FW Christen Press Scores First Goal for Club in Seventh Minute;
FW Katie Stengel Registers Utah’s First Brace in Team History,
Ascends to Team “Golden Boot” Lead;
URFC Returns to Providence Park to Play Portland Thorns FC on Friday, July 6
SANDY, UT (Saturday, June 30, 2018) – Utah Royals FC (5-3-6, 21 points) finished with three points after beating Sky Blue FC 3-1 at home, with FWs Christen Press and Katie Stengelbagging the first-half goals and setting a new club record for goals in a match. The Utah side dominated the run of play, leading in possession, shots, and passing throughout the game, which improves the Utah side to 3-1-3 on the year at Rio Tinto Stadium, where four of the club’s next seven matches will be played.
Utah opened up the match early, with FW Christen Press getting a close chance in the first minute that didn’t find frame. Her efforts were rewarded though, after she met a slightly-deflected seeing-eye cross from teammate Katrina Gorry on the far post – and slotting away her first goal for the new club. Riding her goal-scoring high, Press then passed a ball through the Jersey seam moments later to FW Katie Stengel, who took a one-touch chip into the back of the net to put the team up 2-0 in the 25th minute.
Yet that wasn’t the end of the action for Stengel – who registered a headed goal in the box in the 29th minute off of a scintillating set piece from Gorry. Celebrating the club’s first historic brace, Stengel took her rightful place on the throne as the top scorer for the team (three goals on the season thus far).
The second-half followed a similar pattern, with Utah dominating in almost all of the statistical categories. Sky Blue ended the game with two shots on goal – one which found the side-netting after MF Carli Lloyd chipped it over GK Abby Smith in the 62nd minute. A defensive style of soccer characterized the remaining half-hour for both teams, ending in the 3-1 score line.
UP NEXT: URFC hits the road once more as they head to Portland to take on the Thorns at Providence Park on Friday, July 6. Kickoff is set for 9:00 p.m. MT and will serve as the final match-up in the regular season between the Utah and Portland side.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
UTA: FW Christen Press, 7’ – Katrina Gorry sent in a long cross into the box to the feet of a streaking Gunny Jonsdottir, who mistakenly over-stepped her shot. This resulted in the ball sliding underneath Jonsdottir and across the frame to the waiting feet of Press, who took a touch and slotted the ball into the near post.
UTA: FW Katie Stengel, 25’ – Christen Press split the Jersey defense by playing a long ball into the box to a running Katie Stengel, who took a one-time shot to the far post past GK Kailen Sheridan.
UTA: FW Katie Stengel, 29’ – A long free-kick from Katrina Gorry connected with the head of Stengel on the dot, who redirected it beneath the cross bar.
NJ: Carli Lloyd, 62’ – Deflecting off of an Abby Smith save, Lloyd capitalized on the bouncing ball in the box, placing a one-time chip over Smith to the far-post.
KEY SAVES AND DEFENSIVE STOPS
NJ:GK Kailen Sheridan, 36’ – DF Katie Bowen hit a right-footed rocket outside of the box that sailed to the frame before Sheridan could make the save.
UT: GK Abby Smith, 62’ – Abby Smith pounced on a low-dive to the corner after Shea Groom hit a left-footed shot from outside of the box.
NJ: GK Kailen Sheridan, 74’ – After receiving a pass from Katie Stengel outside of the box, Erika Tymrak hit a low-shot towards the right corner before it was caught by Sheridan.
NOTES
- URFC has two players that have played every single minute this season. Included are MFs Desiree Scott and Gunny Jonsdottir. DF Rachel Corsie has also appeared in every single match.
- Christen Press scored her first goal for URFC, and also took home the first left-footed goal in club history
- Sam Johnson made her first start and Utah debut, playing the full 90 minutes
- Katie Stengel registered the first brace in club history, and now leads the team in goals (3)
- Sky Blue now holds the NWSL record for most consecutive games without a win (13)
Match: Utah Royals FC vs Sky Blue FC
Date: June 30, 2018
Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 8,394
Weather: Clear, 75 degrees F
Scoring Summary:1 2 F
Utah Royals FC 3 0 3
Sky Blue FC 0 1 1
UTA: Press, 7’
UTA: Stengel, 25’
UTA: Stengel, 29’
NJ: Lloyd, 62’
Lineups:
Utah Royals FC (4-3-3): Abby Smith, Katie Bowen, Sam Johnson, Becky Sauerbrunn, Becca Moros (Elise Thorsnes, 56’), Desiree Scott, Gunny Jonsdottir, Katrina Gorry (Rachel Corsie, 72’)Erika Tymrak, Katie Stengel (Sydney Miramontez, 83’), Christen Press
Substitutes not used: Nicole Barnhart, Lo’eau LaBonta, Diana Matheson, Amy Rodriguez
Sky Blue FC (4-4-2): Kailen Sheridan, Amanda Frisbie (Savannah McCaskill, 45’), Dominique Richardson, Mandy Freeman, Erica Skroski, Sarah Killion, Imani Dorsey (Micheala Abam, 72’),Madison Tiernan, Carli Lloyd, Janine Beckie, Shea Groom (Thaisa, 87’)
Subs not used: Caroline Casey, Christina Gibbons, McKenzie Meehan, Raquel Rodriguez
Stats Summary: UTA / NJ
Shots: 11 / 6
Shots on Goal: 5 / 2
Saves: 1 / 2
Corner Kicks: 4 / 2
Fouls: 6 / 14
Offside: 3 / 4
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
NJ: Mandy Freeman, 89’ (caution)
UTA: Erika Tymrak, 91’ (caution)
UTA: Gunny Jonsdottir, 93’ (caution)
OFFICIALS
Center: Karen Abt
First Assistant: Adrienne McDonald
Second Official: Amilcar Sicaju
Fourth: Scott Kachmarik
