Kenny Bundy

2009 Third Round: Randi Patterson’s brace earns him Player of the Round

July 7, 2009 by

With a 3-1 victory over Chivas USA of Major League Soccer in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the Charleston Battery became the first USL team to advance to the Quarterfinals three years in a row. The main reason they were able to do that was Randi Patterson, who scored two goals in the match, and for his efforts, he has been voted as TheCup.us Player of the Round.

In a more decisive vote than the previous two rounds, Patterson beat out the Houston Dynamo’s Corey Ashe (1 goal, 1 assist in 2-0 win at Austin Aztex), and the Wilmington duo of goalkeeper Daryl Sattler and last round’s top player, Kenny Bundy, who helped the Hammerheads beat the Chicago Fire 1-0.

The Player of the Round is selected by the staff of TheCup.us and members of the North American Soccer Reporters, a group that consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information about the NASR can be found at www.soccerreporters.com (Note: A new website is in the works).

The former UNC-Greensboro star took time to talk to TheCup.us about his Open Cup experience and the difference between playing in MLS and the USL.

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TheCup.us: With your great start to this year’s tournament and your appearance in the final last year, not to mention your form in league play, your club’s confidence must be at an all-time high right now.

Patterson: We have been playing very well this season we had a rough start in the beginning scoring goals but we finally picked that up. Our defense has been excellent; without them we wouldn’t be where we are today.

TheCup.us: Tell us about the Third Round match against Chivas USA and the two goals that you scored.

Patterson: The Chivas game was really intense. They are a great team and to be honest they had most of the possession throught the game but we finished our chances. The first goal I scored I knew Kenji had a long throw-in so I made sure I was on the back post to clean up anything that came through. The second goal was because of an excellent pass by Spicer which gave me space to take a shot.

TheCup.us: You’ve had some Open Cup experience prior to turning pro when you were with the Carolina Dynamo in the PDL. You had a tremendous run through the tournament (defeating the Seattle Sounders along the way), advancing all the way to the Fourth Round. What was that experience like?

Patterson: It was a great experience during the PDL season playing in the Open Cup. We had a great team that year and it showed advancing that far. It was a great opportunity to show what we could do before the MLS draft took place.

TheCup.us: In the Fourth Round that year, your Carolina Dynamo faced the Houston Dynamo. What was the team/organization’s reaction when Houston chose a team name that you guys already had?

Patterson: It was kind of weird that an MLS team chose the name that we had. I heard some other things about that situation but I can’t go into that.

TheCup.us: You spent some time with the New York Red Bulls, but later moved on to Charleston. What has been the difference between the two places and how has your experience been in Charleston? What have been the differences between MLS and USL-1?

Patterson: The difference is that playing near New York City was that you always had something to do. I lived in Teaneck all my life which is 10 minutes from New York City so there was always something for me to do. In Charleston, it’s a nice place but it’s not like New York City. Charleston has the beach and the downtown area which is beautiful and also the people are really nice. There isn’t a big difference just maybe the speed of play. Obviously it’s a lot faster in MLS but other than that I don’t see a difference.

2009 Third Round: Wilmington Hammerheads become first USL-2 team to upset Chicago Fire

June 30, 2009 by

Legion Stadium – Wilmington, NC | 7 p.m.

Match Reports: Wilmington | Wilmington Star News | Chicago

	1	FT	0
Kenny Bundy 37’

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.

2009 Second Round: Q&A with Player of the Round Kenny Bundy of Wilmington Hammerheads

June 18, 2009 by

Wilmington Hammerheads midfielder Kenny Bundy has been named the TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Second Round of the 2009 tournament. Bundy came on as a 68th minute substitute for Wilmington in their match against the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division, and scored a goal in the final minute of extra time to tie the match at 3-3. Bundy also converted one of the Hammerheads’ penalty kicks in the tiebreaker.

