City Stars Travel To Minnesota For Thursday's Match with Thunder

August 26, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Cleveland City Stars News Release


CLEVELAND, Ohio - The City Stars head to Minnesota this week to take on the Thunder on Thursday, August 27th at 8:05 p.m. It will be the final matchup of the season between the two squads.

The City Stars have defeated the Thunder twice this season as well as last year in the 2nd round of the U.S. Open Cup Tournament, leaving them with a 3-0 record against Minnesota. Last Saturday's victory over the Thunder enabled the City Stars to climb into 10th place in USL league standings with a 3-15-7 overall record.

Midfielder Pato Aguilera has been a standout this season, leading the league in games played (25) and second in the league for assists (5). The veteran has also tallied 3 goals for Cleveland, tying with Ricardo Pierre-Louis as the City Stars top goal-scorer. Other players have also been making an impact, with midfielder Jason Hotchkin named to the USL-1 Team of the Week for Week 20. Hotchkin scored the Stars only goal against Montreal in last Tuesday's match, and earned an assist in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Minnesota. Goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap was also named to the team, with 3 saves against Minnesota.

Minnesota is contending for the final playoff spot for the season, but sit 11 points behind the 7th place Vancouver Whitecaps. With a record of 4-11-8, the Thunder is in 9th place in league standings. Midfielder Ricardo Sanchez leads the team with five goals, and has a league-leading six assists. Forward Duncan Tarley is tied with Sanchez for the club lead with five goals and has scored three goals in the past 4 matches. Midfielder Jeremiah Bass was named to the Week 20 Team of the Week, after a goal in the squads 3-3 draw at Rochester.

Cleveland's Leo Gibson will be facing his former team for the second time this season. The midfielder was transferred from Minnesota after playing for the Thunder from 2005-2008. Minnesota is also now the home of former City Stars defender Andrew Peterson. Peterson played for the Stars in the inaugural season in 2007 before leaving to play for the Columbus Crew Reserves.

Kickoff is at 8:05 p.m. and the match will be broadcast live on USLlive.com. The City Stars return home on Saturday, September 5th at 2 p.m. to take on the Montreal Impact. The game will also be Fan Appreciation Day, with exciting door prizes, free promotions and exclusive giveaways. The first 225 fans to enter the stadium will receive a special door prize and giveaways will continue throughout the match. Tickets for the match will be discounted to only $9 and are still available by calling 330-425-2003 or online at www.clevelandcitystars.com.



USL First Division Stories from August 26, 2009


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