Ally Sentnor keeps scoring as Utah Royals finish preseason with 1-0 win in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — Does positive play carry over from the national team to the club game?

For Utah Royals stars Ally Sentnor and Mina Tanaka, the answer so far is a resounding, "yes."

Sentnor and Tanaka were two of the four MVP finalists at last month's SheBelieves Cup and connected for Utah's lone goal in a 1-0 win on the road at the Portland Thorns on Friday in the team's final preseason tune-up.

Tanaka received the ball at the edge of the box and found Sentnor open cutting toward the goal. The second-year player from the University of North Carolina dribbled past a defender and fired off one of her patented power shots into the corner of the net for the game-winner just 20 minutes in.

Sentnor scored her first two goals at the senior national team level last month and didn't skip a beat transitioning back to the club level. Tanaka continues the all-around playmaking she showed as the SheBelieves Cup MVP with four goals and three assists in just three games for Japan.

"Everyone from the build-up to the final third to finishing the goal, I thought was huge," captain Paige Monaghan said after the win in Portland. "We want to be a team that, no matter who's on the field, we're going to be winning. We're going to be aggressive, we're going to be attacking and getting it done."

Utah incorporated one of two new signings this week into Friday's preseason finale with winger Bianca St-Georges starting for the Royals after making 21 appearances for the North Carolina Courage last season.

The other addition was Danish defender Janni Thomsen, who was announced by the club Friday morning but has not yet joined the team. Thomsen has 43 appearances for the Danish women's national team at just 25 years old.

Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn earned the shutout in goal in her return to the lineup after also being away on national team duty with the U.S.

"The efforts that the girls made during preseason led us to being able to manage this game until the 95th minute," head coach Jimmy Coenraets said of the win. "That was the most important part of this game, showing that we are ready for the season to begin."

Good thing, too, because the season starts in seven days.

The Royals open the 2025 NWSL season on Saturday, March 15 against Bay FC at America First Field at 5:30 p.m. MDT.

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