 15, 2017
- Coverage Begins: 6:00 p.m. MT
- Webstream: RSL.com or USLsoccer.com
- English Radio: n/a
- Spanish Radio: n/a
- Online: The @RealMonarchs Twitter feed provides updates
Game Guide for Saturday’s Monarchs @ Colo. Springs game Available Online
The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Monarchs and Colorado Springs is available by clicking this link. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive it as an attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact Trey Fitz-Gerald in the RSL Communications Department via email at tfitz@rsl.com.
Following Saturday’s contest, the Monarchs take to the road for the second leg of the back-to-back road trip at Seatte (Sat., April 22, 8:00 p.m. MT) before a return home to wrap up the month on Sat., April 29 at Rio Tinto Stadium against the Swope Park Rangers at 4:00 p.m. MT. Season Tickets for the Real Monarchs third season in 2017 are now on sale; please call 844.Real.Tix for more information.
Back on March 21, it was announced that world power Manchester United would visit Utah for the first time ever, facing RSL at Rio Tinto Stadium on Monday, July 17. RSL “Royalty” Season Ticket Members have exclusive access to this game, with the ability to secure their seats and/or extras until Tuesday, April 24. MT. Pro-rated 14-game Season Ticket packages for Real Salt Lake's 2017 campaign at Rio Tinto Stadium remain on sale; please visit www.RSL.com/tickets/royalty or call 844.Real.Tix for more information.
The Rio Tinto Stadium box office is open Mon.-Fri., 10a-6p; more information can be found online at www.RSL.com/Tickets. Current or interested RSL Royalty Season Ticket Members can purchase extra tickets at preferred pricing or gain assistance via the Fan Relations Hotline at 801-727-2702.
Coming in late Summer, 2017, Real Salt Lake's regional training center opens in Herriman, Utah, approximately 20 minutes southwest of Rio Tinto Stadium. The $60 million facility will serve as the daily training home beginning in 2018 for both of the club's professional teams – RSL (MLS) and Real Monarchs (USL) – while centralizing the club's U-18, U-16 and future U-14 development academy youth selections. The Herriman campus will provide adjacencies for an on-site charter school opening this Fall, with STEM disciplines (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) for nearly 300 boys and girls.
In mid-November in North Logan, Utah, RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen broke ground on the first of a half-dozen regional training centers across Utah and Arizona to be built in the next 2-3 years. Each $5 million RTC houses a classroom, as well as an indoor and outdoor field, dedicated to fulfilling a curriculum consistent with the club's vision and mission for youth soccer training and education, and the continued development of both recreational and competitive pre-Academy (ages 7-12) initiatives across Utah and Arizona.