In another narrow vote, Bundy edged Ocean City Barons goalkeeper Tunde Ogunbiyi and Portland Timbers forward Mandjou Keita. Ogunbiyi kept a clean sheet in the Barons’ 1-0 upset win in overtime against the Real Maryland Monarchs of the USL Second Division, and Keita scored two late goals to seal the Timbers’ 3-0 victory over the USASA’s Sonoma County Sol.

Bundy’s first run with the Hammerheads was from 2004-06, where he had 11 goals and 10 assists in his 57 games. He left the club to become the Director of Coaching at the Cape Fear Soccer Association, but after a two-year abscence, has come back. Bundy has one goal and three assists this season for the resurgent Hammerheads who are looking to return to the USL Second Division playoffs after missing out the last three seasons.

His tally against Carolina was Bundy’s third career Open Cup goal. The other two also came in Second Round matches, with the first in a 5-0 win against Dallas Roma FC (USASA) in 2005 and the other in 2006 when Wilmington eliminated the PDL’s Virginia Beach Submariners, 3-1.

The goal came just two minutes after Carolina’s Gavin Glinton seemingly gave the RailHawks a 3-2 win, and was the result of a long free kick which was headed toward Bundy. Bundy then beat Carolina goalkeeper Caleb Patterson to send the game to penalty kicks. In the penalty session, Bundy scored on Wilmington’s second attempt on their way to winning the tiebreaker 4-3.

We had the opportunity to chat with Kenny recently for TheCup.us’s Player of the Round Q&A.

TheCup.us: Can you tell us about your dramatic equalizer and the wild extra time session between your Hammerheads and the Carolina RailHawks? And how does it rank for you personally?

This was one of the most exciting games I have ever been a part of. The fact that every time a goal was scored the opposite team had a response within two minutes was amazing. We went into extra time knowing the next goal could win the game and scoring that goal three minutes into extra time gave us a huge boost of confidence. There is a split second when we went down 3-2 with two minutes left that doubt set in. As that ball was traveling into our final third it’s funny because you see everything slower and when Timmy headed that ball through all I had to do was get a touch and it was all tied up. If you watch the replay there are several opportunities where that play could have been disrupted, but it was our night.

TheCup.us: After a few disappointing seasons, what would you say is the biggest reason for the Hammerheads’ turnaround this year?

We all have the same goal, win the league and do well in the Open Cup. From the day we started preseason we have been working toward that goal. We have a good core of veteran guys who lead by enthusiasm and by example. Our younger players have experience from the top leagues and colleges, which is experience in its self. This is the balance that I think the teams in the past seasons have lacked.

TheCup.us: You have returned to the Hammerheads this season after a couple of years involved with the Cape Fear Soccer Association. What prompted your return? Are you still involved with Cape Fear and can you tell us about the organization?

Coach Irving called me after the New Year and had a plan to change the team dynamic around. He was bringing in some older veteran players like Chris Bagley and Tim Karalexsis. He asked if I wanted to be a part of this team. Obviously I was in. We discussed my job with Cape Fear Soccer and how we could work the schedule around each other. The Hammerheads have been fantastic about Cape Fear and my obligation. I am a Director with Cape Fear Soccer. We have around 2200 kids and 350 adults in our program. I also coach the 94 Breakers White and the 98 Breakers White. Coaching has become a passion of mine. Everyday I get to wake up and do what I love in a field that I have been involved in my whole life.

TheCup.us: This will be the third MLS team Wilmington has faced in the Open Cup. You took F.C. Dallas to extra time in 2005 and played a tight game with the Red Bulls in 2006. Does your history of being able to compete with the country’s top league give you guys confidence that you can pull off an upset on Tuesday?

Anything can happen at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, NC. We expect it to be a sell out crowd with lots of energy. We have arguably the best fans in the USL-2. Combine that with our team and this is a hard place to play.

TheCup.us: What are some memories you have from previous Open Cup games?

The one that sticks out the most is going into Dallas and going up a goal in the first half. At that moment it didn’t matter what league you were in. The two open cup games this year will stick with me for a while. Both games going long into the game to get a winner. This tournament is special in that aspect that any team from any league on any given night can win.

