Tulsa Athletics

2017 US Open Cup Round 1: OKC Energy U23s eliminate Tulsa Athletic, earn date with Tulsa Roughnecks in Round 2

May 12, 2017 by William Schulz

First-time US Open Cup entry Oklahoma City Energy U23s moved on to the Second Round of tournament play with a 4-2 penalty kick victory over Tulsa Athletic after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night at the University of Tulsa’s Hurricane Track & Soccer Complex.

Oklahoma City’s Matt Puig scored in regulation and in penalty kicks, but it was Tulsa goal scorer Declan Fitzpatrick that saw his chance in kicks sail high to end the game.

The first half was an open-ended and exciting affair, as both teams hit the ground running. Oklahoma City maintained a slim edge over Tulsa for most of the half. Both clubs played a physical first half, with Oklahoma City’s Noah Keats earning a yellow card for a piece of physical play. Tulsa came back with a surge of offense, but were unable to capitalize thanks to some fantastic goal keeping by OKC’s Eric Dick. Tulsa’s goalkeeper Michael Kluver was also in top form, making several important stops. Oklahoma City eventually found the back of the net near the end of the first half through Matt Puig, who scored an unassisted goal in the 44th minute of play.

The second half began with a much slower pace as Oklahoma City sat back in possession and Tulsa seemed unwilling to push. As time marched on, Tulsa slowly found their feet and by the middle of the second half they were knocking on the door for an equalizer.

Dick was an absolute beast in the second half, making numerous saves to deny Tulsa the goal they so desperately craved.

Eventually Tulsa found a crack in OKC’s defenses and managed to score a tremendous equalizer from Fitzpatrick. After the equalizer, the game accelerated to a frantic pace, but neither side was able to push ahead.

Both clubs spent all their substitutions during regulation, so a slowing of pace was perhaps inevitable as the rain came down on extra time. Tulsa’s Gustavo Vargas earned the first yellow card of extra time as tempers began to wear thin. Tulsa looked the more aggressive side, but neither were able to break through during the first half of extra time. The second half of the period proved to be a muddy and slog-filled with cramps and missed opportunities. This match would be decided by penalty kicks.

The rain stopped falling as though in recognition of the gravity surrounding the moment. The Energy were first up, and Jacob Van Compemolle scored the first goal. Tulsa’s Santiago Riveros attempted to answer, but Dick proved the better man once again by saving the shot. Caio Ruiz doubled OKC’s penalty lead, but this time Tulsa answered back through Rollie Rocha to make it 2-1. Noah Keats netted penalty number three for the Energy, and Joe Garcia did the same for Tulsa to make it 3-2.

Puig, the Oklahoma City goal scorer, stepped up to score penalty number four. In an almost poetic fashion, Tulsa’s Fitzpatrick stepped up to take Athletic’s fourth penalty. Fitzpatrick buckled under the pressure, sending his penalty well above the target.

The Oklahoma City Energy U23s will face the Tulsa Roughnecks on May 17.

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Hume brothers lead Midland-Odessa Sockers over Tulsa Athletics, 3-1

May 18, 2015 by Josh Weaver

Three different players scored for the Midland-Odessa Sockers FC, which defeated the Tulsa Athletics 3-1 on Wednesday in a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup First Round game at Grande Communications Stadium.

Walker Hume (16th minute) and Andrew Lopez (35th) netted first-half goals for the Premier Development League’s Sockers, who made their Open Cup debut, and Scott Smith provided the needed breathing room with his 86th minute goal.

Smith’s tally, birthed out of a challenge on Athletics’ goalkeeper Ben La Corsa by Tucker Hume, pushed the Sockers’ lead back to two goals after Jake Schmoker’s stunning shot from 35 yards away from the net sliced into the deficit in the 77th minute.

“Coming out here and getting three goals and allowing one really nice goal from them was a good performance,” said Tucker Hume, who had two assists. “I thought it was a good overall effort from the team and a good starting point.”

Sockers FC advances to face the United Soccer League’s Oklahoma City Energy FC at 7:30 p.m. CDT on May 20 in Midland.

Tulsa, out of the National Premier Soccer League, was out on the front foot in the early stages of the game. Walker Hume’s goal, which stemmed from the Athletics’ inability to clear a corner kick, shifted the run of play toward the Sockers for the rest of the opening half.

Sockers’ keeper Joseph Melong saved Levi Coleman’s penalty kick two minutes after halftime.

Melong finished with five saves. La Corsa came away with six stops.

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: Oklahoma City Energy beat Tulsa Athletics as tournament returns to Oklahoma (video)

May 17, 2014 by William Schulz

In the first all-Oklahoma Open Cup match in decades (possibly ever), expansion teams Tulsa Athletics (green) battled the Oklahoma City Energy. Photo: Tulsa Athletics

A cool May afternoon served as the backdrop for the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in Tulsa, Okla. In front of 3,834 fans (the highest attendance of the round), the Tulsa Athletics of the NPSL were hosting the Oklahoma City Energy FC (USL PRO) for the very first time as both teams made their Open Cup debuts.

It was the first Open Cup game held in Oklahoma since 1997 when Los Lobos (USASA) welcomed the Central Jersey Riptide to Tulsa for a first round game (Riptide won 1-0). 17 years later, the tournament has returned to the Sooner State.

In the end, it was the professional expansion team, Energy FC, who were too much for the amateur side as Dave Leichty and Cyprian Hedrick scored a goal in each half to win the game 2-0. The Energy now earn a spot in the Third Round where they will travel to Peoria, Ariz. to take on fellow USL PRO team Arizona United SC on May 28.

Tulsa started the match by attempting to outrun Oklahoma City, and earned themselves some solid early possession. All that possession fizzled out when the Athletics reached the attacking third of the field however, as Tulsa only managed to get one shot on goal through the entire first half.

3,834 fans showed up to watch the Tulsa Athletics and the Oklahoma City Energy play their first US Open Cup game. Photo: Tulsa Athletics

Leichty broke the deadlock in the 10th minute on OKC’s first shot of the match. From there, Tulsa’s composure began to waiver and the fouls became more common. The increased physicality of the first half culminated in the first two yellow cards of the match, issued to Kevin Howard and Ray Saari in the 26th and 38th minutes, respectively.

Tulsa began the second half with the substitution of Dave Leung for Levi Coleman and a more focused plan of attack. Physicality remained a part of Tulsa’s play, quickly earning them several fouls. Unfortunately, as in the first half, Tulsa just didn’t have any idea ideas in the final third.

Oklahoma City doubled their lead in the 68th minute when Hedrick fired home a Kyle Miller free kick. Tulsa’s composure crumbled following the goal, their play becoming even more physical and desperate.

The physicality of play intensified on both sides until the 76th minute when Dave Leung was issued a straight red after a vicious tackle. Things spiraled out of control for Tulsa from that point on, until Stephen Brocks was issued a straight red card for a challenge on OKC’s keeper while the keeper was on the ground in possession of the ball.

The match ended 2-0 in Oklahoma City’s favor, ending a 4-game losing streak in all competitions. The loss was Tulsa’s first of the year, and surely contains some hard lessons for the team of youngsters. Oklahoma City Energy FC will travel to fellow USL Pro team Arizona United SC in Round 3 on May 28.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

FULL MATCH REPLAY