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USL United Soccer League Championship

16 USL Clubs Advance in Open Cup

May 21, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - Tommy Stewart had a hat trick as Sacramento Republic FC set a new attendance record for the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in a 4-2 victory against Sonoma County Sol FC in front of 10,386 fans at Bonney Field.

Sacramento struck twice in the opening 15 minutes, as Stewart gave the side the lead just nine minutes in. Gabriel Gonzalez flicked home a header three minutes later to make it 2-0, but Sonoma County halved its deficit as Omar Nuno scored in the 26th minute.

Stewart restored Republic FC's lead two minutes before the halftime break as he took advantage of a lapse defensively by the Sol. He then completed his hat trick just past the hour mark off a pass by Cameron Iwasa.

Sonoma County tried to rally, and Nuno scored his second of the night with 17 minutes to go. The Sol had the chance to cut their deficit to one when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 78th minute, but Taylor Varnadore's shot went off the post and away to safety, and Sacramento was able to wrap up its place in the third round from that point.

SAINT LOUIS FC 2, DES MOINES MENACE 1, AET: Saint Louis FC needed extra time, but a goal in the 97th minute by Jermie Lynch lifted it to victory against the 2014 PDL regular-season champions. Bryan Gaul had opened the scoring for STL FC, but Des Moines got back on level terms through Chris Hellmann's penalty kick with five minutes to go. Lynch struck for Saint Louis in the first period of extra time, however, to send his side into the third round.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 2 4, KITSAP PUMAS 2, AET: Seattle lost a two-goal second half lead as Kitsap rallied late, but goals in extra time by Pablo Rossi and Andy Craven earned S2 a place in the third round. Victor Mansary and Rossi both scored for Seattle in the first half, but a pair of goals by Mike Ramos saw the Pumas level the score in stoppage time. Rossi's free kick three minutes into extra time put S2 back on top, and Craven wrapped up the win late.

HARRISBURG CITY ISLANDERS 3, READING UNITED AC 0: A pair of early goals led Harrisburg to victory on the road against its fellow Philadelphia Union affiliate at Don Thomas Stadium. Danny DiPrima and Cardel Benbow scored two goals in three minutes to put the City Islanders in control, and Ken Tribbett added a third early in the second half.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS 3, WEST VIRGINIA CHAOS 0: Rob Vincent opened the scoring against his former PDL side in the ninth minute, and Lebo Moloto added another a minute later, as the Riverhounds took victory against the Chaos at Highmark Stadium. Kevin Kerr added a third late for the hosts.

AUSTIN AZTEX 2, LAREDO HEAT 0: Brian Fekete had a goal and an assist as the Aztex took victory against their former PDL rivals at House Park. Fekete got on the end of Max Gunderson's cross in the 28th minute to set up Andres Cuero for the opener, and added the Aztex's second with 17 minutes to go to wrap up the win.

RICHMOND KICKERS 2, VIRGNIA BEACH CITY FC 0: Second half-goals by Nate Shiffman and Jason Yeisley sent the Kickers through at City Stadium. Shiffman put home a header from a corner kick two minutes after the halftime break, and Yeisley added a second with a minute to go with a diving header to wrap up the win.

ROCHESTER RHINOS 1, GREATER BINGHAMTON FC THUNDER 0: Kenardo Forbes scored the only goal in the 39th minute as the Rhinos moved on at Sahlen's Stadium. Forbes drove home a finish from the top of the penalty area after the Thunder had been unable to clear a cross by Steevan Dos Santos properly, allowing the midfielder to strike.

LOUISVILLE CITY FC 1, LANSING UNITED 0: Louisville took victory on the road thanks to a goal three minutes into the second half by Charlie Adams. The midfielder's shot from distance deflected off Lansing's Matt Brown and found the net, and proved enough for City to advance.

TULSA ROUGHNECKS FC 1, SEACOAST UNITED PHANTOMS 0: The Roughnecks took victory against the Phantoms at the University of Tulsa's Soccer Stadium as Chad Bond scored the only goal. The Welsh midfielder scored directly from a corner kick in the 58th minute to lift his side into the third round.

