Bay FC begins second season on positive note with tie against Utah Royals
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.
“This is a group that believes in each other — the staff and the players and it’s been like that all through the preseason,” Montoya said. “They understand each other. We’re working for each other. We’re a team. This preseason has been all for one. … That’s the kind of culture we have right now and it’s only going to get better.”
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.
“It (the ball) just laid right in front of me, and I smacked it with my left foot as hard as I can and it was kind of going to the left side of the post,” Pickett said. “It went dinging in and hit the back of the net and I just screamed.”
“It was a banger,” added Bay FC’s Abby Dahlkemper.
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.
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.
“Jordan is one of the top goalkeepers in this league with the ball at her feet and that’s very important with how we’re going to play,” Montoya said. “She’s also an incredible athlete and I know she’s going to keep getting better.”
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.
“I felt pretty good about today’s game,” said Montoya, who noted that he is focused on getting a point when needed rather than winning every game this season. “We got a point at a stadium against a team we hadn’t gotten any points against (last year). We came here under difficult conditions, and we got a point.”