Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Ocean City Nor'Easters

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Maryland Bobcats score on final kick of OT to stun Ocean City Nor’easters

by

Players from the Maryland Bobcats during their 2023 US Open Cup match vs. Ocean City Nor'easters. Photo: Maryland Bobcats
Players from the Maryland Bobcats during their 2023 US Open Cup match vs. Ocean City Nor’easters. Photo: Maryland Bobcats

The Maryland Soccerplex has played host to plenty of wild US Open Cup matches and Wednesday night was no different as the Maryland Bobcats defeated the Ocean City Nor’easters 3-2 in a chippy extra time affair in Boyds, Md. 


After overcoming an early 1-0 deficit, the Bobcats came back to take the lead late in the game. When it appeared that the NISA side was going to pick up its first US Open Cup win, the Nor’easters scored an equalizer in second half stoppage time to send the match into extra time. Thirty minutes of game time later, the visitors from USL League Two appeared to be ready to take the pros to penalty kicks. But the Bobcats scored a goal in the second minute of stoppage time in overtime off a corner kick. It would prove to be the last kick of the game. 

The Bobcats will advance to Round 3 where they will get a rematch with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Championship). Last year, Pittsburgh ruined Maryland’s tournament debut by eliminating them, 2-0. 

From the start of the first whistle, both sides came out looking for a tough match. They certainly got it with Bobcats defender Ryan Machado-Jones earning the first yellow card of the match in just the fifth minute. The Nor’easters certainly didn’t want to be left out of the card party, with Kaleb Jackson making an aggressive tackle in the 13th minute.

Ocean City did find their breakthrough with Jackson as he headed home the go-ahead goal on a delivery from Kyle Galloway in the 23rd minute. It was the first career US Open Cup goal for the former Rockhurst University standout. Last year, he made his Open Cup debut as he suited up for AC Syracuse Pulse in their First Round match against FC Motown. 


Things once again got testy around the 40th minute when Jackson was sent off with his second yellow card after a reckless tackle. In the scuffle that followed, Richard Forka of Maryland was shown a straight red card which reduced each team to 10 men.

In the second half, the Bobcats offense came alive early with Abdul Kooistra lacing together a series of slick passess with Darwin Espinal. But credit to the Ocean City defense for maintaining a tightly organized line led by captain Dylan Evande.

Maryland got their breakthrough in the 67th minute with a handball in the box going in their favor. Espinal walked up to take the penalty and coolly slotted it home for the Bobcats. It was his first US Open Cup goal since 2017 when he tallied for the South Florida Surf of USL League Two. 


Espinal would bag his second for the Bobcats in the 82nd minute hammering home a pass taken from Kooistra to give his side the late lead.

It looked like they might escape with a come-from-behind win, but a shot by Ocean City’s Farid Mancilla was saved by Maryland goalkeeper Alexander Sutton. Unfortunately, he was unable to control the shot and Ocean City’s Vilius Labuis pounced on the rebound. It was the first career US Open Cup goal for Labuis, who was a first-team NAIA All-American at Rio Grande University in Ohio.

In extra time, the two sides traded attacking chances with neither side able to break the deadlock. Espinal very nearly had another match-winner and a hat trick with a dangerous free kick in the 98th minute but Ocean City goalkeeper Brady Hochman parried the chance over the bar.

In the final minute, the Bobcats made one last push for the game-winner. A shot from the right wing forced a diving save from Hochman that was sent out for a corner kick. Moments earlier, the referee had signaled for a minimum of one minute of stoppage time and as the stadium clock eclipsed that one minute mark, it was clear that the Bobcats’ corner kick was going to be the last kick of the game. The ball was driven into the penalty area and Bobcats teenager Phillip Brown crashed the box and volleyed it into the back of the net from point blank range.