OKC ENERGY FC 3, MIDLAND/ODESSA SOCKERS FC 1: Kyle Greig scored a pair of goals as OKC Energy FC took victory at Grande Communications Stadium. Greig scored three minutes before the halftime break, and Casey Townsend added a second before the Sockers pulled a goal back. OKC completed the victory as Greig scored with 20 minutes to go.

CHARLESTON BATTERY 1, MIAMI UNITED FC 0: The Battery took victory at Blackbaud Stadium as Heviel Cordoves had the only goal. Cordoves latched onto a pass by Memo Rodriguez five minutes before the halftime break for the decisive goal, but was later sent off as the Battery finished the game with 10 men.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE 4, UPWARD STARS FC 1: Charlotte fell behind early, but a hat trick by Tomasz Zahorski earned victory at Winthrop University's Eagle Field. Andre Carle gave Upward Stars the lead in the 11th minute, but Zahorski tied the game eight minutes later. Enzo Martinez put Charlotte ahead five minutes before halftime, and Zahorski added a pair of second-half goals as the Independence pulled away.

JERSEY EXPRESS 1, NEW YORK RED BULLS II 0: Chris Karcz scored the only goal as the Express took victory at NJIT Stadium against the Red Bulls II. Konrad Plewa came close to an equalizer for NYRB II, but the PDL's reigning Eastern Conference champions held on for victory.

PORTLAND TIMBERS 2 2, MICHIGAN BUCKS 0: Goals by Kharlton Belmar and Fatawu Safiu saw Portland Timbers 2 through to the third round with victory against defending PDL champions the Michigan Bucks at Ultimate Soccer Arenas on Tuesday night. Belmar opened the scoring with a fine cushioned header early in the second half, and Safiu added a late insurance goal to wrap up the win.

VENTURA COUNTY FUSION 2, LA GALAXY II 1: Abu Danladi scored a stoppage-time goal to lead the Fusion to victory against Los Dos at the StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium. Ventura County took the lead, but the Galaxy II hit back as Ariel Lassiter scored from the penalty spot just before the halftime break. Danladi, one of the top pro prospects in the PDL, scored a late goal in second-half stoppage to give the visitors the victory.

REAL MONARCHS SLC 1, LONG ISLAND ROUGH RIDERS 0: 2014 PDL Young Player of the Year Ricardo Velazco had the only goal with 13 minutes to go as the Monarchs took victory on the road at Cy Donnelly Stadium.

CHATTANOOGA FC 1 (5), WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS FC 1 (3): Wilmington let a first-half lead slip as it lost in a penalty shootout at Legion Stadium. Nick Zimmerman gave the Hammerheads the lead with a 43rd-minute penalty kick, but Chattanooga tied the game through Chris Ochieng midway through the second half. Chattanooga goalkeeper Chris Baker then made a decisive save in the second round of the shootout, to lift his side to a second consecutive shootout victory in this year's tournament.

COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS FC 2, HARPO'S FC 1: Marty Maybin scored both goals as Colorado Springs advanced in their inaugural Open Cup contest. Maybin gave the Switchbacks the lead in just the second minute as he headed home, and added a second in the 35th minute. Harpo's FC pulled a goal back early in the second half, but despite the Switchbacks being reduced to 10 men, they held on to advance.

CHULA VISTA FC 3, ARIZONA UNITED SC 0: Chula Vista FC advanced past Arizona as a pair of goals and an assist by Alberto Diaz and a standout performance in goal by Sebastian Gonzalez earned victory at Scottsdale Stadium.

PSA ELITE 2, ORANGE COUNTY BLUES FC 1: PSA Elite scored on both sides of halftime to take victory against Orange County. Michael Salazar opened the scoring for PSA, and Mats Bjurman made it two just past the hour mark. The hosts were reduced to 10 men when Jamel Wallace received his second yellow card, and the Blues pulled a goal back thanks to Tyler Feeney, but the goal arrived too late to offer a chance to complete the rally.

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