Utah picked up its first road points of the 2025 NWSL season in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Audi Field against the 2024 NWSL Finalists, the Washington Spirit. In a chaotic, back-and-forth contest, the Royals battled back from a 2-1 deficit—marking the first time since rejoining the league in 2024 that Utah has managed to avoid defeat after trailing in a match.
This match marked the first time Utah Royals FC have gone into halftime with the lead during the 2025 NWSL season. It also made history as the first time the Club—across both its original and current iterations—has scored three goals in the first half of an away match
In this edition of Player Spotlight, we take a look at Utah’s first point on the road, powered by standout performances from goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn and forwards Brecken Mozingo and Cece Kizer.
McGlynn Masterclass
McGlynn has shown all season long why she’s in contention to be the USWNT’s No. 1 — arguably the most prestigious position for a goalkeeper in women’s soccer. She’s been an anchor in the back for a Utah side still looking to find its stride. Her crucial role in the build-out and her elite shot-stopping ability are what caught USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes’ attention — and both were on full display Saturday night.
McGlynn faced 11 shots on target, making seven saves to keep URFC in the game. The most crucial came in the 90th minute when Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch stepped up to take a penalty kick, with Utah still holding a 3-2 lead. McGlynn guessed correctly, diving to her right and becoming the first goalkeeper since Adrianna Franch in October 2022 to stop a potentially result-altering penalty in the 90th minute or later of a regular season NWSL match. Hatch had converted 11 consecutive penalty kicks prior to being denied by Utah’s standout shot-stopper in a masterclass performance.
Hometown Hero
Sandy, Utah native Mozingo has finally netted her first NWSL regular season goal, having previously only scored in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Mozingo opened the scoring in the 9th minute, capping off a beautiful team sequence from the Royals. Ana Tejeda received the ball from a throw-in, skillfully evaded pressure from Croix Bethune, and found Kizer near the center of the pitch with a perfectly weighted pass. Kizer then split the defense with a through ball to a streaking Janni Thomsen, who went 1v1 with her defender and fired a low-driven shot that Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury parried away. Mozingo, continuing her run into the box, was in the right place at the right time—the rebound fell to her near the penalty spot, and she calmly slotted the ball through the Washington defense and into the net. After a long stretch of close calls and unlucky chances dating back to last season, the hometown hero finally found the back of the net in regular-season play—a breakthrough moment well-earned.
Mozingo was not done yet. Continuing her encouraging run of form over the last few games, she once again played a key role in Utah’s second goal, which brought the match level at 2–2 after trailing 2–1. Another sequence of beautiful teamwork from the Royals helped them claw back. Tejada quickly restarted play with a free kick just behind midfield, finding Ally Sentnor, who drove forward before cutting back and finding Claudia Zornoza in the center of the pitch. Zornoza then picked out a streaking Thomsen on the right flank. Thomsen dribbled toward the endline and whipped in a cross to the penalty spot, where Mozingo met it with a first-time shot—eerily similar to her earlier goal. This time, the shot was blocked, but the rebound fell kindly to a composed Kizer, who calmly slotted it into the right side of the net.
Familiar Feeling
Kizer, a recent addition to the Utah Royals, delivered her first goal for the Club and played a key role in forcing an own goal—all in just 54 minutes before being subbed out due to injury. Kizer has now scored four regular-season goals against the Washington Spirit, matching the most she’s scored against any single opponent (also four vs. Orlando). She is the leading scorer in NWSL regular-season play on a youthful Royals roster, tallying 20 career goals.
Starting on the right wing, Kizer frequently tucked inside to form a double 10 partnership with Sentnor. Operating in the pocket allowed her to receive a pass from Tejada in the middle of the pitch, turn, and play an exquisite ball in behind the Washington backline. The pass found a streaking Thomsen, who got a shot off, and the rebound fell to Mozingo—who slotted it home to give Utah the lead.
Just thirteen minutes later, Kizer got on the scoresheet for the first time in Utah colors. Once again, Thomsen was found on the right wing and cut back a cross into the box. Though Kizer just missed the initial ball, it fell to Mozingo at the penalty spot, whose blocked shot landed kindly at Kizer’s feet. She calmly picked out the right side of the net, bringing the Royals back on level terms.
Like her teammate Mozingo, Kizer wasn’t done contributing after finding the back of the net. With the game tied 2–2 in the 36th minute, Sentnor received the ball out wide on the left and combined with left back Nuria Rábano, who delivered a left-footed cross to the back post. Kizer met it with a well-placed header on target, forcing Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury into a save. However, Kingsbury’s touch deflected the ball off her own defender, Rebeca Bernal, and into the net—resulting in an own goal and a 3–2 lead for the Royals. It marked a historic moment, as it was the first time Utah has ever scored three goals in the first half of a match.