2023 US Open Cup Round 1: Ocean City Nor’easters score 3 unanswered to beat West Chester United

by

Piero Sabroso of the Ocean City Nor'easters celebrates after scoring a goal against West Chester United in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | Philadelphia Soccer Now
Piero Sabroso of the Ocean City Nor’easters celebrates after scoring a goal against West Chester United in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | Philadelphia Soccer Now

The Ocean City Nor’easters scored three unanswered goals and held on in the game’s final minutes to beat West Chester United 3-1 in the opening game of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Tuesday night at YSC Sports in Wayne, Pa. For the Nor’easters, it was the club’s 12th Open Cup win as an amateur side (13th overall), the third-most in the Modern Era (1995-present) behind Flint City Bucks (15) and the Des Moines Menace (13).

As the lone matchup on the opening day of the 2023 tournament, both teams played a spirited back and forth game that saw quality chances from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Dylan Evande’s 60th minute header put the visitors up 2-1, and Andre Sabino’s penalty kick seven minutes later proved enough as the Nor’easters withstood a furious onslaught from the two-time Amateur Cup champions that forced multiple clearances off the line and a few remarkable saves by Brady Hochman to see out the game.

With the win, Ocean City will travel south to face the Maryland Bobcats (NISA) in the Second Round at the Maryland Sportsplex. The last time Ocean City played at that venue was in the 2009 US Open Cup when they narrowly lost to D.C. United on two late goals. The Storm are now 5-4-0 all-time in USOC road games and 13-8-2 overall.

Ocean City and West Chester came out of firing on the fast turf, trading a number of flying tackles and quick transitions. West Chester nearly jumped on the scoresheet in the second minute on a free kick from Kyle Tucker just outside the box, but Hochman made a sprawling top hand save to deny the hosts.


After several surges of possession from both sides, Ocean City’s striker Piero Sabroso appeared to have the opener in the 11th minute when he cut through the West Chester defense and slotted the ball past Cameron Sanders. But the Peruvian was whistled for a foul, and on the ensuing restart, West Chester scored the game’s first goal. Luca Mellor played a long ball from deep within his own half that beat the Ocean City backline. Finn Reese, a former Ocean City player, chased down the ball just ahead of Hochman, dribbling around the keeper and tucked it into the empty net for a 1-0 lead.

Six minutes later, Ocean City equalized on a stunner from Andres Lattore, which should be a candidate for goal of the round. Kevin Curran whipped in a free kick that bounced around the box several times before the ball popped out into the path of Lattore, who unleashed a cracker from the top of the box that hit the back of the net before Sanders had a chance to react.

Tied at 1-1, Ocean City began to carry more of the play, and in the 27th minute Sabroso had another chance denied by the West Chester keeper. Two more chances late in the half, one from Sabino in the 34th minute, and another from Vilius Labutis in the 45th, missed the frame by inches and sent the teams into the break tied at one goal apiece.

Minutes into the second half, Sabroso nearly broke the deadlock, but his long range strike was denied by the post. Ocean City found the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute when Curran’s in-swinging free kick just inside the right corner met Evande at the six. Evande outjumped numerous players and headed the cross into the net for the 2-1 lead.

Ocean City picked up a third in the 67th minute after a scramble at the top of the box led to Sabino’s shot being blocked by Mellor’s hand inside the box. Referee Joshua Encarnacion pointed to the spot, and Sabino converted the ensuing penalty to extend the lead to 3-1.

Both teams made several changes to maintain the intensity, and as West Chester pushed the game’s momentum, Ocean City stayed compact and composed, stopping multiple chances late to preserve the win and advance.


“I’m super pumped,” an emotional first-year Ocean City coach Matt Perrella said after the game. “They’ve trained together for four days, so finding the right players to come in who have the heart and will to win was massive.” With the USL League Two season months away, Ocean City found a way to pull together a roster that could compete immediately in the tournament, and although they may have needed some time to gel, the visiting coach was proud of the way his players performed, even as a slight underdog coming into the game.

Perrella, who was an assistant with Ocean City for two seasons before getting promoted to head coach just a few months ago, was complimentary of his goalkeeper.

“Brady Hochman,” he said, “what a stud, what an amazing game he had.” Perrella, himself a former Rider University goalkeeper and the Nor’easters backup netminder on the night, was impressed with Hochman’s early save on Tucker’s free kick.

