Warriors Fighting For Playoff Spot With Two Matches Left

Jun 9, 2023, 3:03 PM

BY KYLE IRELAND

Sports Producer

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Warriors sit outside the playoff picture with only two matches left in the 2023 Major League Rugby regular season and need some luck down the stretch.

After falling to the Seattle Seawolves on June 4, the Warriors will look to make up ground in the Western Conference race for third place as they host the Chicago Hounds.

Not the result we wanted on Sunday but there's still work to do.

We’re back at home for the FINAL home game this Saturday – 8PM MT. Get your tickets! 🎟️ #ForTheNation pic.twitter.com/FRdmcCfCso

— Utah Warriors Rugby (@utwarriorsrugby) June 6, 2023

RELATED: Utah Warriors Fall To Seattle Seawolves Amid Hunt For Playoff Spot

In the West, the San Diego Legion and Seawolves have secured the top two playoff spots. Currently, the Houston SaberCats own third place in the Western Conference standings with 48 points. Utah sits in fourth place with 44 points. The Hounds are currently in last place in the West with 11 points on the season.

Utah will welcome Chicago to Zions Bank Stadium on Saturday, June 10.

It will be the Warriors’ regular season finale at home.

The contest will also be the second of the season between the Warriors and Hounds.

On March 5, Utah traveled to Illinois and picked up a 14-10 victory for the club's first road win of the season.

The @utwarriorsrugby picked up their second straight win on the road to spoil @HoundsChicago's franchise home opener.

Check out the full highlights! #CHIvUTAH | #MLR2023 pic.twitter.com/0ewS4EUX67

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) March 5, 2023

After falling behind early in the contest, the Warriors fought back and took their first lead of the match in the second half, Utah held off Chicago for its first road win of the season.

5:43 into the match, the Hounds connected on a penalty kick by Luke Carty to take an early 3-0 lead. Chicago continued to control the contest for the next 25 minutes. The Hounds slammed the ball to the turf for the match's first try near the 30-minute mark on the game clock. After the try, Carty made a conversion kick to help Chicago take a 10-0 lead over Utah.

The Warriors quickly responded with a push down the field. During the 36th minute of action, the Warriors finally got onto the scoreboard with a five-point try by Henry Bell. Joel Hodgson drilled a conversion kick to cut Chicago's lead to 10-7. The Hounds took the three-point advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Utah opened the second half with a powerful press against Chicago. The Warriors maintained possession for a significant stretch and showcased their power against the home team. During the 53rd minute of play, Joe Mano received a pass and ran down the near sideline with nothing but green grass in front of him. Mano placed the ball down in the try zone for a go-ahead score and the first points of the second half. Following another conversion kick by Hodgson, the Warriors took a 14-10 lead. Utah and Chicago battled back and forth for the final 25 minutes of action but the Warriors managed to hold the Hounds scoreless over the final 50 minutes of game time.

Utah's match against Chicago will start on June 10 at 8 p.m. (MDT). The game will be broadcast on the KSL Sports app and KSLSports.com.

Every. Try. Counts.

Last home game this Saturday 8PM. Don't miss it as we push for a spot in the @usmlr Championship Series 👀

🎟️: https://t.co/kwC8ZKJQcI pic.twitter.com/gV60X9oGwU

— Utah Warriors Rugby (@utwarriorsrugby) June 7, 2023

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