Energy Grab Victory against Red Bulls Reserves
Published on June 2, 2014 under United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release
OKLAHOMA CITY - Michael Thomas scored a stoppage-time winner as OKC Energy FC claimed its first home win of the season with a 1-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls Reserves in front of a sellout crowd of 3,777 at Pribil Stadium on Saturday night. The victory provided a welcome boost to the expansion side as it moved within three points of the playoff positions with the win.
Energy FC had been pressing hard for a winner throughout the second half and came close to opening the scoring in the 68th minute when a shot by Christian Duke from 20 yards flashed over the crossbar. Steven Perry also went close after he was played into the right side of the penalty area, but he missed high as he tried to fire home into the top-right corner.
The Red Bulls Reserves also created chances in what was an open contest. The visitors came close to the opener just before the hour mark as a counter-attack opened up an odd-man opportunity against the Energy defense, but Andre Akpan was thwarted by Mark Howard and Gareth Evans to snuff out the opportunity.
Energy FC's goal finally arrived off a corner kick from the right when an in-swinging delivery by Duke was met at the far post by an unmarked Thomas to head home. OKC's captain had come close to opening the scoring in the first half when his shot hit the post and went wide, but his late winner sent the packed house into massive celebrations as OKC claimed a vital three points.
FRIDAY
ROCHESTER 0, RICHMOND 0: Defenses held sway as the Rochester Rhinos and Richmond Kickers played to a 0-0 draw at Sahlen's Stadium. Rochester's John McCarthy recorded his league-leading fifth shutout of the season as both he and Joe Willis recorded a pair of saves.
The best chance of the game arrived in the 14th minute as the Kickers pressed from a free kick. A floated cross to the top of the penalty area was knocked down by William Yomby and found George Davis IV in the left side of the penalty area, but the Kickers' leading scorer was denied by a fine stop by McCarthy.
Other big scoring opportunities were few and far between. Both sides came close to grabbing a late winner as Davis found the side-netting with six minutes to go and Rochester's Colin Rolfe headed a cross just over a minute later, but both sides were forced to settle for a point.
SATURDAY
WILMINGTON 2, CHARLOTTE 1: The Wilmington Hammerheads took their fourth consecutive victory and gained some revenge for their only loss of the season as they defeated the Charlotte Eagles at the Queens Sports Complex.
The Hammerheads got on the board in the 13th minute when Manny Aparicio and Sammy Ochoa played an excellent give-and-go at the top of the penalty area that sent Aparicio in for a low, first-time finish. Wilmington doubled its lead just past the half-hour mark as Steven Miller's deflected shot wrong-footed Brock Duckworth and found the back of the net.
Charlotte was able to pull a goal back through Drew Yates in second-half stoppage time, but the Hammerheads were able to hold on to take all three points and continue their progress up the USL PRO standings.
ORLANDO 2, CHARLESTON 0: Orlando City maintained its undefeated start to the season as goals in either half by Corey Hertzog and Kevin Molino earned victory against the Charleston Battery at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
The Lions took the lead just before the halftime break as Hertzog was able to re-direct a header from Kevin Molino into the left corner of the net. The goal was Hertzog's first for Orlando in USL PRO.
Charleston came close to hitting back early in the second half as Mamadou Diouf hit the post, and the Battery upped the pressure on the Lions defense to create other chances. The Lions put the game away with just less than 15 minutes to go, however, as Molino scored his league-leading ninth goal of the season.
RICHMOND 3, HARRISBURG 2: The Richmond Kickers defeated the Harrisburg City Islanders as Kyle Porter's stoppage-time goal lifted his side in a five-goal thriller at the Skyline Sports Complex.
Richmond took the lead in the sixth minute as Jared Jeffrey rifled home a finish from 20 yards, but the City Islanders got back on level terms as Morgan Langley scored his fourth goal of the season 10 minutes into the second half. The Kickers regained the lead seven minutes later when Matthew Delicate slid onto the end of an angled cross by Porter for his sixth goal of the season.
Harrisburg appeared to have grabbed a point in the first minute of stoppage time when a free kick by Cris Hernandez was turned into the goal by a Richmond defender. Porter sealed the victory for the Kickers, however, as he finished well from the left side of the penalty area after being played in by Luke Vercollone.