“It’s more difficult if you go 25 minutes without making a save and then you’re called to action, so I think that save prepped him for 90 minutes.”

This was the fourth straight win for Ocean City against West Chester. The Nor’easters swept all three meeting in USL League Two play last season, but this United side qualified as a member of the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania. The two rivals will meet three more times in league play this summer.



Ocean City’s striker Sabroso, who helped Bethel University (Ind.) win an NAIA national championship this past season, enjoyed his first experience in the Open Cup and the way his teammates came together in a short time.

“I’m used to two months of preseason then the season,” he said after the game, “and making an improvised trip, meeting players from around the world, and training just four days and win this match and play as brothers felt nice.”

Defender Osman Barrie, who is from New Jersey and previously played for Lone Star FC, also enjoyed his first Open Cup match.

“Coach prepared us well for this,” he said. “He told us this is not going to be a 1-1 kind of game. There’s going to be goals, and it’s going to be a 90-minute game.”

The defender asserted his presence throughout the game and reflected on how well his team defended at the end. “We knew as soon as we got that goal, we gotta stay on the defensive and stay switched on, and I think we did that for the most part.”

Andre "Dede" Sabino of the Ocean City Nor'easters celebrates after scoring a goal against West Chester United in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | Philadelphia Soccer Now
Andre “Dede” Sabino of the Ocean City Nor’easters celebrates after scoring a goal against West Chester United in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | Philadelphia Soccer Now



“It’s a tough night if you don’t finish goals,” West Chester coach Blaise Santangelo said after the game. “I think we could have gone up 3-1, and in less than 5-10 minutes, we’re down 3-1.”

West Chester had the advantage of being the more cohesive side, fresh after securing an EPSA Cup double in recent weeks with wins over United German Hungarians in both state finals.

“We’re not going to win this tournament,” he said, “and now we go on to the next tournament. It was a great night of soccer.”

West Chester has advanced in the tournament twice by penalty kicks, but ended the night still seeking the club’s first official win in the competition.

Last year, West Chester was bounced 1-0 in a First-Round replay by FC Motown. The amateur side will continue regional play in both the USASA Amateur Cup and the Werner Fricker Open Cup, the latter of which the Predators will seek to defend their 2022 national title.

For Ocean City, they will return to the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, Md. for Round 2 against the Maryland Bobcats. The Nor’easters have upset six professional teams, the third-most of any amateur team in the Modern Era. A seventh would tie Des Moines for second-most since 1995. 

 

 

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: Lansdowne Yonkers win rainy PK shootout in Ocean City

by

Shamir Mullings Lansdowne Yonkers FC 2022 US Open Cup
Shamir Mullings of Lansdowne Yonkers FC celebrates after his team’s 4-3 PK shootout win over the Ocean City Nor’easters in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | BrotherlyGame.com

OCEAN CITY, N.J. – After trading early goals in the first half, a tight 1-1 match played in windy and rainy weather conditions a couple hundred yards from the Atlantic Ocean had to be decided by a penalty kick shootout Wednesday night with Lansdowne Yonkers prevailing over hosts Ocean City Nor’easters.

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

“Conditions played a massive part,” Lansdowne Yonkers FC forward Shamir Mullings said after the match. “They were a great side, they didn’t give up and we pushed and pushed and had loads of chances.”

Mullings, who also serves as the New York club’s technical director, scored the equalizer in the 12th minute to cancel out a goal from Pablo Da Silva Marques that had given the hosts the lead four minutes earlier. Marques was able to beat Lansdowne goalkeeper Kabo Danso on a knuckling ball, shooting as he was falling down after collecting a pass from Jason Plumhoff from the near the corner flag on the right side.

Minutes later, Paul McVeigh sent a long ball down the right side of the field that Mullings was able to get to first and fire past Keasel Broome to level the score.

