Athletic Club Boise Rallies Past Monterey Bay FC 4-3 in Dramatic USL Cup Victory
USL1 Athletic Club Boise

Athletic Club Boise Rallies Past Monterey Bay FC 4-3 in Dramatic USL Cup Victory

Published on May 18, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Athletic Club Boise News Release


Athletic Club Boise produced one of its most memorable home performances of the season Saturday evening, rallying from a 3-1 halftime deficit to defeat Monterey Bay FC 4-3 at Athletic Club Boise Stadium in the club's second USL Prinx Tires Cup match. In front of another sold-out crowd, Boise scored three unanswered second-half goals behind relentless attacking pressure and a charged home atmosphere to extend the club's home unbeaten run to five matches and move into second place in Group 1 with five points through two cup matches.

Boise controlled much of the match statistically despite the early deficit, finishing with 16 shots, six corners, and nearly 57% possession while repeatedly forcing Monterey Bay into extended defensive pressure throughout the second half.

Match Summary

FIRST HALF

Monterey Bay struck early in the 9th minute when Eduardo Blancas converted a free kick from outside the box to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage. The visitors doubled the lead in the 20th minute through Wesley Leggett before Athletic Club Boise responded moments later.

Denys Kostyshyn pulled Boise back within one in the 30th minute after an assist from Blake Bodily, briefly shifting momentum toward the hosts. Monterey Bay answered quickly, however, restoring its two-goal lead in the 34th minute through Chris-Kévin Nadje to take a 3-1 advantage into halftime.

Despite the deficit, Boise continued to push forward throughout the half while dealing with a highly physical match that featured repeated fouls and stoppages.

SECOND HALF

Athletic Club Boise emerged from halftime with a completely different tempo and immediately began piling pressure onto the Monterey Bay penalty area.

The breakthrough came in the 51st minute when Dominic Gasso finished from the center of the box to cut the deficit to 3-2. Just four minutes later, Jake Crull powered home a header off a Blake Bodily corner kick to level the match at 3-3 as the atmosphere inside Athletic Club Boise Stadium intensified.

Boise continued to control the second half through sustained possession, crosses, and repeated attacking pressure while Monterey Bay struggled to relieve pressure. The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 73rd minute after Nicholas Gordon received a second yellow card, resulting in him being sent off.

The hosts finally completed the comeback in the 86th minute when Thomas Amang finished from close range for the match-winning goal, securing a dramatic 4-3 victory in front of another packed home crowd.

Team Stats Snapshot

Category Athletic Club Boise Monterey Bay FC

Goals 4 3

Shots 16 10

Shots on Target 7 5

Possession 56.9% 43.1%

Pass Accuracy 82.1% 77.2%

Corners 6 0

Crosses 23 11

Fouls 14 25

Red Cards 0 1

Key Performances

Thomas Amang (Man of the Match) - scored the decisive late winner in the 86th minute while remaining active throughout Boise's second-half attacking pressure.

Dominic Gasso - sparked the comeback effort with Boise's opening second-half goal and consistently helped drive possession and tempo through midfield.

Jake Crull - delivered the crucial equalizing goal early in the second half and helped stabilize the defensive shape during key stretches of pressure.

Blake Bodily - recorded two assists and repeatedly created dangerous moments from wide positions as Boise sustained attacking pressure throughout the second half.

Denys Kostyshyn - scored Boise's first-half goal to keep the hosts within reach before halftime and remained heavily involved throughout the attack.

Jared Mazzola - (debut for AC Boise, on loan from Las Vegas Lights) responded strongly after a difficult first half, producing important saves and showing composure during Monterey Bay's counterattacking moments late in the match.

Quotes

Nate Miller | Head Coach

"You just see what experience and maturity gives you. You can turn the page and put it behind you because his teammates need a calm hand. We knew at halftime that we were going to completely change the game, and I thought the composure from Jared and the rest of the group was really important in the second half."

"It wasn't emotional at halftime. It was tactical. We talked about the shape change, piling pressure on the box, and not allowing counterattacks. I told them if we got one, we were going to get three. The guys executed it flawlessly, and I'm really happy for everyone."

Jake Crull | Defender

"I think it says a lot about our home-field advantage. It wasn't our best first half, but even after a half like that, we knew we could come back and win the game. It's going to be one of the most memorable games of my life just because of the perseverance everybody showed in the second half."

"It's a cup game, so every game feels like a final. We want to win this cup - that's our mindset. To get a result like that at home against a Championship team is really special for this group."

Dominic Gasso | Midfielder

"We knew we needed one goal, and once we got one, the momentum was going to carry us. We were counting on that energy from the fans and just trying to keep building pressure and putting balls into the box."

"That was probably the best game I've ever played in my life. Just the emotions and the atmosphere - it was incredible. What a game."

Implications

Saturday's comeback victory moved Athletic Club Boise to 1-0-1 through two USL Prinx Tires Cup matches, placing the club second in Group 1 with five points and further strengthening Boise's position in the race to advance out of the group stage.

The result also marked Boise's second consecutive positive result against USL Championship opposition during cup play and continued the club's unbeaten run at Athletic Club Boise Stadium.

Up Next

Athletic Club Boise returns to USL League One play next Saturday, May 23, hosting Fort Wayne FC, winners of three of their last four matches, at Athletic Club Boise Stadium.

Boise's next USL Prinx Tires Cup match will take place Saturday, June 6, on the road against Spokane Velocity FC at ONE Spokane Stadium.

Check out the Athletic Club Boise Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League One Stories from May 18, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central