Silverbacks finish season, playoffs just out of reach

September 14, 2005 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


The Atlanta Silverbacks split their two-game road trip with a loss to the Portland Timbers and a win against the Minnesota Thunder. The road trip marked the end of the Silverbacks' regular season and an end to the hotly contested race for the playoffs. The Minnesota Thunder dealt the Silverbacks a devastating loss (1-6) and knocked Atlanta from the playoff race last Thursday at PGE Park in Portland. The Silverbacks rallied and finished the season on a positive note when they beat (3-1) the Minnesota Thunder Saturday night at James Griffin Stadium in St. Paul.

Atlanta's leading scorer, Fabian Dawkins went out with a bang and scored all three goals for the Silverbacks against the Thunder. Minnesota came out strong with numerous early chances, but the Silverbacks defense held them off. The Thunder slipped one past the Silverbacks and finally put one in the net in the 26th minute. The Silverbacks weren't behind for long; they evened the score seven minutes later when Dawkins headed the ball between the posts off a cross from Ivalio Ilarionov. Dawkins later took on the Minnesota defense un-assisted and scored... twice. The game ended (3-1) with a hat-trick in the books for Dawkins.

The Silverbacks (10-15-3) finished the season eighth in USL standings with 33 points. The top six teams in the USL continue to the playoffs with the Montreal Impact (61 pts) leading the way ahead of the Rochester Raging Rhinos (51), the Vancouver Whitecaps (45), the Seattle Sounders (44), the Portland Timbers (39), and the Richmond Kickers (39). The Atlanta Silverbacks will continue their exciting play and race for the playoffs next season in the new stadium.



USL First Division Stories from September 14, 2005


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