City Islanders Weekly
Published on May 2, 2005 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Penn FC News Release
The Harrisburg City Islanders went 0-2 on a grueling North Carolina road trip this past weekend, falling 2-1 in Wilmington on Friday, April 29, and 5-0 in Charlotte on Saturday, April 30.
The City Islanders enter the week in sixth place in the USL Second Division table at 1-2-1 (four points), one point behind the fifth-place Western Mass Pioneers and only five points behind first-place Wilmington.
David Schofield's first goal of the year gave Harrisburg a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute of Friday night's game, but Wilmington recovered with scores from forward Ryan Miller (24th minute) and Kenny Bundy (49th minute) to capture the win.
Saturday's loss in Charlotte stands as the worst in Harrisburg's brief history. Four different players scored goals for the Eagles, who remained undefeated at 3-0-0 (and still have not allowed a goal this season).
Three midfielders made their 2005 debuts for Harrisburg on the trip: Shane Crawford, the former Jamaican National Teamer signed by the club last week; Steve Fisher, the team's second-leading scorer as a rookie last year; and team captain Derek Potteiger. Fisher and Potteiger were both sidelined by injuries to start the season.
Harrisburg outshot both Wilmington and Charlotte, thanks in part to Crawford, who took a total of nine shots to lead the team.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE...
Tuesday, May 3 â Practice, "In The Net", 8:30 â 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, May 4 â Practice, "In The Net", 8:00 â 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 5 â Practice, "In The Net", 8:30 â 10:30 a.m.
Friday, May 6 â Practice, "In The Net", 3:00 â 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 7 â Kickaround, Skyline Sports Complex, 10:00 â 11:00 a.m.
City Islanders vs. Charlotte Eagles, Skyline Sports Complex, 7:05 p.m.
The City Islanders will look to redeem themselves against Charlotte this Saturday, May 7, when the Eagles visit Skyline Sports Complex. Kickoff will be 7:05 p.m.
Harrisburg defeated Charlotte in the Eagles' lone visit to Skyline last season, notching a 2-1 win on August 14. A sellout crowd of 2,371 saw Mike Feniger and Jesse Elmore score for the City Islanders in that match. Following Saturday, the teams will not meet again during the 2005 regular season.
The City Islanders play only one other game in the month of May, at home against Northern Virginia on the 21st. A positive result this Saturday would mean a great deal to Harrisburg's U.S. Open Cup qualifying hopes (see below).
U.S. OPEN CUP QUALIFYING UPDATE...
With one month remaining in qualifying play, all nine USL Second Division teams remain mathematically alive in the race to qualify for the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the United States Soccer Federation's National Championship.
The top six Second Division teams through qualifying games on May 29 based on point percentage will earn tournament berths. The City Islanders are currently ranked sixth, having earned four of a possible 12 points (33.3%) through four games.
Wins are now vital for the City Islanders. Harrisburg will have only two more chances to improve its Open Cup standing before the month is out, with this Saturday's home game against Charlotte, and another home match on Saturday, May 21, versus Northern Virginia. The City Islanders' maximum possible point percentage is 55.6%.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 2, 2005
- Rough Riders march on to second victory - Long Island Rough Riders
- City Islanders Weekly - Penn FC
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.
