Utah United women clinch USL W Western Conference title, advance to national semifinals
United got first-half goals from Kaylie Chambers and Seven Castain, and Taylor Rath and the defense made them stand up en route to a 2-0 win over previously unbeaten Stockton Cargo SC.
By: Utah United media services
STOCKTON, Calif. (July 6, 2025) — Utah United is 1-for-1.
The first-year USL W League side from the Beehive State clinched the league’s Western Conference championship with a 2-0 win Sunday night over previously unbeaten Stockton Cargo SC.
Kaylie Chambers, a rising senior at Utah State, gave the reigning Mountain Division champions a 1-0 advantage off a corner kick in the 20th minute, a lead the visitors held until first-half stoppage time.
That’s when United earned a penalty kick for a foul in the box, and TCU’s All-Big 12 striker Seven Castain — the league’s leading scorer with 15 goals in the regular season — stepped up to the spot and scored her third goal in two playoff matchups to lift Utah to a 2-0 halftime advantage.
Incoming Utah State goalkeeper Taylor Rath earned the shutout in goal for Utah, which handed Stockton its first loss of the season.
After a perfect 10-0 record in the Nor Cal Division, the Cargo earned the bid to host the Western Conference playoffs at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, California.
After Utah’s 2-1 win over Washington’s FC Olympia in the first semifinal, the hosts came from behind with goals in the 69th and 89th minute to upend Santa Clarita, 2-1 in Friday’s other semifinal.
But the “Cardiac Cargo” couldn’t find the back of the net Sunday night, sending Utah to its first national semifinal in the club’s inaugural season in USL W League play.
United will face Central Conference champion Minnesota Aurora FC, the host of the national semifinals at TCO Stadium in Eagan, Minnesota. Asheville City SC will take on defending USL W League champion NC Courage U23 in the other semifinal.
Utah and Minnesota will kick off Saturday, July 12 at 6 p.m. MT.
The semifinal winners will advance to the W League final the weekend of July 19 at a location yet to be determined.
