Utah Royals open season with chippy 1-1 draw against Bay FC

SANDY — "I don't mind the cold."

Those are usually famous last words, but in Saturday's case, they were the famous first words of new Utah Royals FC winger Bianca St-Georges after scoring her first goal in Sandy.

Montreal native St-Georges was on the receiving end of a long ball from goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn as temperatures dipped below 40 degrees early in Utah's 1-1 draw with Bay FC Saturday at America First Field.

She collected the ball and calmly hit the outside of her foot and around the keeper for the Royals' opening goal of the 2025 NWSL campaign in the 12th minute.

"I don't mind the cold because the moment you let the cold bother you, you're already at a weakness — you have to embrace it," St-Georges said. "Give me any type of weather, I'm going to show up."

And show up she did, starting and scoring in the home opener just nine days after signing with Utah as a free agent following stints with Chicago and North Carolina.

It was the only goal of the night for the Royals, however, as just four of its total shots made it on frame and Bay FC found an equalizer in the 44th minute from Kiki Pickett.

Utah's defense was able to shut out Bay FC in the second half despite losing Paige Monaghan — playing at outside back due to injuries — to injury and newcomer Janni Thomsen subbing in just days after arriving in the U.S. from her native Denmark.

"I think in the second half it was better from us physically," defender Kate Del Fava said. "They were just trying to get us off our game, I guess. And you know, that's the type of game it was."

Did someone say physicality? This match had plenty of it.

What began last year as a rivalry between the two newest expansion teams carried over to the new season as six yellow cards were handed out and several players spent extended time on the ground after intense clashes on both sides of the field.

Monaghan was the lone player forced to come off due to injury, but head coach Jimmy Coenraets sounded optimistic after the match that the foot tweak wasn't "too bad" for the Utah captain.

And more good injury news could be on the way for the Royals as outside back Imani Dorsey looks to make her season debut next week after missing almost a year with an Achilles tear.

"We're still working towards that starting 11 and having everyone there," Coenraets said. "I'm never gonna use excuses, but it's been one week that we've been training with this whole group."

Coenraets and the Royals incorporated two new starting-caliber players in the last week alone with St-Georges and Thomsen and all involved believe the best has yet to come for this squad.

The next opportunity comes on the road at the San Diego Wave on Saturday, March 22 at 8 p.m. MDT.

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