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Kenny Bundy 37’
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The Wilmington Hammerheads beat an MLS team for the first time since 2003 (Dallas Burn) to advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time since that same year. They defeated the Chicago Fire by a scoreline of 1-0 at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, North Carolina. The loss marked the first time in franchise history that the Fire, a four-time US Open Cup champion, have been eliminated from the tournament by a USL Second Division team.
After being named TheCup.us Player of the Second Round, Kenny Bundy once again led the Hammerheads to victory, this time, on a 37th minute goal. He received a pass from across goal from Tim Karalexis and he placed it by Chicago keeper Andrew Dykstra to give his team the 1-0 lead.
The Fire had plenty of chances in the second half to tie the game, but it wasn’t meant to be. A Stefen Dimitrov header in the 73rd minute sailed right, the ball rolled past an empty net in the 81st minute with no one around to put it home, and Wilmington defenders stepped up big in the 86th minute by blocking three consecutive shots to back up their keeper, Daryl Sattler, who had come off his line to defend a shot.
The Hammerheads move on to play the Rochester Rhinos in the Quarterfinals next week in Rochester, New York.