- Kaleigh Kurtz - 76'
North Carolina Courage outlast Utah Royals 1-0
Kaleigh Kurtz opens scoring for North Carolina Courage
Kaleigh Kurtz tucks home from close range to put the North Carolina Courage up 1-0 vs. the Utah Royals.
In a match that saw both teams struggle to find clear scoring opportunities, Kaleigh Kurtz scored the decisive goal in the second half as the North Carolina Courage beat the Utah Royals 1-0 on Friday at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Kurtz's right-footed shot from close range came in the 76th minute as assisted by Brianna Pinto, who delivered a precise pass into the box.
"It was a great team effort," Kurtz said after the game. "Brianna set me up perfectly, and I just had to finish it."
The Royals struggled offensively throughout much of the match despite some promising efforts from Ally Sentnor and Hannah Betfort, who each managed shots on target but failed to convert them into goals.
Meanwhile, North Carolina's Haley Hopkins missed six shot attempts and had two more blocked.
ESPN Generative AI Services creates recaps from event data and/or transcripts that are reviewed by human editors before posting; email support@espncustomercare.com for corrections.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Alex Billeter
NWSL Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Current | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | +13 | 21 |
| San Diego Wave FC | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | +6 | 17 |
| Orlando Pride | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | +8 | 16 |
| Portland Thorns FC | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | +5 | 16 |
| Washington Spirit | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | +1 | 16 |
| Seattle Reign FC | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 14 |
| Angel City FC | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 14 |
| Gotham FC | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | +2 | 12 |
| North Carolina Courage | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 12 |
| Bay FC | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 11 |
| Racing Louisville FC | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | -5 | 11 |
| Houston Dash | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | -6 | 10 |
| Utah Royals | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -9 | 5 |
| Chicago Stars FC | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -14 | 4 |
NWSL News