Lansdowne had the better of the chances the rest of the way but as weather conditions worsened the play on the field suffered too with both teams getting a fair share of opportunities on set pieces after fouls. Marques put his teammates in a bind after earning a second yellow – minutes after his first – with a late challenge out of bounds but the visitors from Yonkers were unable to find a winner and the game went to penalties. 

After 37-year-old Ocean City native Adam Sternberger converted their first kick, the Nor’easters found themselves in a hole with a miss and a save by Dabo, but a miss from Lansdowne and a save by Broome leveled the shootout at 3-3 after five rounds. Mullings was able to beat Broome to open the sixth round of kicks and another miss from Ocean City’s Leandro Louro ended the evening with the rain still swirling and Lansdowne celebrating.

“We’ve put everything into getting here,” Mullings said. “It means so much to us.”

After winning just about every piece of hardware they could competing in league and state, regional and national cups over the past year, the reigning National Amateur Cup champions were finally able to add an Open Cup victory to their list of recent accomplishments after two straight cancellations of the oldest competition in American soccer. Lansdowne won a first round match in their last appearance in the competition in 2018 and advanced to the third round in 2016 after upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. (Danso was the goalkeeper in that Riverhounds upset, winning TheCup.us Player of the Round honors)

“The last few years, it’s been tremendous,” Lansdowne head coach Sean Kelly said after the match. “This group has come a long, long way.”

The travel and the weather conditions made it a tricky fixture for Lansdowne despite the advantage they had as a side with more recent experience playing together. Since Ocean City is a summer team that relies heavily on college players, they had to scramble to field a team of alumni who showed well in the match against a team that has played countless games together. In the end, that sharpness showed with the Lansdowne penalty kick takers showing a more clinical edge from the spot.

“This group deserves it,” Kelly said. “These boys have been playing for a solid year just to get to this one game.”

That one game has now turned into at least two with Lansdowne Yonkers FC now slated to travel to face MLS Next Pro club Rochester New York FC (formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos) for a Round 2 match at Monroe Community College on Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m.

“We know what’s at stake and these boys are hungry to achieve it,” Kelly said.

2018 US Open Cup Round 3: North Carolina FC prepared for storm, defeated Ocean City Nor’easters, 4-1

by

North Carolina FC defeats Ocean City Nor'eastersTwo months ago, a gusty nor’easter uncovered the skeletal remains of a humpback whale long buried on the Jersey shore, about 15 miles north of Ocean City, New Jersey. Tuesday evening, the Ocean City Nor’easters drifted down to WakeMed Soccer Park and encountered another variety of Dead Whales, these representing North Carolina FC in the third round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

North Carolina FC scored two goals in the first half, then replicated that in the second stanza on their way to a 4-1 victory over Ocean City to advance to the fourth round of the US Open Cup.

“We weren’t at our best, but I think it was a professional, workmanlike performance, a lot like last week ,” said NCFC midfielder Austin da Luz. “We finished some chances, we defended well, and onto the next round.”

While Tuesday’s opponent was an amateur squad, it came with a long Open Cup pedigree for results over professional opponents, most recently a 3-1 win over the Charlotte Independence last week. It was their sixth win over a professional team in club history. North Carolina FC manager Colin Clarke said he knew what to expect from the visitors from Jersey.

“Counterattacks and transition,” Clarke said. “ scored two goals in the first seven minutes against Charlotte in the last round, and that was the game, pretty much. We nearly fell for it a couple of times , but overall I thought we deserved the game. It’s the third game in seven or eight days , with another one in three days. So, it’s a tough stretch, but we’re moving on to the next round, which the main thing.”

North Carolina FC jumped out to an early lead in the 8th minute. Da Luz delivered a cross that found an onrushing Marios Lomis, who put the outside of his right boot to ball. The sphere squibbed between the legs of Ocean City goalkeeper Alec Smir and across the goal line to give NCFC a 1-0 advantage.

The Nor’easters equalized in the 17th minute, after North Carolina failed to clear a seemingly benign ball in the box that ended up at the feet of Uros Ilic. The OC defender’s shot glanced off NCFC’s Michael Harrington along its path into the net, making the score 1-1.

