Hearts Fall to Westchester in Penalty Shootout to Open USL Cup Play
USL1 Portland Hearts of Pine

Hearts Fall to Westchester in Penalty Shootout to Open USL Cup Play

Published on April 25, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Portland Hearts of Pine News Release


MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. - The Hearts of Pine opened their 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup campaign on a cool, rainy night in New York, falling to Westchester SC in a penalty shootout after a hard-fought, end-to-end match.

Portland came out sharp despite the slick conditions, creating early pressure with dangerous service into the box. Ollie Wright forced an early save from Hammersley, while Mo Mohamed made his presence felt on both sides of the ball, breaking up a Westchester attack before driving forward to spring the Hearts in transition. Moments later, Hammersley was called into action again, diving low to deny Terzhagi from distance.

The breakthrough came in the 7th minute, when Esteban Espinosa met a corner with a powerful header past the keeper to give the Hearts an early lead.

Westchester responded quickly, pushing the tempo and creating chances of their own. Hunter Morse came up with a pair of key saves following the equalizer, first getting down to his right to collect a headed effort before reacting quickly to make a kick save as Kyle Evans broke in behind. Connor McGlynn and Titus Washington also found space in dangerous areas, but both efforts drifted just wide.

Westchester continued to press as the conditions worsened, and were rewarded when a foul in the box led to a penalty. McGlynn stepped up and converted, leveling the match.

The Hearts continued to find moments going forward, with Terzhagi earning a free kick in a dangerous area after strong hold-up play. The resulting sequence led to another opportunity for Wright, whose powerful strike forced a save. At the other end, Morse and Faye combined for a series of key interventions, including a strong stop from Morse on a driven effort from Dean Guezen to keep the match level heading into the break.

After a series of second-half substitutions slowed the tempo, Portland began to raise its line and apply pressure. That approach paid off in the 84th minute, when Ollie Wright delivered a right-footed ball into the box that skipped through traffic and tucked into the side netting to level the match.

With the score tied at full time, the match moved directly to penalties, where both goalkeepers made their mark. Wright converted the opening kick for the Hearts, while Morse produced a save of his own in the shootout. Westchester goalkeeper Hammersley ultimately proved decisive, making the final stop in sudden death to give the hosts a 5-4 edge from the spot.

The performance showed resilience and attacking intent in difficult conditions, giving the Hearts a solid foundation as they continue group play in the USL Cup.

Up Next: The Hearts return to USL League One action at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Saturday, May 2nd at 5:00 p.m., hosting the New York Cosmos in the second meeting between the sides this season.

Check out the Portland Hearts of Pine Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League One Stories from April 25, 2026


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.

OurSports Central