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. 

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