Damir Kreilach already had two goals on the night when Kyle Beckerman earned a second half penalty on Saturday in Real Salt Lake’s preseason match against Phoenix Rising FC. If Kreilach had asked for the ball and an opportunity to complete that hat trick, it could have made for a good milestone in the buildup to the 2019 season.
However, Kreilach knew there was something bigger than what could have been gained from a veteran player netting a hat trick in a preseason game. So he handed the ball off to Brooks Lennon.
A Phoenix native, Lennon was one of five RSL starters who got their start with the Real Salt Lake Academy in nearby Casa Grande, Arizona.