Why Kate Del Fava was the perfect goal scorer for Amy Rodriguez's first win as Royals coach

The center back scored on a header in the first half to lift the Royals to a 2-1 win over North Carolina, a "full circle" moment for the former Utah draft pick.

In many ways, it had to be Kate Del Fava.

The former Illinois State center back scored the first goal of the #ReturnOfRoyalty, a header from Paige Monaghan’s corner kick in the 15th minute that paved the way to a 2-1 win over the North Carolina Courage.

Del Fava was drafted by the Royals with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NWSL draft and made her debut immediately in the NWSL Challenge Cup in Herriman, Utah. But when the first version of the franchise folded, the Evanston, Illinois native relocated with the club to Kansas City — where she scored her first professional goal in the playoffs with the now-Current.

But Del Fava returned to Utah in December, with the Current also sending the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL draft — a pick that turned into BYU’s Brecken Mozingo — in exchange for expansion draft protection and $75,000 in allocation money.

And even as Ally Sentnor’s banger in the 30th minute from Kaleigh Riehl was the match-winner against the Courage (1-1, 3 points), there was no question who would sit on the postmatch “throne” for the first time for the revamped franchise’s inaugural season.

“I'm really happy to score the first goal; it feels like kind of a full circle moment for me,” Del Fava said. “Being drafted by Utah and being able to score the first goal is a really special moment for me.”

North Carolina out-shot the hosts 5-2 with 62% of possession in the first half. But the Royals put both shots on target, converting them into Del Fava’s header and Ally Senator’s first pro goal four minutes after Ashley Sanchez had equalized in the 26th minute.

“Phenomenal goal from Kate Del Fava. She has so much impact for this team in her defensive position, but for her to put us up ahead with that great header goal — the delivery was excellent, the timing was excellent and when the ball hit the back of the net, I couldn’t be more proud or happier for this group,” said Rodriguez, who was Del Fava’s teammate in Utah and Kansas City before retiring with North Carolina in 2021 and becoming the first former player to win as a head coach in league history Friday night. “And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Ally Sentnor hit an upper 90 banger of a goal — that was equally just as exciting.”

The Courage were awarded two penalties — in consecutive minutes, 59 and 59 in — to strike an equalizer.

After Denise O’Sullivan won a penalty for a tripping foul first, Malia Berkely struck her shot off the left post. When Addisyn Merrick — who replaced Imani Dorsey in the first half after the former NWSL rookie of the year suffered a devastating torn Achilles’ tendon — tried to clear the loose ball, Ashley Sanchez drew another tripping foul in the area in then 59th minute.

Two minutes. Two penalties.

“I have never seen that,” said Del Fava, echoing players around the league chiming in on social media.

But Mandy Haught stood up Berkely’s second right-footed attempt from the spot, and the Royals held the lead despite conceding 67% of possession and being out-shot 18-2 (but just 3-2 in shots on goal).

“Once we saw that, we knew we weren’t letting the ball go in the back of the net,” Del Fava said. “I think definitely helped boost us a bit. Mandy’s a beast, too. It just gave us a little bit of extra to keep us going.”