April 18, 2025, was a special day for the URFC fanbase. In the morning hours of Friday, both Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC announced the beginning of a new era in Sandy with the Miller family acquiring majority ownership in the clubs. The news may have come as a shock to some fans but it’s undeniable that it was met with much excitement including from the NWSL commissioner, Jessica Berman who was present when the official announcement was made.
The Royals had the important task of ushering in this new age in the club’s history with a home game against the Chicago Stars. What started out as a busy day, ended exceptionally as the Blue-and-Gold hosted the Stars to a late, stoppage-time winner to secure the Royals’ first win of the 2025 NWSL season. The game was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster for the Royals faithful who had the privilege of celebrating an Ally Sentnor game-winner.
In this edition of Player Spotlight we’ll take a look at URFC’s first win of the year through the lens of Ally Sentnor’s superstar performance.
Sentnor’s Pivotal Penalty Secures the Points
The 21-year-old started as lively as ever in the first minutes of the game against Chicago, leading the attack in search of the first goal of the night. The Royals dominated possession throughout the 90’ with 62% to the Stars’ 38% and it was evident that the team brought about a more confident demeanor than previously seen throughout the start of the NWSL season, working the ball patiently around the field, looking for the open spaces before delivering a purposeful ball into the attack.
Sentnor was an outspoken voice on the pitch for the home side throughout the match. She was also in charge of executing the corner kicks on the left side of the field as she could send in an in-swinging cross to her teammates in the box with her dominant right foot. In her very first corner attempt of the night, she sent in a curling ball that troubled the Chicago goalkeeper who had difficulties tracking it but forced it to hit the left goal post. The forward very nearly opened the scoresheet with an olimpico and although it hadn’t gone in, it didn’t stop her further attempts to curl one in.
Her vibrant performance was reflected in her attempts to create an opportunity in the visitors half as she led the team in touches in the attacking third with 26, carries in the final third with two, and delivered seven crosses. She completed 70% of her passes, connecting on 19 of 27 attempts during the match. Additionally, she drew three fouls, further demonstrating her overall involvement on the field, according to FBref.com.
The affair seemed to have reached a deadlock in the latter minutes of the night. The Royals’ constant attacks during the majority of the game began to slowly dissipate around the 70th minute giving their rivals an opportunity to go on the counter. However, this didn’t last long as previously mentioned, the change in demeanor seen in this team was on full display from the 85th minute until the very end. Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets’ squad shifted into seventh gear and found a second wind that they exploited well into the nine added minutes given from the fourth match official. At the sixth minute into stoppage time, Madison Pogarch sent in a pass from the left side of the pitch to Dana Foederer in the box who got to the ball first and was fouled. The play stopped for a VAR check which ultimately went Utah’s way, earning Ally Sentnor the opportunity to keep the three points in Utah.
A difficult situation for anyone to be in, especially in just your second year as a professional in the NWSL but Sentnor was more than prepared as she received the overwhelming support of not only her teammates but of the entire home crowd. She was prepared to take on the responsibility that many wouldn’t dare to face, regardless of the outcome. The pressure was on but it was practically inconceivable as Sentnor blasted a low, right-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net to secure her first goal of the season and the first win for the Royals and Coenraets in 2025.
The celebrations from the crowd demonstrated the sense of relief that was felt around the stadium with the team finally being able to get over the hump and notching their first victory in the NWSL season. Ally proved that she is capable of taking on responsibility in tough moments like these in order to elevate her game and to bring success to the club.
So, April 18, 2025, a date that will long be remembered in the hearts of the URFC fan base as the day that marked the inception of a new period, with Ally Sentnor leading the way in what aims to be a promising season.
