HERRIMAN, Utah – Luis Solignac recorded a goal and assist while Diego Luna and Josue Aaron Gomez also found the net as El Paso Locomotive FC pulled away for a 3-1 victory against Real Monarchs SLC on Friday night at Zions Bank Stadium.

The visitors got out to an ideal start, taking the lead in the ninth minute through Solignac. Former Monarchs player Sebastian Velasquez held off a marker in midfield before advancing into the Real half and swung play wide for Eder Borelli on the left. His delivery found Solignac with his back to goal inside the top of the penalty area, but the Argentine corkscrewed a turning right-footed finish into the bottom-left corner of the net.

The Monarchs replied 10 minutes later, however, as Milan Iloski threaded a pass between two defenders to send Aris Briggs on goal, and the forward outpaced the defense before rounding the goalkeeper and tucking his finish into the open net for his third goal in as many games.

Both teams had deflected chances that followed, with Iloski’s low shot being controlled by El Paso’s Logan Ketterer before Nick Ross had an effort for the visitors clip a defender and go wide of the left post. El Paso went close again as Richie Ryan saw a shot deflected wide of the right post after the visitors held the ball inside the penalty area, while Dylan Mares fired just over the crossbar seven minutes before halftime.

Locomotive FC went close to regaining the lead moments before halftime as a rifled shot to the left corner by Mares was turned just wide of the net by Monarchs goalkeeper Jeff Dewsnup with a fine one-handed save. The visitors continued to threaten early in the second half as both Ross and Ricardo Zacarias had shots inside the opening five minutes, but Real almost grabbed the lead in the 54th minute as Bode Davis broke into the penalty area only to have his shot first blocked by El Paso defender Yuma before Ketterer sent the ball behind the goal after it had looped up off the legs of the Spaniard.

The visitors regained the lead with 16 minutes to go, however, as a loose pass by the hosts in their own end was seized on by Gomez. His shot was blocked, but the ball spun free allowing Luna to curl home a low finish into the right corner of the net for his third goal of the season.

Luna almost added a second on the night as he fired a powerful shot from the left side of the penalty area to the near post that was well saved by Dewsnup as he turned the effort wide of the post, but as the game entered second-half stoppage time El Paso put the game away as a counterattack found Solignac on the right and his central ball at the top of the penalty area was headed home by Gomez as he lifted his finish past the advancing goalkeeper and into the net.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Luis Solignac, El Paso Locomotive FC – Solignac recorded a goal and assist for the visitors, had two shots and completed 16 of 23 passes as El Paso came away with its second road win in Utah this season.

Scoring Summary
ELP – Luis Solignac (Eder Borelli) 9’
SLC – Aris Briggs (Milan Iloski) 19’
ELP – Diego Luna 74’
ELP – Josue Aaron Gomez (Luis Solignac) 90+1’

Full Box Score