The Utah Hockey Club announced the roster for the team’s 2024 Development Camp on Sunday, which takes place July 1-5 at Park City Ice Arena.

The camp is designed to provide Utah prospects with NHL coaching and instruction during on and off-ice workout sessions and will conclude with a scrimmage at Delta Center on Friday, July 5 at 1 PM MT – an event that is free and open to the public.

All 11 of Utah’s 2024 draft picks, including Utah’s first-ever draft choice forward Tij Iginla and the club’s second first round draft choice forward Cole Beaudoin, along with previous first-round draft choices Maveric Lamoureux (2022), Dmitriy Simashev (2023), and Daniil But (2023), will participate in the camp. In total 32 players are taking part, including 15 forwards, 12 defensemen and five goaltenders.

Players will be available to the media following their on-ice training sessions on July 1 and July 2 at Park City Ice Arena (600 Gillmor Way) beginning each day at 9:30 a.m. and following the team’s scrimmage on July 5, which begins at 1 p.m. at Delta Center.

2024 DEVELOPMENT CAMP ROSTER

Forwards: Owen Allard, Samu Bau, Cole Beaudoin, Daniil But, Jonathan Castagna, Will Gavin, Voltech Hradec, Tij Iginla, Sam Lipkin, Tanner Ludtke, Miko Matikka, Jacob Newcombe, Reggie Newman, Noel Nordh, Gabe Smith

Defensemen: Gregor Biber, Alex Cech, Artem Duda, Terrell Goldsmith, Justin Kipkie, Maveric Lamoureux, Tomas Lavoie, Matthew Morden, Will Skahan, Dmitriy Simashev, Cal Thomas, Veeti Vaisanen

Goaltenders: Michael Hrabal, Rasmus Korhonen, Carsen Musser, Melker Thelin, Anson Thornton

Utah Warriors close season with tough loss to RFC Los Angeles

The Utah Warrior’s frustrating 2024 season within the Major League Rugby Competition came to a close on Friday with a 31-24 loss to visiting RFC Los Angeles.

Although disappointed with the final result on Friday, on top of the overall result of the 2024 season, Warriors Coach Greg Cooper managed to focus on what he believes is a very strong future of rugby within the state of Utah. Considering the record crowd of 10,900 fans in attendance at America First Field on Friday, Cooper has good reason to be optimistic.

“I’m delighted with what I saw here tonight,” Cooper said. “Our organization has done a tremendous job and (Warriors CEO) Kimball (Kjar) has done everything really, really well. I think the occasion we have to develop the game of rugby in Utah is really important. So, as a coach, I’m disappointed with tonight’s result and the season, but as a Warriors representative — it’s wonderful to see (what’s happening.)”

Indeed rugby is still very new in the United States, and despite slugging through an uncommon rash of injuries during the 2024 season, attendance remained high with fans showing great support with Cooper greatly appreciating all of it.

As for Friday’s disappointing result, a slow start and too many lapses in defensive accuracy gave way to RFC LA jumping out to an early 19-5 lead which proved tough to overcome.

LA’s first score came by virtue of a try scored in just the fifth minute to jump out to a 5-0 lead after a missed conversion kick. Utah responded quickly, however, with Joe Mano dotting the ball down in the try zone off of a successful maul to square things at 5-5 in the ninth minute.

From there RFC LA took off with a lot of momentum, aided by a yellow card given out to Utah forward Franco Van Den Berg in the 13th minute. Just one minute later LA scored a try to retake the lead at 12-7 before touching the ball down again in the try zone in the 31st minute for a commanding 19-7 lead.

“We’ve just lost a lot of defensive energy over the last month, or so,” Cooper said. “We’ve just lost too much defensive accuracy, but we just didn’t have it at the end, and certainly didn’t have enough accuracy in the beginning.”

Momentum shifted the Warrior’s way toward the end of the first half, however, as LA was forced to play a man down in the 35th minute after a yellow card ushered one of its players to the sin bin. Utah capitalized in extra time with Michael Manson scoring a try off a brilliant off-load from Caleb Makene to cut LA’s lead to 19-12 at the break.

LA extended its lead to 26-12 in the 62nd minute, although Utah came storming back to cut the lead to 26-24 courtesy of tries scored by Makene and Manson in the game’s 67th and 74th minutes, respectively.

But LA again responded, and extended its lead to 31-24 in the 77th minute, which proved to be the final. Utah did have a prime opportunity to tie the game, but an unsuccessful line-out deep in Los Angeles territory in the 79th minute all but ended the comeback bid.

“It was a really disappointing result for a lot of reasons, but if you score four tries, you should win the game every time out there,” Cooper said. “So we’re disappointed with that, and it’s been a very frustrating year, to say the least. The last impression is the lasting impression and we wish we could have made a better impression tonight for fans to go home with.”

With the loss Utah finishes the 2024 MLR Rugby season with a 5-11 overall record.

Utah Royals draw with Portland, announce organizational changes

Utah Royals FC earned a hard-fought point at home, and only its second draw in the Club’s maiden NWSL season, in a difficult but promising goalless draw against the Portland Thorns (7-5-3, 24pts, 5th NWSL) at America First Field on Saturday.

In a game URFC mostly dominated, the team delivered an organized, mature, and defensively solid performance to earn a richly deserved third clean sheet of the 2024 campaign.

The draw puts the 2024 Utah Royals season record at 2-11-2 and that meant changes on Sunday.

Utah Royals FC relieved head coach Amy Rodriguez of her duties. Goalkeeper coach Maryse Bard-Martel has also been released from her position. The Club has appointed assistant Jimmy Coenraets as the Interim Head Coach.

Additionally, team president Michelle Hyncik will begin transitioning to a new opportunity. Hyncik has accepted a legal role with the Blitzer Family Office, where she will utilize her extensive experience in the sports industry and legal acumen on strategic initiatives across the portfolio.

“This expansion season has been full of lessons and learnings, and we are now focused on reorganizing leadership efforts on and off the pitch,” stated Real Salt Lake President John Kimball, who will oversee business operations for the Royals while the organization spearheads the search for a new URFC president.

“We are grateful and appreciative of Amy, Michelle and Maryse and their efforts in helping re-introduce the Royals to Utah’s incredible fans and the international soccer community. We believe women’s sports are a vital part of Utah’s culture. Our club and ownership group are committed to delivering a product our fans will be proud of. While we have faced adversity this season, we are focused on building a team off and on the field that can compete at the highest levels for years to come.”

URFC next returns to action on the road against Seattle Reign on Sunday, July 7, at Lumen Field with kickoff at 4:00 PM MT.