Connally Edozien

2007 Semifinals: Noonan’s OT goal puts 10-man Revolution past 9-man RailHawks

September 4, 2007 by

: Former teammates Connally Edozien of Carolina and New England’s Shalrie Joseph were sent off after this near-fight late in the first half. 8 yellows and 3 reds were shown that night. Photo: Tony Biscaia | RevsNet.com

Pat Noonan’s goal in the fourth minute of extra time was enough to earn the New England Revolution their second trip to the US Open Cup final with a 2-1 win over the Carolina RailHawks. The visitors struck first in the 6th minute when Anthony Maher scored on a pass from Johnny Steele. New England would equalize in first-half stoppage time, as Jeff Larentowicz tallied on a diving header on an assist from Noonan.

Prior to the Revs equalizer, Carolina’s Connolly Edozien and New England’s Shalrie Joseph were both sent off when a fight nearly broke out between the two teams. Reckless and unpunished fouls on both sides peaked after a foul committed by Avery John on Carolina’s Johnny Steele, led to some pushing and shoving that escalated and saw the two former teammates ejected in the 42nd minute.

The game was marred with eight yellow cards and after Carolina defender David Stokes was sent off in the 80th minute, that brought the red card total to three.

Noonan would prove to be the hero for New England, scoring the game-winner four minutes into extra time on an assist from rookie Adam Cristman.

Despite playing a man down for the last ten minutes of regulation and through all 30 minutes of extra time, the RailHawks continued to hang on and nearly equalized on a frantic corner kick play in the dying seconds of the match. Chad Dombrowski’s header on goal forced Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis to dive to his left to make the save, and to send New England to the championship game for the first time since they lost the 2001 title game to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Revolution will aim for their first trophy in team history when they face FC Dallas in the Open Cup Final. The match will be played October 3rd at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX.

SCORING SUMMARY
CAR – Anthony Maher (Jonny Steele) 6
NE – Jeff Larentowicz (Pat Noonan) 48+
NE – Pat Noonan (Adam Cristman) 93

CAROLINA RAILHAWKS: Chris McClellan, Caleb Norkus (Kevin Jeffrey 106), Frankie SanFilippo ©, David Stokes, Chad Dombrowski, Kupano Low, Stuart Brightwell (McColm Cephas 106), Jonny Steele, Philip Long (Joey Worthen 61), Connally Edozian, Anthony Maher (Joel Bailey 74)
Substitutes Not Used: John O’Hara, Matt Maher

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION: Matt Reis, Avery John (Sainey Nyassi 91), Michael Parkhurst, James Riley, Khano Smith, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Steve Ralston, Andy Dorman, Adam Cristman, Pat Noonan (Chris Loftus 106)
Substitutes Not Used: Doug Warren, Amaechi Igwe, Gary Flood, Kyle Helton, Bryan Byrne

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
CAR – Anthony Maher (caution) 21
CAR – David Stokes (caution) 41
NE – Avery John (caution) 41
CAR – Connally Edozien (ejection) 42
NE – Shalrie Joseph (ejection) 42
CAR – Kupano Low (caution) 55
NE – Jeff Larentowicz (caution) 73
CAR – David Stokes (ejection) 80
NE – Adam Cristman (caution) 88
CAR – Joel Bailey (caution) 106
CAR – Chad Dombrowski (caution) 110

MATCH STATISTICS             CAR        NE
Shots                                               8            18
Shots on Goal                              2             7
Saves                                               5             2
Fouls                                             17           20
Corners                                          5             8
Offsides                                         11            6

Referee: Shane Moody
Referee’s Assistant (SAR): Claudio Badea
Referee’s Assistant (JAR): Victor Matheson
Fourth Official: Gus St. Silva

Weather: Clear and 78 degrees
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 4,203

2007 Quarterfinals: RailHawks swoop into the Semifinals, beat Richmond 1-0

August 7, 2007 by

In a rare all-USL Quarterfinal match, the Carolina RailHawks advanced to the Semifinals with a 1-0 win at home over the Richmond Kickers. Connally Edozien was the hero for the home side scoring in the 64th minute on a cross from Jonny Steele.

