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JT Noone (PK) 108’
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The Ocean City Barons are the lone amateur club remaining in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after a 1-0 overtime win over Real Maryland of the USL Second Division. The difference in the match was a JT Noone penalty kick in the 108th minute after a Monarchs player was called for a handball off an Ocean City corner kick.
| Amateur clubs with two straight pro team upsets in the US Open Cup |
| Michigan Bucks – 1999 First Round: vs. Austin Lone Stars (D3), 3-2 Second Round: vs. Minnesota Thunder (A-Lg), 2-1Fresno Fuego – 2003 Second Round: vs. Utah Blitzz (PSL), 4-0 Third Round: vs. El Paso Patriots (A-Lg), 5-2Des Moines Menace – 2005 First Round: vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2), 1-1 (Des Moines advance on PKs 4-2) Second Round: vs. Charleston Battery (USL-1), 3-2 Third Round: vs. Atlanta Silverback (USL-1), 5-1 Carolina Dynamo – 2006 Dallas Roma FC – 2006 Ocean City Barons – 2009 |
“I like taking ,” said Noone after playing in the biggest match of his soccer career. “I don’t try to overthink it. I just took a deep breath and struck it well.”
After scoring the goal, the All-American from Temple University ran to the corner flag to celebrate where he was mobbed by his teammates (SEE VIDEO BELOW).
Boston College goalkeeper Tunde Ogunbiyi, who has yet to allow a goal in his first Open Cup campaign, made five saves for his second straight shutout.
“This is undoubtadly, the biggest win and the biggest occasion in Barons history to date,” said head coach Neil Holloway. “Beating two professional teams and then to move on to play one of the most famous clubs in the country in D.C. United, it’s really just incredible.”
“We’re all just elated,” said Barons captain Joe Banks (Drexel / Sicklerville, NJ), who has seen every Open Cup run by the club since they joined the PDL in 2003. “It doesn’t get much better than this. This might be one of the best teams we’ve ever had, maybe even better than the 2004 team. With a win like this it’s only going to bring us all closer together.”
As the last remaining amateur club, the Barons will pocket $10,000 in prize money. Ocean City is only the sixth amateur team to ever eliminate two professional teams in a row.
The win earns the PDL club their first-ever date with a Major League Soccer team. They will travel to the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, Md. to take on defending Open Cup champion DC United on June 30. It will also mark the first time that United has faced an amateur team in the Open Cup.
Game-winning penalty kick by JT Noone