Hearts End Regular Season with Draw, Set Sights on Playoffs
Published on October 25, 2025 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Portland Hearts of Pine News Release
PORTLAND, Maine - Portland Hearts of Pine (11-12-7) wrapped up their inaugural regular season with a 2-2 tie against AV Alta FC (8-12-10) on Saturday night, putting on one final show in front of a raucous crowd of 6,089 Hearts faithful.
A season that began seven months ago with a U.S. Open Cup party in Lewiston ended in more somber fashion tonight, with Hearts paying tribute to the victims of the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting through a moment of silence, Lewiston's Bates Crosstones singing the national anthem, and the Dirigo Union leading a round of applause in honor of the victims in the 18th minute with blue hearts on the back of the stands serving as a fitting backdrop.
What followed was a scrappy 90 minutes of soccer, with 28 fouls leading to six yellow cards and a red card for Portland midfielder Masashi Wada, who picked up two yellow cards in a four-minute span midway through the second half and will now miss the team's quarterfinal next weekend.
Wada scored Hearts' first goal in the 35th minute, heading home Nathan Messer's cross off an Ollie Wright short corner.
Portland then added its second in the 63rd minute, when Wright attempted a bicycle kick that was blocked by Jimmie Villalobos into the path of Messer, who rocketed a low one-time shot past Denzil Smith and inside the far post for his seventh goal of the season.
But while Hearts held the edge in possession, shots, big chances, and corner kicks, AV Alta FC had Eduardo Blancas, and in the end the forward proved to be the difference between three points and one for Portland. Alta's leading scorer blasted free kicks into the back of the Hearts net in the eighth and 70th minutes, ensuring neither side got the result it wanted. The tie meant Portland was unable to finish in the top four and secure a home quarterfinal, and meant AV Alta couldn't move into the top eight and secure a playoff berth.
As the Fitzpatrick Stadium lights turned off late Saturday night, bringing an end to a regular season filled with memories that will last many Maine lifetimes, the team's attention now turns to the playoffs. The first weekend of November means it's time for knockout soccer-at least one more chance for another Ollie Wright hat trick, more Hunter Morse heroics, Mikey Lopez bossing the midfield, Jay Tee Kamara slaloming through defenders, Nathan Messer unleashing crosses and shots with both feet, and more.
GOALS
POR - Masashi Wada 35' (Nathan Messer), Messer 63'
AV - Eduardo Blancas 8', Blancas 70'
DISCIPLINE
YC - Natty James (POR 20'), Kaloyan Pehlivanov (AV 23'), Michel Poon-Angeron (POR 32'), Adam Aoumaich (AV 45'), Masashi Wada (POR 68'), Wada (POR 72')
RC - Masashi Wada (POR 72')
LINEUPS
PORTLAND - Hunter Morse, Nathan Messer, Kemali Green, Séga Coulibaly (Colby Quiñones 82'), Shandon Wright (Sean Vinberg 58'), Mikey Lopez ©, Michel Poon-Angeron (Pat Langlois 58'), Masashi Wada, Ollie Wright, Titus Washington (Azaad Liadi 82'), Natty James (Jay Tee Kamara 82')
Unused substitutes - Kash Oladapo, Jake Keegan
AV ALTA - Denzil Smith, Miguel Pajaro ©, Christian Ortiz, Erick Gonzalez (Miguel Ibarra 89'), Kaloyan Pehlivanov (Jerry Desdunes 63'), Osvaldo Lay (Walmer Martinez 77'), Alexis Cerritos, Sebastian Cruz (Steven Ramos 89'), Jimmie Villalobos, Adam Aoumaich (Javier Mariona 46'), Eduardo Blancas
Unused substitutes - Carlos Avilez, Luca Mastrantonio
United Soccer League One Stories from October 25, 2025
- Spokane Velocity FC Close out Regular Season with Gritty Draw Against Union Omaha - Spokane Velocity FC
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- Kickers Close out Season with a Decisive Win in Front of 5,193 Fans - Richmond Kickers
- Tormenta FC Dominates Texoma FC at Home - South Georgia Tormenta FC
- Hearts End Regular Season with Draw, Set Sights on Playoffs - Portland Hearts of Pine
- Triumph Fall Short in Season Finale at Knoxville - Greenville Triumph SC
- Charlotte Independence Clinch Playoff Spot Despite Loss to Naples - Charlotte Independence
- Forward Madison FC Fall on Decision Day in Richmond - Forward Madison FC
- Know Before You Go: vs. Spokane Velocity - Union Omaha
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