USL Richmond Kickers

Kickers Face Western Mass Saturday

Published on May 26, 2009 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Tuesday, May 26, 2009) - The Richmond Kickers return to the University of Richmond Stadium to host the Western Mass Pioneers this Saturday, May 30th at 7:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to purchase pet-friendly, VIP tickets in advance and bring their canine friends to the game on Saturday. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Richmond SPCA and the first 200 fans through the gate will receive a goodie bag courtesy of Holiday Barn. Follow the match LIVE via USL Match Tracker Saturday.

The Kickers and the Pioneers swap home field advantage after the Kickers came away with a 2-0 road win earlier this month. Taking an early lead, Kickers midfielder David Bulow was the first to strike in the 6th minute. Scoring duo Mike Burke and Matthew Delicâte connected just after the second half restart to round out the final scoreline. The Kickers first and only win of the season has been followed by a pair of 1-1 home draws against the Charlotte Eagles and most recently, Crystal Palace Baltimore. Looking to snap a streak of stalemates at home to start the season, Richmond resides mid-table with a 1-1-4 record and seven points.

Meanwhile, Western Mass, who are currently 1-4-0 with 3 points, notched their first win of the season, overthrowing the league-leading Wilmington Hammerheads and breaking a four-game winless trend. Struggling to get out of the standings basement, the Pioneers edged the Hammerheads 2-1 on a pair of first half goals. Defender Federico Molinari put Western Mass on the scoreboard in the 19th minute on an assist by midfielder Yan Klukowski. Klukowski doubled their lead 10 minutes later but could not hold on to the shutout as Wilmington cut the deficit early in the second half.

Last season, the Kickers swept a three-game series against the Pioneers, including a U.S. Open Cup Second Round victory. Overall, Richmond holds a 7-0-1 advantage over Western Mass. Concluding the 2008 campaign in sixth place in the standings, the Pioneers rounded out the field of six teams to qualify for postseason play for the first time since their Championship appearance in 2005. Battling the eventual USL-2 Champions Cleveland City Stars in the First Round, the Pioneers were ousted from the playoffs after a 4-2 loss.

Players to Watch

Kickers: Fresh off of a National Indoor Soccer League Championship with the Baltimore Blast, Adrian Bumbut (#9) notched his first goal of the 2009 campaign to level the score against Crystal Palace Baltimore last weekend. The Romanian midfielder connected on a Joey Worthen (#8) feed to bury the ball from close-range. Worthen returned to Richmond prior to the 2009 season and has quickly made his presence known, residing in third place in scoring on the team with a goal and an assist. Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale (#22) shores up a solid defense that has allowed just four goals in the past five games. The 10-year veteran posted his first shutout of the season against Western Mass earlier this month. Newcomer Yomby William (#2) anchors the backline and kept the Baltimore offense at bay last weekend, clearing several chances from harm's way. The native of Cameroon joined the Kickers from USL-1 side Puerto Rico Islanders. Leading scorer Matthew "Deli" Delicate (#7) is ranked in the top five in both the points and goals categories with three goals and seven points.

Pioneers: Midfielder Yan Klukowski (#6) moved into first in scoring on the team last weekend after notching an assist and the game-winning goal over league-leading Wilmington. The rookie out of Central Connecticut State University was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year and captained the England U-18 National Team in 2005. Fan favorite Neil Krause (#22) and forward Jeff Deren (#13) led the Pioneers in 2008 with 14 points each, ranking in the top 10 in the league in points. Joining Deren on the 2008 USL-2 All-League Second Team, defender Federico Molinari (#7) also led the Pioneers in assists with five, good for a fourth-place finish in the league assists category. The Argentinean defender doubled as an offensive threat last weekend, notching a goal in the Pioneers 2-1 win over Wilmington. The Pioneers welcome USL-2 standout Almir Barbosa (#9) who joins the lineup after spending the 2008 season with Harrisburg. Barbosa started his professional career with the now-PDL side New Hampshire Phantoms where he earned USL-2 All-League First Team honors in 2006.

Destiny Update

The Richmond Kickers Destiny of the USL W-League opened the 2009 campaign with 3-3 draw and a 4-1 loss during back-to-back contests against the Cary Lady Clarets and Charlotte Lady Eagles, respectively. Defender Katie Carr notched two goals on the road against rookie franchise Cary, including a 90th minute equalizer last Friday. Meanwhile, the Destiny could not rally back from 4-1 thrashing, led by Lady Eagles veteran Christy Rife's hat trick one day later. Kickers defender Samara Stephen-Dowd helped the Destiny avoid the shutout, adding the Kickers lone goal early in the second half. The Destiny take to the road this weekend, traveling to the Atlanta Silverbacks on Saturday, May 30th before returning to the University of Richmond Stadium to host the Hampton Roads Piranhas on Saturday, June 6th.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 26, 2009


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