However, North Carolina FC retook the lead for good in the 26th minute. Midfielder Bernhard Luxbacher sent a cross off the right wing that found da Luz, who poked his head around a Nor’easter defender and nodded the ball into the bottom corner of the goal, making the score 2-1 at intermission.

The home side extended its lead to 3-1 in the 66th minute off a nifty build-up that started when da Luz sent a skimmer into the area that Dre Fortune dummied to Lomis. Lomis one-touched back to Fortune, who took a touch around an OC defender before depositing his left-footed shot past Smir.

Carolina made it a final four in the 84th minute when second-half sub D.J. Taylor turned and fired from distance. His shot pinged off the right shoulder of forward Donovan Ewolo and into the net, giving the Cameroonian import his first NCFC goal, even if he knew nothing about it.

After the match, Clarke credited the “outstanding” play of da Luz, starting his third game in less than a week. Tuesday against the Nor’easters, da Luz scored a goal, assisted another, and set-up a third.

North Carolina FC returns to Open Cup play on June 6, with the site and (likely) Major League Soccer opponent to be determined this Thursday. In the meantime, NCFC resumes USL competition this Friday, May 25 against Atlanta United 2, the reserve side for their MLS parent. It’s the first of four USL home games for NCFC, a pivotal stretch for a club currently mired near the bottom of the Eastern Conference table.

“It’s an important —it’s the first one of four at home,” Clarke added. “It’s a team that has some young kids coming in and one or two veterans, but a team that’s scoring goals, conceding goals, and is exciting to watch. But we’re at home, and we need to start putting another run together. And that needs to start Friday night.”

“We’re not anywhere close to where we want to be in the league right now,” da Luz, said. “So Friday is a massive game for us, and we have to turn our attention to that pretty quick.”

Courtesy of WRALSportsFan.com

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Ocean City Nor’easters storm Charlotte early, earn another upset win

by

USOC OC-CLT FINALThe Ocean City Nor’easters have no problem with being the underdog in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

A 3-1 Second Round victory over their USL hosts, the Charlotte Independence, on a rainy Wednesday night marked the latest chapter in that story.

Midfielder Kyle Gurrieri scored twice in the match’s first seven minutes to lead the Nor’easters to their 11th all-time victory in Cup play as a PDL side. Six of them have been against professional teams. One of the more surprising stats of the evening is that of those six pro team upsets, this was the first time that Ocean City had allowed a goal.

Only two amateur teams in the Modern Era have more pro team upsets then Ocean City (Michigan Bucks with 10, Des Moines Menace with 7).

“This team is excited and motivated,” said Ocean City head coach John Thompson, who has been a part of most of those “Cupsets” as a player and assistant coach on the team before becoming head coach last year. “It’s a chance for them to prove themselves against a higher level of competition.”

They’ll get a chance at another in the Third Round, when they return to North Carolina to face North Carolina FC of the USL next Wednesday.

“We’re all eager and we all have hopes and plans,” said Gurrieri, who will play college soccer at the University of South Carolina in the fall after starting his college career at Syracuse. “We came down here to showcase ourselves, and it was an all-around great performance by the boys. We’re ready to move on to the next round.”

Gurrieri scored the game’s first goal four minutes in, knocking in a rebound of Williams N’Dah’s shot from the top of the 18-yard box. Three minutes later he gave Ocean City a 2-0 lead, when teammate Deri Corfe served the ball in from the right side and Gurrieri eased it past Charlotte goalkeeper Brandon Miller at the back post.

“We pushed forward early and got some chances that we took advantage of,” he said.

The Nor’easters finished a dominating first half and took a 3-0 lead to the break when Fredlin Mompremier scored in the 44th minute. The Haitian striker who goes by the nickname “Fredinho” took a pass from Corfe at the top of the 18-yard box and finished at the back post.

“It was important that we come out with some energy,” Thompson said. “I didn’t expect that we’d get a couple of goals so early, but that helped us in the long run. We played a great offensive game in the first half and that allowed us to settle in and play defense in the second half.

