City Islanders blow past Rough Riders to extend streak
Published on July 27, 2005 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Penn FC News Release
CITY ISLANDERS BLOW PAST ROUGH RIDERS TO EXTEND STREAK Sumed Ibrahim posts hat trick in 5-2 win over Long Island
(Harrisburg, Pa., July 27, 2005) - Sumed Ibrahim recorded the first hat trick in team history as the Harrisburg City Islanders roared past the Long Island Rough Riders by the score of 5-2 at Skyline Sports Complex on Wednesday night. Steve Fisher added two assists for the City Islanders, who improved to 9-3-5 (32 points), extended their team record unbeaten streak to 12, and moved to the brink of qualifying for a playoff berth.
Harrisburg, now tied for second in the USL Second Division standings, now needs only a win or a tie to qualify for the postseason - a feat they could accomplish this Saturday, July 30, on the road in Northern Virginia (7:30 p.m. kickoff).
Before the night was over, Harrisburg would set a season high and tie a franchise record for goals in a game, as well as set a club mark for scores in a half. But it began ominously, as Long Island's Derrick Etienne tapped in a Shaun Higgins cross in the game's fifth minute.
Harrisburg responded in the 17th minute, when Sumed thumped home a full volley from 18 yards out. The finish - a clinical first-time strike after the Rough Riders' Gary Sullivan had headed the ball clear - was spectacular, but he was far from done.
After Shane Crawford gave the City Islanders a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute with a superbly taken free kick from the right side of the penalty area, Sumed burst down the slot, maintained his balance in a crowd, and redirected a low cross from Fisher past losing keeper Paul Grafer (three saves) in the 33rd minute to make it 3-1.
Etienne got one back for Long Island in the 37th minute, when he beat winning keeper Dave Kern (one save) with a low drive. Not to be outdone, Sumed wrapped his first-half trifecta in the 44th minute, hammering his own rebound past Grafer for a 4-2 halftime lead. The assist, once again, came from Fisher, who worked the ball down the left wing before centering.
After a six-goal opening half, the clubs recovered their defensive shape, and the final 45 minutes produced only one score. That score - in the 76th minute from Harrisburg's Matt Tanzini - served to ice the City Islanders win. Defender Adam Schultz sailed a long ball down the left wing, where Tanzini slipped around Grafer, moved inside the penalty area, and calmly rolled the ball into an open net.
Notes: Kern improved his record in goal to 7-0-1...Harrisburg's J.T. Dorsey sat out the game with a knee injury, ending his team record streak of consecutive starts at 27. Schultz, who started in his place, recorded his second assist of the year...Fisher registered the first multiple-assist game of the season for Harrisburg and the third in team history.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 27, 2005
- Rough Riders get stranded by Islanders - Long Island Rough Riders
- City Islanders blow past Rough Riders to extend streak - Penn FC
- Long Island Rough Riders Mid-Week Update - Long Island Rough Riders
- City Islanders' Schofield on Team of the Week - Penn FC
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