Royals keep playoff hopes alive with 3-0 home victory over the Reign

Cloe Lacasse scored three goals and the Utah Royals beat the Reign 3-0 on Sunday, eliminating Seattle from the National Women’s Soccer League Playoffs.

Lacasse, who came to the Royals from Arsenal in August, scored all of her goals in the first half at home in Sandy, Utah. It was the first hat trick in the NWSL this season.

The Canadian forward scored her first two goals in the opening 20 minutes and added another in first-half stoppage time.

The Royals (7-14-3) have won their last three games and sit in 10th in the league standings, below the playoff line but with still hopeful for a shot at the postseason with two games remaining.

The Reign (5-14-5) have lost five straight games. The last time Seattle didn’t make the postseason was in 2017. Last year the team went to the NWSL final.

Seattle was hurt when Angharad James-Turner was sent off with her second yellow cars in just the 16th minute.

SPIRIT 4, RACING LOUISVILLE 1

Makenna Morris scored a pair of first-half goals and Washington topped Louisville

Ashley Hatch converted a penalty for the Spirit (16-6-2) in the 56th minute before the home crowd at Audi Field.

Racing Louisville (6-11-7) avoided the shutout with Emma Sears’ goal in the 72nd. Louisville sits just below the playoff line in ninth.

Lena Silano added a stoppage-time goal for the final margin and the Spirit remained in second place on the table with two games left in the regular season.

Trinity Rodman, who has not played for the Spirit since sustaining a back injury on Sept. 20, came into the game as a substitute in the 67th.

With the Spirit’s victory, the Chicago Red Stars clinched a spot in the playoffs.

DASH 2, WAVE 0

Barbara Olivieri had a goal and an assist to help Houston beat San Diego.

Olivieri converted on a penalty to put the Dash (5-14-5) up 1-0 in the 30th minute. It was the first penalty of the season for Houston.

Ramona Bachmann added a goal for the Dash off a cross from Olivieri in the 72nd minute in the match at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.

The Dash have already been eliminated from the playoffs.

The Wave (5-12-7) lost their second straight, but still has a chance to reach one of the last two playoff spots.

Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell had her eighth shutout of the year.

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