The Independence, which didn’t score a goal in the month of April in USL play, appeared to have broken out of that slump with a 4-1 victory over FC Cincinnati last Saturday. But they struggled to put together meaningful chances against the visitors from New Jersey, despite dominating possession for long stretches after conceding the two early goals.

Charlotte’s only goal came in the 58th minute. Veteran forward Jorge Herrera scored it from the right side about eight yards out after taking Samuel Vines’ pass from just outside the 18-yard box. It was Herrera’s ninth career US Open Cup goal, which ties him with players like Dwayne De Rosario and Dom Dwyer in 11th place in the Modern Era (1995-present). It was also the sixth tournament that he has scored a goal in (2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018).

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Ocean City Nor’easters earn 11th shutout in US Open Cup win at AFC Ann Arbor

by

The Ocean City Nor'easters pose for a team photo prior to their 2018 US Open Cup match against AFC Ann Arbor. Photo: Ocean City Nor'easters
The Ocean City Nor’easters pose for a team photo prior to their 2018 US Open Cup match against AFC Ann Arbor. Photo: Ocean City Nor’easters

The Ocean City Nor’easters advanced to the Second Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 3-0 road win over AFC Ann Arbor.

The Nor’easters had to make the long trip to Southeast Michigan for their opening round game and they received goals from Williams N’Dah, Simone Raioli and last year’s leading scorer Fredinho Mompremier.Alex Smir made seven saves to earn a clean sheet in his Nor’easters debut.

With the win, the Nor’easters advance to Round 2 of the nation’s oldest cup competition where they will face the Charlotte Independence of the United Soccer League (USL). The game will be played in Matthews, NC on Wednesday, May 16.

The win was also the 10th US Open Cup win in the Nor’easters’ PDL history, and the 11th overall. Only two amateur teams in the country have more wins in the Modern Era (Michigan Bucks / Des Moines Menace). Of those 11 victories, 10 of them have been clean sheets. No amateur team in the Modern Era (1995-present) has more than 10 clean sheets.

“We think it was an impressive performance considering it was our first competitive game with this new team,” said second-year Ocean City head coach John Thompson. “We did well to go up early and later close the game out in a professional manner.”

The Nor’easters didn’t take long to get on the board underneath a rain-threatening sky full of clouds at Scicluna Field in Ypsilanti, Mich., on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. In the 10th minute, Ann Arbor FC committed a foul just outside the area near the right wing corner of the box. Deri Corfe crossed the ball in and Williams N’Dah was wide open in the middle of the box and he nodded the ball past Ann Arbor goalkeeper Michael Novotny.

Shortly after the goal, the clouds opened up and the rain came pouring down, however as the first half moved on, the sun broke through and the rain faded away as the game moved closer to halftime.

In the 27th minute, the Storm added another as Matteo Bennati made a run down the wing and played a centering pass across the face of the goal. Simone Raioli was unmarked in front of the goal and the Italian tapped it in from close range to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

The Nor’easters fought off a late first half effort from AFC Ann Arbor, but went into the break with a two-goal lead.

In the second half, the home side came out strong and on the attack as they looked for their first goal. However, in what was largely against the run of play in the opening seven minutes, the Nor’easters hit Ann Arbor with a counter attack and once again, it was Corfe setting up the goal. Corfe, a former Manchester City youth academy player, picked up his second assist of the game when he sent a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Fredinho Mompremier. Ocean City’s Offensive Player of the Year from last season got behind the Ann Arbor backline, controlled the ball to the edge of the penalty area and slotted it past the goalkeeper in the 52nd minute.

Trailing 3-0, AFC Ann Arbor didn’t give up though. They nearly pulled one back two minutes later.

A ball was played back toward Smir and due to a miscommunication between the goalkeeper and his backline, the ball got behind them and was bouncing toward the goalline. Michael Barrow raced back and just as the ball was about to cross the line he cleared it to preserve the clean sheet.

