August 24, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Bay FC News Release
SANDY, Utah – Bay FC conceded a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half and were unable to mount a comeback, falling 2-1 on the road to fellow expansion side Utah Royals FC at America First Field on Friday night. Racheal Kundananji pulled a goal back late for Bay FC, tallying her third goal of the season, and Bay FC nearly found the game-tying goal in waning seconds of second-half stoppage time, but had their final shot of the match cleared off the goal line.
Bay FC generated six first-half corner kicks and had a chance to grab an early lead in the 13th minute of the match. Kundananji pounced on a loose ball off a Utah corner kick that started a Bay FC counterattack. Kundananji played Tess Boade into space as she made a run down the right side before she found herself one-on-one with Royals FC Mandy Haught, but Boade’s shot rolled just wide of the left post.
Utah found the go-ahead goal just three minutes into the second half on a long-distance strike from Paige Monaghan and then benefited from an own goal just six minutes later in the 55th minute to double their lead. Bay FC pushed late and found a goal through Kundananji in the 83rd minute to cut their deficit to one goal. With time winding down, Bay FC sent goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland into the box on the final two corner kicks of the match. Utah’s goalkeeper came off her line and left the goal open. Asisat Oshoala sent a volleyed shot toward an open goal, but Royals FC cleared the ball off the line in the 100th minute of the match.
Goal-Scoring Plays
UTAH – Paige Monaghan (Ana Tejada), 48th minute: Paige Monaghan received the ball running down the left side of the field from Ana Tejada. Monaghan fired a shot from the edge of the box into the left corner of the goal past the outstretched fingertips of Bay FC goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.
UTAH – Own goal (Emily Menges), 55th minute: Mina Tanaka played the ball across the face of the goal from a tight angle at the endline near the right side of the six-yard box. Rowland dove to deflect the ball, but it bounced off Emily Menges into the back of the net.
BAY – Racheal Kundananji (Rachel Hill), 83rd minute: Rachel Hill found space running down the right side of the field. Hill delivered a pinpoint cross to Racheal Kundananji, who came streaking into the box before directing a perfectly placed header inside the right post.
Notes:
In her first game back after the…