SANDY — The Utah Royals might have to trick their players into thinking spring is fall to improve upon two consecutive years of lackluster starts to the season, only to turn it on in the second half.
Utah has won two of its last three games after earning one win in its first 17 games and is unbeaten in the last five games dating back to Aug. 15. A similar stretch happened last season, when the Royals rattled off three wins in a row and were unbeaten in four near the end of September into October.
Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Houston Dash was the team’s “most complete” game of the season, according to defender and goalscorer Kaleigh Riehl. Head coach Jimmy Coenraets, admittedly deeply self-critical, settled for the “most complete first half” of the season.
Riehl scored her first goal in a Utah uniform in the fourth minute on a header off a corner kick and captain Paige Monaghan doubled the lead in the 45th minute with her third goal in three games, and likely the best of the three.
A Kaleigh Riehl header and rocket from Captain Paige Monaghan secure the Utah Royals three points at home against the Houston Dash!
Utah Royals vs. Houston Dash match recap presented by @nationwidepic.twitter.com/A6pbsAkvrN
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 15, 2025
“Each week we have a different theme going into training and something different that we’re working on, and I felt like this game showed every single week that’s led up to it,” Riehl said. “We know that if we get a shutout, we’ll at least get a point. Then we’ve been working on the attacking third the past few weeks, and to see more goals is always great.”
While the Royals didn’t score another goal in the second half, they also didn’t allow Houston to get a single shot on target, meaning goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn finished the match with zero saves for the first time all season.
The 2-0 result was the third shutout during the five-game unbeaten streak after Utah had just one clean sheet in the 14 games before that. The back line of Riehl, Nuria Rabano, Kate Del Fava and Janni Thomsen has solidified after injuries and increased rotation during the first part of the season.
“It’s almost like it feels uncomfortable being in the lead,” Coenraets said. “Normally, we come out into the second half and we’re like, ‘OK, how can we push to win the game?’ And now you’re going to halftime up two-nil, you’re showing them what they’ve been doing well. Can we keep track of what we’ve been doing well, and can we explore that more?”
Riehl became the third Utah player to score their first goal of the season during the current unbeaten streak, joining Monaghan and 16-year-old KK Ream. In fact, it was Riehl’s first NWSL goal since 2022, which Monaghan said gave the Royals “momentum” early in the team’s first game at America First Field since Aug. 15.
Utah stays at home for its next game, welcoming Racing Louisville to Sandy on Friday at 8 p.m. MDT.
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