The game turned more physical after the third goal as the Nor’easters focused on their defensive game and trying to slow down the pace of play. They committed 14 of their 18 fouls for the game in the second half. There were a couple of counter attack chances by the Nor’easters but it was Ann Arbor that put on the pressure in the final 20 minutes of play.

Mighty Oak defender Joseph Okumu sent a long ball down the left wing to JP Rylah in the 58th minute. The speedy winger tracked the ball down, and created space for himself and fired a shot on goal but Smir had the angle covered and deflected the hard shot out to safety.

Moments later, Marc Ybarra had a left-footed attempt from just outside the box but again, Smir was there to make the save.

The Nor’easters continued to foul late in the game in an effort to preserve the shutout and not let the Ann Arbor offense have any space. In the 81st minute, a free kick was sailed just over the crossbar, followed by another dangerous free kick three minutes later that saw Jake Rosen take a shot from the left wing that was bending into the far corner but again, Smir was in position to make a fingertip save that went over the bar to keep the clean sheet and to head back to the Jersey Shore with a win.

“Our coaching staff and the players are excited about the next round , however, our eyes are set on our first PDL game,” said Thompson.

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: City Islanders avoid Beach House upset, beat Ocean City Nor’easters in PKs

by

harrisburg-celebrates-at-ocean-city-2017-usoc-big

At least one save. That’s what Harrisburg City Islanders head coach Bill Becher predicted his goalkeeper would make when he gathered his players for a huddle on the field before a penalty shootout in a Third Round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match in Ocean City on Wednesday night.

That save came when Brandon Miller dove to his left to stop Ocean City Nor’easters defender Fraser Colmer’s penalty attempt in the fourth round of kicks after a scoreless draw and 6-5 Islanders win on penalties.

“That’s the goal for a goalkeeper just to try and save one and hopefully your teammates can stick theirs in the back of the net,” City Islanders goalkeeper Brandon Miller said. “I did my job and they did their job so we get out of here with a win.”

The Harrisburg City Islanders (white) were taken to penalty kicks by the Ocean City Nor'easters at Carey Stadium ("The Beach House") in Ocean City, NJ. Photo: Matt Ralph
The Harrisburg City Islanders (white) were taken to penalty kicks by the Ocean City Nor’easters at Carey Stadium (“The Beach House”) in Ocean City, NJ. Photo: Matt Ralph

After Ribeiro’s miss in the first round, the City Islanders were a perfect 6-for-6 from the spot with Mouhamed Dabo hitting the decisive strike after Ocean City Nor’easters midfielder Max Hemmings skied his attempt over the bar.

The two teams have a history. The midweek encounter was a rematch from the 2007 US Open Cup, when the City Islanders edged the Nor’easters at “The Beach House” by the score of 2-1. In fact, 10 former Ocean City players have gone on to play for Harrisburg, including current midfielder Shawn McLaws.

Seeking a sixth upset over a professional club in Open Cup play, the Premier Development League side played Harrisburg more or less even through 120 minutes of soccer on a breezy night at Carey Stadium. In fact, it was the amateur side with less than two weeks training together that nearly opened the scoring at the close of the first half.

Tyler Collishaw, who scored in Ocean City’s First Round win over Junior Lone Star last week, started the play when he received a ball near midfield on a counter attack and threaded a pass through to Ismael Noumansana in the box. Noumansana was unable to chip Miller but a second attempt fell for Akeil Barrett that he ended up slamming off the underside of the football field goal post just above the goal. Barrett, a former Swope Park Rangers player who came off the bench and scored in last week’s victory, made the most of his start and, along with Friedlin Mompremier, looked dangerous on counters.

Carey Stadium ("The Beach House") is located on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ, just a few hundred yards from the Atlantic Ocean. Only one other minor league sports stadium in the country is closer to an ocean. Photo: Matt Ralph
Carey Stadium (“The Beach House”) is located on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ, just a few hundred yards from the Atlantic Ocean. Only one other minor league sports stadium in the country is closer to an ocean. Photo: Matt Ralph

Harrisburg came close to grabbing a late winner when with time running out in the second overtime substitute Aaron Wheeler buried a loose ball that had deflected off an Ocean City defender, only to have the goal waved off with a questionable call for offside.