The Hawks will play the New England Revolution (Edozien’s former club) in the final four.

The Kickers, the defending Second Division champions, showed little fear, and at times, controlled the run of play against the First Division expansion side.

However, it was the home team that would break the scoreless tie, when Steele streaked down the right wing and sent a cross to the far post. The ball found the foot of Edozien who found net for his fourth goal of the tournament, tied for second in the competition behind Seattle’s Sebastien Le Toux (5).

Richmond nearly equalized in the 90th minute, but Carolina defender Frankie Sanfilippo made an acrobatic clearance off the line on a ball that was destined for the back of the net.

This was the third all-time meeting between two USL clubs in the Quarterfinals. The other two times included the 2004 Open Cup when the Charleston Battery edged the Rochester Raging Rhinos 1-0 and in 1999 when Charleston beat the Staten Island Vipers (A-League) 2-1.

2007 Second Round: Anthony Maher, RailHawks run Bavarians out of town

June 26, 2007 by

Connally Edozien celebrated his 29th birthday with a goal, then turned provider as the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division ousted the final USASA team in the competition, Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC.

The RailHawks dominated play throughout, limiting Bavarian to just a few scoring opportunities in a match delayed nearly an hour at the start because of lightning in the area. The amateur team stood strong until the final eight minutes of the first half, when the duo of Edozien and Anthony Maher put Carolina in charge.

Edozien raced past three Bavarian defenders and onto a through ball from Maher on the right side in the 37th minute. He got Bavarian goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum to commit and slotted a shot home to the far post for his third goal of the competition.

Eight minutes later, Edozien chested down a long ball into Maher’s path on the right doorstep. Fernstrum got both hands on Maher’s shot, but couldn’t stop it from rolling into the goal on the near post, making it 2-0 just before halftime.

The two hooked up for another goal in the 56th minute. RailHawks defender Chad Dombrowski, a Milwaukee-area native whose older brother Scott played all 90 minutes on the back line for Bavarian, found Edozien on the right side. His blast was turned away by Fernstrum, but the keeper couldn’t hold on to the rebound and Maher headed it in for a 3-0 lead.

Both teams substituted liberally from that point, and Carolina midfielder Marcio Leite finished off the scoring in the 79th minute. The Brazilian, who along with Maher plays indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave of the MISL, ripped an impressive 20-yard strike that got over Fernstrum and under the crossbar to seal the RailHawks’ Third Round matchup with the Chicago Fire.

Bavarian’s best chance was an 18-yard shot by Dale Weiler in the first half that Carolina keeper Chris McClellan had to tip wide.

Scoring
(CAR) Connally Edozien 37’
(CAR) Anthony Maher 45’
(CAR) Anthony Maher 56’
(CAR) Marcio Leite 79’

2007 First Round: RailHawks dominate RWB Adria 4-1 in first Open Cup game

June 12, 2007 by

In their debut in the US Open Cup, the Carolina Railhawks, an expansion team in the USL First Division, cruised to a 4-1 victory over Chicago’s RWB Adria at SAS Park.

The ’Hawks wasted no time in taking control of the game, jumping out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a Joey Worthen goal in the 5th minute. By the middle of the first half, the lead grew to 3-0. Connelly Edozien, who was just named the USL-1 Player of the Week, notched goals in the 31st and 34th minutes. With the game in hand, Carolina added a fourth goal nearly twenty minutes into the second half. Caleb Norkus stole a pass in the RailHawks half, passed it to Marco Leite, who then played it back to Norkus, whose shot hit the inside of the right post and into the net.

The Chicago USASA side didn’t leave Cary empty handed, however. Carlos Carrillo scored a goal in the 76th minute.

Carolina will host Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC, upset winners over the USL Second Division’s Cincinnati Kings, in the Second Round on June 26.

Scoring
(CAR) Joey Worthen 5’
(CAR) Connally Edozien 31’
(CAR) Connally Edozien 34’
(CAR) Caleb Norkus 64’
(RWB) Carlos Carrillo 76’

Sent Off : Sinisa Alebic (RWB) 89’