City Islanders Stay Hot, Top Hammerheads
Published on July 9, 2005 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Penn FC News Release
(Harrisburg, Pa., July 9, 2005) - The Harrisburg City Islanders extended their club record unbeaten streak to eight games on Saturday night, as Chad Severs and Adam Clay scored in a 2-0 victory over the Wilmington Hammerheads at Skyline Sports Complex. The win moves fourth-place Harrisburg (7-3-3, 24 points) within one point of third-place Wilmington (8-5-2, 25), at least for the night.
With one of their most focused efforts of the season, the City Islanders managed to create plenty of quality scoring chances and simultaneously put the clamps on the league's third-best offense. The defense came first. Bryan Hill, making his second straight start in goal for Harrisburg, made a pair of big first-half stops, laying out to tip shots from Hammerheads midfielder Paul Chase wide in the 20th and 44th minutes. The City Islanders would soon make the saves count.
Shortly after the second stop (in first-half stoppage time), Severs struck. David Schofield nicked a loose ball towards the rookie forward, and Severs blistered a volley past losing keeper Bart Creasman from 20 yards out. With the score, Severs tied Harrisburg's single-season records for goals (six) and points (13).
The City Islanders carried their momentum through to the second half. In the 59th minute, midfielder Adam Schultz grabbed the ball to the left of the penalty area and sent it towards Clay in the slot. Clay quickly spun and popped the ball over Creasman into the upper right corner for his first pro goal and a 2-0 Harrisburg lead.
Harrisburg then successfully frustrated an attack-minded Hammerheads squad while maintaining an aggressive posture. If not for two fine saves from Creasman - who pulled in another rip from Severs in the 61st minute and somehow got a hand on the ball to stymie a Schofield breakaway at the 73-minute mark - and a couple of narrow misses, the City Islanders might have gone up by more. Wilmington's best and last chance was spoiled when Hill rejected a close Kevin Nylen blast in the 78th minute.
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