City Islanders Rough Up Rough Riders
June 11, 2005 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Penn FC News Release
(Uniondale, N.Y., June 11, 2005) â Two Chad Severs goals highlighted a superior all-around performance by the Harrisburg City Islanders in a convincing 4-1 win over the Long Island Rough Riders at Mitchel Athletic Complex on Saturday night.
With their first road win of the year, the City Islanders improve to 4-3-1 (13 points) and move into fourth place in the USL Second Division, passing both Long Island (4-3-0, 12 points) and the Cincinnati Kings (3-4-3, 12 points). Harrisburg has won three straight games for the first time in club history.
"This was a complete performance," said City Islanders Head Coach Bill Becher. "The guys really battled against a very good team and we're pleased with the result. We'll look to keep improving."
Half of the complete performance came from a defense that permitted just three shots, leaving little to do for winning goalkeeper Dave Kern (3-0-0), who had to make no saves. The rest came from an occasionally dazzling attack that had its best night of the season.
Severs, the highly touted rookie out of Penn State, struck in the 43rd and 47th minutes to stake Harrisburg to a 2-0 lead. Adam Clay, who filled in admirably for injured captain Derek Potteiger in the midfield, recorded his first professional point with an assist on Severs' first score. Steve Fisher notched his first helper of the season on the second Severs goal.
The Rough Riders answered in the 52nd minute with a Derrick Etienne strike to cut Harrisburg's lead in half. But just 11 minutes later, Sumed Ibrahim put the City Islanders back in control with his second goal of the year. After driving through the midfield on the dribble, he worked a stylish give-and-go with David Schofield, who set up Sumed for the score with a heel pass.
Harrisburg polished off the win in the 74th minute when Shane Crawford, the former Jamaican International, hammered a ferocious 20-yard free kick past losing keeper Paul Grafer (three saves) for his first goal as a City Islander.
Notes: Harrisburg's Mo Oduor and Long Island's Wilmer Cabrera both left the game after a violent midfield collision in the 29th minute. Oduor was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure but was released and returned home with the team. He was replaced by Adam Schultz...Jimmy Stone made his first career start at right midfield...Severs has scored four goals in his last four games...The City Islanders return home to face the Western Mass Pioneers next Saturday, June 18. Kickoff at Skyline Sports Complex will be 7:05 p.m.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 11, 2005
- City Islanders Rough Up Rough Riders - Penn FC
- Kings tie Pioneers - Cincinnati Kings
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