By: Mickinley Briggs
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Looking to bring three points home after a 4-2 defeat against the San Diego Wave, the Royals (now 12-3-7, 39 points, 2nd NWSL) entered Saturday’s matchups away against Orlando Pride (now 8-2-12, 26 points, 12th NWSL) determined to find a win before returning home. The victory was due in part to Canadian-international Cloé Lacasse, who found an early second-half equalizer as she continues to make Royals history with her goal contributions, and a goal by URFC captain Paige Cronin, who notched the game-winner, cementing the 2-1 victory over Orlando. Marking its first win of the season when trailing at halftime, the Royals were able to find three points to bring home in its 22nd match of the 2026 campaign.
Lacasse Makes History, Cronin Scores
After ending the first half down 1-0 to Orlando, the Royals came back after halftime with a vengeance. In the 50th minute, Cece Delzer transitioned up the right side of the field, passing up to Kiana Palacios. Palacios crossed over to Lacasse, who tapped the ball in, giving the Royals its first goal of the match, and equalizing the score.
The goal marks Lacasse’s seventh this season, putting her in second place behind Royals’ Golden Boot leader Mina Tanka with eight. The goal comes after Lacasse broke her own club record with her ninth assist of the season, setting up Tanaka for her second goal during the 4-2 loss to San Diego last week.
In the 69th minute, Lacasse found her 10th assist of the 2026 NWSL season when she located Cronin in the middle. Cronin received the ball from Lacasse before taking a left-footed shot, rocketing the ball into the back of the net and giving Utah a 2-1 lead.
The goal marks Cronin’s second of the 2026 season, having netted her first on April 26th when she made history by scoring in under a minute in a dominant 3-0 victory over Seattle Reign.
Lacasse’s assist to Cronin ties her for the league lead with Kansas City Current’s Croix Bethune (2024) and Portland Thorn’s Pietra Tordin (2016) Lacasse now leads the NWSL in chances created with 7 goals and 10 assists, and she made history as the first player to notch assists in 3 consecutive matches.
With Cronin’s leadership and Lacasse’s propensity for not just creating opportunities, but finishing them as well, the Royals’ are a strong threat to the teams they face off against the remainder of this season. The NWSL veteran’s presence will be critical as URFC seeks to make the playoffs for the first time in Club history.
Looking Ahead
Following today’s victory over Orlando, the Royals will return home to host Boston Legacy FC on Friday, September 4th at America First Field, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase here.
URFC Next Home Match: 9/4 @ America First Field
Utah Royals take on Boston Legacy FC at home! Secure your seats for an unforgettable match at America First Field.