ORANGE COUNTY 2, ARIZONA 0: The Orange County Blues FC moved back into the playoff positions as they defeated Arizona United SC at Anteater Stadium.
Allan Russell scored the opening goal with a fine diving header in the 15th minute, and the Blues held the lead throughout the second half of what became an increasingly physical game on the part of the Blues. Arizona had chances to get back on level terms, but Patrick McLain recorded seven saves for the shutout and Mohammed Roknipour capped the victory as he charged down a short back-pass and finished into the open net in stoppage time.
SUNDAY
LA GALAXY II 1, SEATTLE RESERVES 0: Chandler Hoffman scored the only goal as the LA Galaxy II remained in second place in the USL PRO standings with victory against the Seattle Sounders FC Reserves at Starfire Stadium.
The Galaxy II twice came close to opening the scoring as Bradford Jamieson IV hit the post and Jack McBean the crossbar in either half, but with 14 minutes to go a good one-touch move found Aleksandr Djokovic on the right side moments after he had come on as a substitute, and the Serbian's low cross found Hoffman for his eighth goal of the season.
PITTSBURGH 1, HARRISBURG 1: Jimmy McLaughlin's equalizer with five minutes to play earned the Harrisburg City Islanders a draw against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Highmark Stadium.
The Riverhounds, who remain winless in league play, took an early lead as Brian Fekete finished from close range off a shot by Michael Green. The City Islanders hit back, however, as McLaughlin picked up possession on the left side, drifted in past three defenders and drove a finish into the right corner of the net for an outstanding solo effort.
ROCHESTER 1, DAYTON 0: The Rochester Rhinos took victory against the Dayton Dutch Lions as Levi Houapeu's goal early in the second half proved the difference in a game that saw a two-hour lightning delay.
Houapeu's goal came 19 seconds after the halftime break as Alex Dixon broke forward after intercepting a pass and then sent a pass across the six-yard area where the former Philadelphia Union player was on hand to finish easily. The game was delayed for two hours in the 68th minute, but the Rhinos were able to hold on for victory as Luis Soffner recorded a pair of saves to earn the shutout.
STANDINGS
Team GP W L T GF GA Pts
Orlando City 12 9 0 3 22 9 30
LA Galaxy II 12 7 2 3 25 13 24
Richmond Kickers 12 6 1 5 27 12 23
Sacramento Republic FC 10 6 3 1 17 11 19
Wilmington Hammerheads FC 8 5 1 2 13 7 17
Rochester Rhinos 11 4 3 2 9 7 17
Charleston Battery 12 3 5 4 11 10 13
Orange County Blues FC 12 4 7 0 12 18 12
Arizona United 9 3 5 1 6 18 10
Charlotte Eagles 10 3 7 0 12 16 9
OKC Energy FC 10 3 7 0 12 20 9
Harrisburg City Islanders 9 2 5 2 11 18 8
Dayton Dutch Lions FC 10 2 6 2 9 20 8
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 10 0 6 4 9 19 4
RESULTS
Friday, May 30
Rochester 0, Richmond 0
Saturday, May 31
Wilmington 2, Charlotte 1
Richmond 3, Harrisburg 2
Orlando 2, Charleston 0
Oklahoma City 1, New York Reserves 0
Orange County 2, Arizona 0
Sunday, June 1
LA Galaxy II 1, Seattle Reserves 0
Pittsburgh 1, Harrisburg 1
Rochester 1, Dayton 0
SCHEDULE
Friday, June 6
Wilmington vs. Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 7
Richmond vs. Harrisburg, 7 p.m. ET
Charlotte vs. Oklahoma City, 7 p.m. ET
Rochester vs. Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m. ET
Orlando vs. Montreal Impact, 7:30 p.m. ET
Orange County vs. Dayton, 10 p.m. ET
Sacramento vs. Arizona, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, June 8
LA Galaxy II vs. Dayton, 11 p.m. ET
United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 2, 2014
- Three Orlando City Players Called up for National Team Fixtures - Orlando City SC
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
- Energy Grab Victory against Red Bulls Reserves - USL
- Rochester Takes Three Points in Dayton - Rochester Rhinos
- Tough Loss for Dayton Dutch Lions FC against Rochester Rhinos - Dayton Dutch Lions
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