Tess Boade and Claudia Zornoza fight for a loose ball. (Bay FC)
A long strike from Kiki Pickett just before the halftime whistle helped Bay FC earn a point on the road in their season opener against the Utah Royals.
Bay came out strong from the start, and Taylor Huff, in her first game for the visitors, unleashed a shot from the top of the penalty box a minute in that was expertly pared away by Royal goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn.
Against the run of play, Utah struck first in the 12th minute when McGlynn launched a longball over the Bay defense that Bianca St-Georges ran onto. St-Georges calmly pushed the ball past Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz for the 1-0 lead.
Pickett responded in the 44th minute. After a scramble in the box, the ball popped out to Pickett, who stepped into a shot that bounced off the left post and into the net.
In the second half, Bay continued to exert pressure but was unable to deliver a clear shot on target. Utah had some chances towards the end of the game, but when the final whistle blew, it was a well-deserved draw for both sides.
For the game, both teams had 13 shot attempts, with the Royal narrowly outpossessing Bay.
Afterward, Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya was satisfied with the result.
“I thought we controlled the first 75 minutes of the game,” said Montoya. “Credit to Utah, they made us sweat a little bit there toward the end of the game, but we found a way. That wasn’t necessarily the case at the beginning of last season, and it’s exciting that this is our starting point now.”
Next week, Bay FC returns to the friendly confines of PayPal Park to take on Louisville FC on Saturday, March 22nd, at 7 pm.
