USL United Soccer League Championship

USL PRO Playoffs Begin Saturday

August 22, 2013 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


RICHMOND, VA - The #1 seed Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium to host the #8 seed Dayton Dutch Lions in the USL PRO Quarterfinals this Saturday, August 24. The First Round playoff match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. and the gates open at 5:30 p.m. with live music from the Richmond Rock Exchange, adult beverages in the stadium's outdoor bar, food trucks, ice cream and games for kids. Tickets are on sale now for $12/adult and $7/youth ages 3-17 at RichmondKickers.com.

The Kickers concluded the 2013 regular season atop the USL PRO table with a 15-1-10 record and 55 points, en route to their sixth Regular Season Championship title. After a thrilling 2-0 win against the two-time defending champions, Orlando City, last week, the Kickers finished the regular season on the road with a 1-1 draw in Pittsburgh three days later. A scoreless first half gave way to a pair of second half tallies that occurred in rapid fire succession when the Riverhounds buried a 65th minute goal before Kickers midfielder Joseph Ngwenya fired home the equalizer three minutes later.

Meanwhile, Dayton (10-9-7, 37 points) ended the regular season on a high note with a convincing 3-1 win over the Harrisburg City Islanders last week. With their postseason dreams on the line, the Dutch Lions rallied from a first half deficit to post three unanswered second half goals when top scorers Eli Garner, Gibson Bardsley and Brandon Swartzendruber produced multiple-point performances to earn their side their first-ever playoff berth.

Carrying a 7-0-1 series advantage into the weekend, the Kickers meet the third-year Dutch Lions for the third time this season. The Kickers most recently hosted Dayton at City Stadium on August 10 when the Kickers came away with a 5-2 win with Matthew Delicâte and Brian Ownby responsible for a pair of goals each and Nate Robinson adding a fifth. Garner and an own goal put the Dutch Lions back into contention but the visitors could not overcome the early shortfall.

Previously, the two clubs opened the 2013 series at Beavercreek Stadium in early July when end-to-end action saw Swartzendruber give the Dutch Lions a 4th minute lead, which they carried through the first 45 minutes until a pair of Luke Vercollone tallies, followed by a Michael Seaton goal put the Kickers on top in the second half. Dayton defender Greg Preciado pulled a goal back with three minutes remaining in regulation but the Kickers defense shut down the home side's late-game attack to come away with a 3-2 victory.

The winner of Saturday's game will advance to the USL PRO Semifinals to face the winner of the #4 seed Harrisburg City Islanders versus #5 seed Charlotte Eagles match.

Players to Watch:

Kickers: Goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra (#50) claimed the USL PRO Goals Against Average award as he finished the season with a GAA of 0.863. Joining the Kickers on loan from D.C. United, Dykstra was a key factor for the stingiest defense in USL PRO, leading the league with 10 shutouts in 22 appearances. After scoring the equalizer in the Kickers 1-1 regular season finale at Pittsburgh, midfielder Joseph Ngwenya (#27) further cemented himself as the club's leading scorer this season with 10 goals and six assists overall. Bringing eight years of MLS experience to Richmond, the Zimbabwean International finished ninth in the league with 23 points during the regular season. The Kickers all-time leading scorer, Matthew Delicâte (#7) has posted five goals in his last four games, most recently earning USL PRO Player of the Week honors for his double against Orlando City to clinch the Regular Season title. Now in his seventh season with the Kickers, Delicâte eclipsed the franchise's all-time scoring record in 2012, notching 71 goals and 19 assists since 2004.

Dutch Lions: Forward Gibson Bardsley (#7) leads the Dutch Lions for the second consecutive season since signing with the club prior to the 2012 campaign. Adding a goal and two assists against Harrisburg last week to push the Dutch Lions into the playoffs, the Fall City, Washington native has amassed nine goals and seven assists, finishing sixth in the league with 25 points. Featuring for nearly every minute of every game played during the 2013 regular season, midfielder Joel DeLass (#8) has notched six goals and added one assist. Signing with Dayton in 2011 after spending one season with the Charlotte Eagles, he was named to the USL PRO All-League Second Team in 2012. Defender Brock Granger (#4) was named to the USL PRO Team of the Week this week after a solid defensive performance led the Dutch Lions past Harrisburg. The former Portland Timbers U23s player was drafted in the third round of the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft by Real Salt lake before signing with the Dutch Lions for his rookie season.

USL PRO Playoff Structure

Kicking off this weekend, the 2013 USL PRO Playoffs will include the top eight finishers in the table with the #1 seed Richmond Kickers hosting #8 Dayton Dutch Lions, #2 seed Orlando City hosting #7 Pittsburgh Riverhounds, #3 seed Charleston Battery hosting #6 Los Angeles Blues and the #4 seed Harrisburg City Islanders hosting #5 Charlotte Eagles on Saturday, August 24. The Semifinals featuring the four remaining teams will be played the following weekend, with the 2013 USL PRO Championship set for the weekend of September 6-8. All playoff rounds feature a single-game knockout format and teams will not be re-seeded following each round.

2014 Richmond Kickers Season Passes On Sale Now

Don't miss a minute of exciting Richmond Kickers Pro action next season. Richmond Kickers season passes offer unbeatable value, VIP benefits and incredibly low prices to all regular season home games, which are a fantastic way to get together with friends, family and colleagues for an unforgettable entertainment experience. Season Passes purchased by Saturday, August 24 include a free ticket to the Kickers USL PRO Quarterfinal match versus Dayton at City Stadium - order now.

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