This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Real Monarchs on Tuesday announced its 2017 regular-season schedule, unveiling the club's 32-game league slate for its 3rd USL season, and the club's first under new cach Mike Petke.

The 16-game home calendar features at least two home games each month from April to October at Rio Tinto Stadium, with 12 games on Friday or Saturday nights in Sandy, two on Monday evenings and one each on Wednesday/Thursday. The Monarchs will host a match on or around two holidays, with a July 5 "Independence Day" celebration as well as a Sept. 2 contest during Labor Day Weekend.

The Monarchs open the league season at home on April 1 against budding rival Phoenix at 7 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The 2017 Western Conference schedule — which now includes expansion side Reno 1868 and newly-branded Phoenix and Orange County teams — kicks off on March 25 and concludes on October 15, with the USL Cup Playoffs on the docket the following weekend after 30 weeks and 480 games comprise the 30-team slate.

The Monarchs kick off 2017 with three of its first five contests on the road, prior to a balanced schedule the rest of the way for Petke's side, which sees a busy six-game August with only two home games, prior to ending the campaign with back-to-back Rio Tinto Stadium dates during the playoff chase.

The Monarchs return eight players from last year's campaign – including midseason additions Charlie Adams, Jesus Leal and staunch contributors Max Lachowecki and Emilio Orozco – with last year's club vying for its first-ever postseason berth through the season's final weekend. The roster is still coming together prior to the club's February 11 report date, but new additions for 2017 include former RSL playmaker and fan-favorite Sebastian Velazquez, MLS veterans Nick Besler and Chandler Hoffman, as well as USL standouts Daniel Haber and Chase Minter.