SANDY, Utah – Real Monarchs SLC can clinch the USL Regular Season Championship on Saturday night if it manages at least a draw when the Western Conference-leaders play host to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.
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Real Monarchs SLC news and notes
Current record: 19-5-6, 63pts
The Monarchs claimed a massive 3-0 win against second-place Reno 1868 FC last Saturday night at Greater Nevada Field to edge to within one point of the USL Regular Season Champinoship.
All three goals came in the second half with Chandler Hoffman, Juan Mare, and Daniel Haber scoring the goals, while Mare and Haber also recorded assists in the victory as the Monarchs pulled away late on.
Goalkeeper Andrew Putna was named to the USL Team of the Week on Tuesday as he recorded a pair of shutouts in the week, and notched a pair of penalty kick saves in the process.
Hoffman and Mare have each scored two goals in their last two games, with Hoffman now sitting two behind Reno 1868 FC's Dane Kelly for the lead in the race for the USL Golden Boot with 16 goals and two games left to play.
The Monarchs' back-to-back wins in Week 28 moved the side eight points clear of the pack in the Western Conference, emphatically ending a four-game winless streak that had come prior.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 news and notes
Current record: 5-17-8, 23pts
WFC2 fell to a 1-0 loss to Cascadia rivals the Portland Timbers 2 last Saturday afternoon at Macleod Athletic Park.
T2 took victory with a goal in the 67th minute by Victor Arboleda as Vancouver suffered its third consecutive defeat.
Vancouver will be without both Deklan Wynne and Myer Bevan in Saturday's contest after the duo was named in New Zealand's squad to face Japan on Friday morning in an international exhibition.
WFC2 is one of six teams averaging fewer than a goal-per-game in the USL this season, with 28 goals in 30 games going into Saturday night's contest.
Series Notes
Squads
Real Monarchs – GK: Connor Sparrow, Andrew Putna, David Ochoa; D: Reagan Dunk, Justin Schmidt, Demar Phillips, Chris Schuler, James Moberg, Kyle Curinga, Max Lachowecki, Emilio Orozco, Taylor Peay, Riggs Lennon; M: Sebastian Saucedo, Jose Hernandez, Charlie Adams, Diego Calvo, Nick Besler, Sebastian Velasquez, Karsten Hanlin; F: Andrew Brody, Daniel Haber, Chase Minter, Chandler Hoffman, Juan Mare, Skyler Milne, Danny Cruz
Vancouver – GK: Spencer Richey, Sean Melvin, Mark Village; D: Cole Seiler, Francis DeVries, Dominick Zator, Andy Thoma, Brett Levis, Danny Barbir, Chris Serban, Deklan Wynne, Kadin Chung; M: Nazeem Bartman, Marco Bustos, David Norman Jr., Patrick Metcalfe, William Seymore, Terran Campbell, Thomas Gardner, Matthew Baldisimo, Michael Baldisimo, Noah Verhoeven; F: Myer Bevan, Thomas Sanner, Gloire Amanda, Theo Bair
Discipline
Real Monarchs – Accumulation warning: Kyle Curinga, Michael Gallagher, Sebastian Velasquez
Vancouver – None
Officials
REF: JOSHUA MILLS
AR1: Allen Pickett
AR2: Daniel Spicer-Escalante
4TH: Kali Smith
Game hashtag:
Twitter social handles
Real Monarchs SLC – @RealMonarchs
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 – @WFC2
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