The Nor’easters created chances of their own in overtime, including one off a piece of skill from substitute Frantztly Zephirin, who danced down the end line and delivered a pass to Ignacio Tellechea in the box for a shot attempt that sailed high over the bar. Each team was shown three yellow cards and Ocean City had 15 fouls to 13 for Harrisburg.

“We have to be proud because we took a pro team all the way to penalties and in the run of the game we created maybe a few more opportunities than them,” Nor’easters head coach John Thompson said.

A small consolation prize for the Nor’easters is that with the match finishing in a scoreless draw, it added to a record they hold. It was the sixth time in club history that they had kept a clean sheet against a professional opponent. No amateur team in the Modern Era (1995-present) has more. It was the first time in Ocean City’s 21-year franchise history that the club had participated in a penalty kick shootout.

With the win, Harrisburg City Islanders will travel to face another PDL side, Ocean City’s division rival, Reading United on May 31. Reading stunned the NASL champion New York Cosmos 3-2 on Wednesday night.

2017 US Open Cup Round 1: Ocean City Nor’easters beat Junior Lone Star 3-1 to reach double digit cup wins

by

The Ocean City Nor'easters pose for a team photo at "The Beach House", their home field in Ocean City, NJ before their 2017 US Open Cup match against Junior Lone Star. Photo: Ocean City Nor'easters
The Ocean City Nor’easters pose for a team photo at “The Beach House”, their home field in Ocean City, NJ before their 2017 US Open Cup match against Junior Lone Star. Photo: Ocean City Nor’easters

The Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL) prevailed 3-1 in the First Round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup against Philadelphia’s Junior Lone Star (USASA). With the win, the Nor’easters will move on to host the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL) in Round 2 on May 17.

The victory gives the Nor’easters 10 Open Cup wins as a franchise, nine of those coming as a member of the PDL. Nine wins ranks third among all amateur teams in the country in the Modern Era (Michigan Bucks 14, Des Moines Menace 12).

Ocean City started the game firing going ahead in the 4th minute through Fredlin Mompremier. Ignacio Tellechea collected the assist after sending the ball from the corner to the far post. Mompremier hit a first time effort under the keeper in the bottom corner.

It did not take long for the hosts to double their lead. In the 11th minute, English midfielder Tyler Collishaw tapped home an easy effort after a cross from Ismael Noumansana to give Ocean City the 2-0 lead.

The hosts were dominant in the first half and even looked liked they could have grabbed a third goal a few times, but Junior Lone Star goalkeeper, Prince Monyan played a huge role in keeping his team in the game headed into the break.

Junior Lone Star assistant coach, Charlie Flowe, said that they were a “second half team.” He praised their fitness and said that it kept them in the game.

That proved to be true as JLS started the second half with three players at the back as they brought on Joshua Chelleh to give the struggling Anthony Allison some help up top. This would change the match, giving the JLS a spark starting in the 48th minute. Allison hit a curling shot that nearly found the side netting, but later he was denied by the right post.

Junior Lone Star continued to create chances and it finally paid off in the 62nd minute as Koussai N’Guessan slotted home Yaya Fane’s cross to score the first Open Cup goal in club history.

They continued to fight for the equalizer but it was a second half sub that paid off for Ocean City’s first-year head coach John Thompson. After inserting Akeil Barrett, who helped the Swope Park Rangers win the USL title last year, he set up the clinching goal. Barrett made a run through the JLS defense and set up Collishaw for his second goal of the game in the 82nd minute. With the goal, Collishaw becomes the second Ocean City player in history to score multiple goals in a US Open Cup game.

Late in the second half, Junior Lone Star midfielder Zoncher Dennis, a former Ocean City player, was sent off for a second bookable offense which hurt their chances of a late comeback.

Copyright © 2025 • Built by Jacob Martella Web Development