Harrisburg Ties Crystal Palace Baltimore, 0-0, Locks up #3 Playoff Seed
August 7, 2009 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Penn FC News Release
(Harrisburg, PA, August 7, 2009) In their last regular season home match of the season, the Harrisburg City Islanders (9-6-4, 31 points) tied Crystal Palace Baltimore 0-0 in front of 2,251 fans at Skyline Sports Complex. With the draw, the City Islanders are locked in as the #3 seed in the 2009 USL Second Division playoffs, with a road game against either Wilmington or Richmond on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Despite opportunities for each squad, neither team was able to capitalize what was a very physical first half. Harrisburg struggled to organize defensively in the first 20 minutes and several legitimate Baltimore opportunities resulted.
In the 14th minute, Baltimore launched into a dangerous series of opportunities, which culminated with a Palace corner. The ball was cleared, but played right back into a wide open Pat Healey on the right side of the field, Healey's attempt was snatched up by Islander keeper Chase Harrison (three saves). Then in the 17th minute Harrison made a diving save after Paul Robson ripped the ball to the right corner.
By the 20th minute the Islanders looked more organized defensively. A shot by Harrisburg's Jason Pelletier went just wide of the goal in the 25th minute. That opportunity was followed by another courtesy of Tiyi Shipalane in 26th minute after he received ball just inside midfield and dribbled past former Islander Ryan Pierce before being stripped around the 6 yard box. Despite efforts on each side, the game remained scoreless at halftime, and it would the rest of the evening.
In the second half Harrisburg earned the several opportunities but were unable to earn a goal to decide the match. Tiyi Shipalane danced around defenders to rip a shot in the 50th minute that went just wide.
Crystal Palace's best opportunity of the second half, and perhaps the evening, came in the 69th minute when a driven cross by second half substitution Machel Millwood slipped past Harrison and was then shot by Robson. Harrison reached behind himself to make the save and keep the game scoreless.
Both teams continued to pressure and look for the goals they desperately needed to earn a win. In the 85th minute, Shipalane played the ball from around Baltimore's left corner to Jason Pelletier at the top of the box. Pelletier laid the ball off to substitution Nate Baker who bent the ball with the outside of his left food just wide of the net.
Regardless of the result in their last regular season match on Wednesday, at the Western Mass Pioneers, the Islanders have secured the number three spot in the playoffs. They will play at the number two seed, which will be either Wilmington or Richmond, on Saturday, August 22nd.
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United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 7, 2009
- Harrisburg Ties Crystal Palace Baltimore, 0-0, Locks up #3 Playoff Seed - Penn FC
- Missed Opportunities Haunt Palace Again as Game Ends 0-0, Playoffs Still Possible - Crystal Palace Baltimore
- CAA Silver Anniversary Team Announced - Richmond Kickers
- Islanders Host Baltimore in Final Regular Season Home Match - Penn FC
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