SANDY, Utah — Bay FC players said all the right things leading up to their season opener on Saturday about staying upbeat and confident despite an active investigation into coach Albertin Montoya.
Turns out, they were right.
Bay FC played the Utah Royals to a 1-1 tie on a chilly evening at America First Credit Union Field in Sandy, Utah. There was no questioning Bay FC’s effort, and there certainly did not appear to be any clouds lingering over the franchise after news broke last week that Montoya was being investigated for having a “toxic culture” within the franchise.
Bay FC tied the game on a rocket shot by Kiki Pickett in the 43rd minute. The shot was a follow-up effort from distance following a free kick by Taylor Huff. Pickett unleashed a screamer from about 25 yards out that got past Royals goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who had little chance of making the save.
Bay FC started the game hot but had little to show for it. The team imposed its will on Utah and had a couple of clear-cut opportunities in the early minutes, thanks in part to bad giveaways by the Royals. Bay FC owned the midfield and controlled the action. Bay FC nearly took the lead in the first couple of minutes when Huff had a fantastic chance from around 10 yards out but was stymied by a great save by McGlynn.
The early missed opportunities quickly came back to bite Bay. Utah’s Bianca St. Georges, making her team debut, slipped past Bay FC’s backline and scored in the 12th minute to give the Royals an early 1-0 lead. St. Georges’s score came off of a pass from McGlynn, and it was a perfect low finish.
St. Georges’s score completely flipped the game after Bay FC started quickly. The Royals had Bay FC’s players on their heels for much of the first half until Pickett leveled the game. Temperatures between the two teams rose between St. Georges’s and Pickett’s goals, as the game became physical. Bay FC’s Rachael Kundananji received a yellow card in the 36th minute and was in danger of being sent off a couple of minutes later after coming in with some force against Utah’s Kate Del Fava.
Utah captain defender Paige Monaghan suffered an injury in the first half, leaving a gap in the Royals’ backline defense.
Silkowitz made her first start for Bay FC. After she conceded a goal on Utah’s first chance, she had a solid game. She had a good save on a long distance shot by the Royals’ Mina Tanaka in the 59th minute to keep the score tied.
Bay FC had a decent chance in the 68th minute when Kundananji tried to slide a pass to Tess Boade from about 10 yards out, but they couldn’t connect to give Bay FC a real scoring opportunity. The Royals had the last, best scoring chance of the game on a corner kick in the 89thminute, but Bay FC was able to clear.
It was the NWSL season opener for the two second-year expansion rivals. Utah won both matchups between the two teams last season.
Only Bay FC’s players and coaches know for sure if the team will be impacted by the news that emerged last week about the team’s alleged toxic culture. While Bay didn’t earn a win over the Royals, it was a positive start to the 2025 season.