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NASL North Carolina FC

North Carolina FC Secures No. 3 Playoff Seed with 2-2 Draw at Indy Eleven

October 30, 2017 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


INDIANAPOLIS, (Oct. 29, 2017) - North Carolina FC clinched the No. 3 seed in the NASL playoffs and earned the most points on the road in a single NASL season after a 2-2 draw with the Indy Eleven at Michael A. Carroll Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The draw moves NCFC to 45 points in the NASL combined table. The club earned 23 of those points on the road, which sets the club record for most away points in a single season, beating the previous record of 20 from 2011.

North Carolina FC opened the scoring with a strike from Billy Schuler in the fourth minute. Danny Barrow, who earned his first cap with the club, created the chance after dribbling into space and playing Schuler in behind the defense. Schuler finished the chance from 12 yards out, beating a diving Jon Busch to the far post.

After NCFC's quick start, Indy responded with an equalizer in the 20th minute from Eamon Zayed. The striker found an opening at the far post and buried a one-time strike off a cross from Ben Speas.

Indy had its chances to take the lead in the first half, but excellent saves from Brian Sylvestre and Macklin Robinson - who entered the match in the 32nd minute, kept the home side at bay.

The Eleven found the go-ahead goal in the 65th minute when Cory Miller snuck past the NCFC backline and finished off a cross from Nemanja Vukovic.

The lead would nearly hold until the final whistle, but NCFC's attacking persistence paid off with a goal in the 89th minute. Schuler scored his sixth of the season after heading in a corner kick from Lance Laing. The glancing header took a deflection off an Indy defender on the way into the net, which clinched the No. 3 overall seed in the NASL playoffs.

Up Next:

North Carolina FC will set its sights on the 2017 NASL playoffs, as it travels to face the San Francisco Deltas. The teams will play at Kezar Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. in the semifinal round of the playoffs. The winner will face the winner between the New York Cosmos and Miami FC.

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North American Soccer League Stories from October 30, 2017


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