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SANDY, Utah (Sunday, September 14, 2025)<\/strong> \u2013 Utah Royals FC (3-11-6, 15 points, 14th NWSL) defeated the Houston Dash (6-9-5, 23 points, 10th NWSL) at home in a midday Sunday matchup.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n URFC head coach Jimmy Coenraets<\/strong> has named an unchanged starting lineup from last Saturday\u2019s draw away at North Carolina. Midfielder Ana Tejada<\/strong> makes her second consecutive start, having returned to the XI last weekend against the Courage \u2014 her first start since June 21. Forward Clo\u00e9 Lacasse<\/strong> also retains her place in the lineup, making her second straight start since coming back from an ACL injury.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Utah got off to a flying start, striking in the 4th minute through an unlikely source \u2014 defender Kaleigh Riehl<\/strong>. Riehl netted just her second-ever NWSL goal, and her first as a Utah Royal, with a well-placed header at the back post. The goal came from a right-footed inswinging corner by Lacasse, which Riehl met perfectly, sending a looping header into the back of the net. The assist marked Lacasse\u2019s first in the NWSL and stood as the Royals\u2019 first headed goal of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In the 33rd minute, Utah continued to apply pressure and looked to have doubled their lead, but VAR intervened to rule out the goal for offside \u2014 denying Lacasse what would have been her first goal since returning from injury.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Utah would not be denied a second goal, this time courtesy of Paige Monaghan<\/strong>. Monaghan latched onto a long diagonal ball from Nuria R\u00e1bano<\/strong>, cut inside onto her left foot, and curled a perfect strike into the top-left corner. The goal marks Monaghan\u2019s third consecutive match with a goal, a first in her NWSL career and also registers R\u00e1bano\u2019s first assist in the NWSL.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Royals kept pressing for a third goal, and Lacasse came close in the 56th minute. She ran onto a well-weighted through ball from Mina Tanaka<\/strong> and fired a shot from inside Houston\u2019s 18-yard box, but goalkeeper Jane Campbell parried the effort away and conceded a corner to Utah.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The remainder of the second half was a back-and-forth battle, with both sides creating chances. Utah held firm to secure the win, not allowing Houston a single shot on target \u2014 the first time since 2023 the Dash have been held without one. The unbeaten run extends to five matches, along with a fourth clean sheet of the season. The result also marked the first multi-goal shutout win for the Royals since October 13, 2024, when Lacasse scored a hat trick in a 3\u20130 home victory over the Seattle Reign.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n