TheCup.us: Next up is the Chicago Fire … what do you expect from them on Tuesday?

We expect a very good team. Look at there roster, they have exceptional talent and they played a very good style of soccer. I expect a battle. We don’t care who comes into our stadium, we always worry about our game and believe that if we play our way we will come out on top.

2009 Second Round: Wilmington hold off RailHawks in PKs after goal-filled extra time session

June 16, 2009 by

WakeMed Soccer Park – Cary, N.C. | 7 p.m.

Twitter: @RailHawksFC Broadcast: USL Live

Match Reports: News & Observer | Match Statistics

	3	AET	3
Wilmington advance on PKs 4-3
Hamed Diallo (Cunliffe) 34’ Brian Plotkin 98′ Gavin Glinton (Lowery) 118’				22’ Chris Bagley (Watson) 92’ Timothy Karalexis (Murray) 120’+ Kenny Bundy
Penalty Kick Summary
Daniel Paladini – SAVED				GOAL – Chris Murray
John Cunliffe – GOAL				GOAL – Kenny Bundy
Gavin Glinton – GOAL				GOAL – Mark Briggs
Brian Plotkin – GOAL				GOAL – Jamie Watson
Mark Schulte – SAVED

Caleb Patterson made several great saves during regulation as the Carolina RailHawks battled the Wilmington Hammerheads in a wild Second Round US Open Cup match.

However, it was Daryl Sattler came up with the big saves in the shootout, stopping two penalty kicks to send the USL Second Division side into the Third Round thanks to a 4-3 advantage on PKs following a pulsating 3-3 draw at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

“I think they deserved to win,” said Carolina coach Martin Rennie, whose team stands second in the USL First Division table. “I didn’t think we played well tonight. We got a lot of plaudits this season for doing well. Now we have to see how we react to a big disappointment. We went behind twice and came back, which showed character, and then we got the goal that should have been the winner. But right to the end, we didn’t play, so we deserved to lose, I think.”

Sattler made a diving save to deny Daniel Paladini on the first penalty kick, then stopped fifth shooter Mark Schulte to win it. All four Hammerheads shooters — Chris Murray, Kenny Bundy, Mark Briggs and Jamie Watson — made their kicks.

Each team scored twice during the 30 minutes of extra time, with Bundy’s goal in the last of the 120 minutes forcing the match to penalty kicks. His goal came two minutes after substitute Gavin Glinton nodded a flick from Amir Lowery past Sattler to seemingly seal the RailHawks’ passage into the Third Round for the third straight year.

Wilmington led twice, first through Chris Bagley in the 21st minute and then again thanks to Tim Karalexis, who scored off a rebound in the 92nd. But Carolina answered each time, Hamed Diallo doing the honors in the 34th and Brian Plotkin converting a header in the 98th — just a minute after coming into the game.

The Hammerheads have progressed to at least the Third Round in their last five US Open Cup appearances (2003-06 and 2009).

Lineups

CAROLINA: GK Caleb Patterson, D Devon McKenney, D Jeremy Tolleson, D John Gilkerson, M Luke Kreamalmeyer (Joseph Kabwe, 72nd), M Amir Lowery, M Daniel Paladini, M John Cunliffe, F Matt Watson (Brian Plotkin 97), F Hamed Diallo (Gavin Glinton 81).

WILMINGTON: GK Daryl Sattler, D Jerit Thayer, D Tim Karalexis, D Colin Falvey, D Graham Tatters, M Ryan Solle (Kenny Bundy, 68th), M Mark Briggs, M Zeke Dombrowski, M Jamie Franks (Chris Murray 69), F Chris Bagley (Zyler Noviello 105), F Jamie Watson.

Yellow cards: W Tatters (18), W Watson (32), C Lowery (35), C Cunliffe (43), C McKenney (95), C Schulte (105), W Falvey (120).