Real Monarchs SLC FW Chandler Hoffman has earned himself a spot in the USL MVP race after helping lead the Monarchs to the first trophy in its history in the form of the USL Regular Season Championship Shield win last Saturday. Hoffman, 27, has earned career high numbers in 2017, scoring 16 goals while providing seven assists. Hoffman has also cemented himself in the USL Golden Boot Race currently being tied for second-place with Charlotte Independence striker and former RSL man Enzo Martinez and two goals behind Reno’s Dane Kelly, the current Golden Boot leader.
Here is what the league had to say about Hoffman’s inclusion in the MVP race:
“Hoffman’s pedigree in the USL made him a prime candidate to lead the Monarchs in their new approach this season, and his signing has paid off with career-high numbers in both goals and assists for the USL Regular Season champion. Hoffman has been firmly in the hunt for the USL Golden Boot race with 16 goals going into the final game of the regular season and is close to becoming the third player in USL history with 50 career regular-season goals.
What’s been a major change for this year, though, is Hoffman’s creativity, which has seen him also sit second on the team in assists with seven, one back of Charlie Adams. As a result, Hoffman enters the final weekend of the season as the only player in the league to sit in the Top 10 in both goals and assists in the USL. Leading the Monarchs’ outstanding regular-season success, the 2014 All-League selection is a prime candidate to take home the award.”
Hoffman is joined in the MVP-Race with Juan Pablo Caffa (Tulsa Roughnecks FC), Dane Kelly (Reno 1868 FC), Enzo Martinez (Charlotte Independence) and Marcel Schafer (Tampa Bay Rowdies).
The Monarchs will play its final regular season match of the year on Saturday when it plays host to Los Angeles Galaxy II with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. MT. Hoffman and the Monarchs will begin the club’s first ever playoff run on Oct. 20 with an opponent still to be determined. Tickets to both matches are available at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office and www.RSL.com/monarchs/schedule.
