Hartford City FC

OLD RIVALS SQUARE OFF IN A CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH ON SATURDAY NIGHT

Hartford, Conn. – It’s what fans look for first when the schedule comes out every season. Find your biggest rival and see when they come to your home.

For the first time since the 2023 North Atlantic Conference Championship Game, Hartford City FC (1-0-1, 4 points) will take the field against Kingston Stockade FC (0-1-1, 1 point) on Saturday night at Trinity Health Stadium. Kickoff for this one is set for 7pm.

MATCH INFORMATION

Fans looking to purchase tickets for Saturday’s match can in person at Trinity Health Stadium (250 Huyshope Ave, Hartford, CT, 06106) when gates open approximately one hour before kickoff, or online by searching Hartford City FC on Soccerstub.com. Tickets cost $10 for Adults and all children under 12 get in for free.

The match will be live streamed via Hartford City FC’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HartfordCityFC) with veteran broadcaster JJ Duke handling Play-by-Play duties. Highlights on the match will be available on the teams’ social media channels in the days following.

LAST TIME OUT

After winning their season opener 3-0 on May 4^th against New Jersey United AC, Hartford City took to the road last weekend to face off against another long-time rival in the New York Shockers and left the capital region with a point after a 2-2 draw at Afrim’s Sports Park.

The Colts took the early advantage in the 17^th minute when Tano Desseno stepped in front of a clearance and blocked it in the direction of Tomás Duben. The striker was able to run it down, square Linge up on the edge of the box before curling a left-footed effort into the top-corner. The one-goal lead became a two-goal advantage for HCFC six minutes later when Desseno linked up with Evan Southern on a through ball from inside his own half. Southern then raced around the Shockers goalie and a defender before putting the ball away.

The hosts got on the board in 34^th minute as after New York’s Filippo Bellu found the onrushing Mohamed Soumah from a failed clearance in the HCFC penalty area, Soumah slid it past Colt’s keeper Jamis Fite. The first half goal scorer turned into facilitator with 25 minutes remaining in the 2^nd half as he picked out the late-arriving Jackson Leon in the box after a lovely spell of possession and the veteran put his effort past Fite to level proceedings.

Both teams had chances to grab the winner in the final few minutes of the match but it would ultimately end in a 2-2 draw, just the third draw in ten all-time meetings between the clubs.

ABOUT OUR OPPONENT

 While the start to the 2023 Regular Season was a brilliant one for Kingston Stockade FC, as they won four-straight to begin the year (outscoring their opponents 11-3 during that stretch) and were unbeaten in their first eight matches of the year before their first loss, the start of the 2024 NPSL season has not been a kind one. A 1-1 draw to open the season at Valeo FC, with a Paul Makaj 69^th minute penalty kick cancelling out a first half tally for Valeo, was followed with a 1-0 road loss to New Jersey United last weekend. Despite outshooting the expansion club heavily throughout the match, a 13^th minute goal from Diego Navas was too much to overcome. This will be the final road match for Kingston for more than a month as they will play five consecutive home matches at Marist College’s Tenney Stadium before they hit the road again at the end of June.

Notable returners to the squad from last year include North Atlantic Conference XI honorees Dylan McDermott in goal and Alberto Molina in defense, as well as regular contributors Jared Juleau, Andrea Nguionza, Mateusz Koziol and the Rabadi brothers, Matt and Zach.

LAST SEASON’S MEETINGS BETWEEN THE CLUBS

 The two clubs met three times last year with three completely different outcomes on the scoresheet. The opener was on June 3^rd up in Poughkeepsie, NY and Kingston snapped a near two-year unbeaten run in North Atlantic Conference regular season action for HCFC with a 3-0 win, with eventual All-Conference Best XI striker Daniel D’Ippolito netting a hat trick. The second meeting came a few weeks later in Hartford on June 25^th and after a scoreless first half, the match was delayed for nearly an hour due to lightning in the area. When the teams came back to the pitch, HCFC struck first in the 58^th minute on an Evan Southern tally and Nate DiLoreto provided a crucial save on Jared Juleau’s penalty kick ten minutes later. But Kingston leveled it in the 89^th minute when Albion Bacaj drilled an un-saveable effort from 30 yards out to share the points.

The finale came in the 2023 North Atlantic Conference Playoff Final as the two sides battled for a scoreless 90 minutes, with Hartford City’s Jamis Fite being called into several key saves to keep the match level. But just before the end of the first period of additional extra time, Hartford City earned a penalty kick and Matt McGonigle slotted it home to give the Colts the advantage. That lead doubled shortly into the second extra time period when Mark Grant linked up with Henry Hamilton inside the box and while Kingston pulled one back from Hugo Guerra in the 120^th minute, it was the Colts lifting the trophy at the end of the night as Conference Champions.

May 15 at 4:19 pm

COLTS COME AWAY WITH A ROAD POINT AGAINST NEW YORK

Colonie, N.Y. – In their first road match of the 2024 NPSL season, Hartford City FC (1-0-1, 4 points) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead inside of 25 minutes on Saturday night. But it wasn’t enough to see off the New York Shockers (1-0-1, 4 points) as the hosts climbed out of the early hole to scratch out a 2-2 draw at the Afrim’s Sports Park.

After the hosts sustained much of the early possession in the first few minutes, Hartford City’s Jake Williams unleashed a ferocious volley from 30 yards out against the run of play that nearly snuck past NY Shockers goalie Ryan Henning. A couple of quick corners from the Colts ensued, with Patrick Osiecki nearly connecting on a back post header.

But eventually the visitors would find the opener in the 17^th minute when Tano Desseno stepped in front of a clearance from Shockers defender Antonio Linge and blocked it in the direction of Tomás Duben. The striker was able to run it down, square Linge up on the edge of the box before curling a left-footed effort over Henning into the top-corner to give Hartford City the lead.

A one-goal lead became a two-goal advantage for the Colts just six minutes later when Desseno unlocked Evan Southern with an inch-perfect through ball from inside his own half. Southern, who garnered All-Conference and All-Region accolades last year, raced around Henning and a last-ditch challenge from Conor DeFilippis and deposited the ball into the open net to double the Colts’ advantage.

The hosts pulled a goal back during a fortuitous sequence the 34^th minute as after New York’s Filippo Bellu was dispossessed of the ball inside HCFC’s penalty area, a clearance from Larson Richards inadvertently hit a player just inside the endline and bounced back to Bellu. The striker held his nerve after collecting the ball back, found the onrushing Mohamed Soumah who slotted it past HCFC goalie Jamis Fite.

HCFC nearly regained their two-goal lead less than two minutes after conceding as from a set piece routine that caught the Shockers defense off guard, Southern got himself to the end line and ripped a shot that stung the palms of Henning but did enough to keep the shot and the scramble that came from rebound out of the net.

Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Jamis Fite came up with a brilliant reaction save shortly before halftime as a Shockers’ in-swinging corner was helped on goal by Seth Scarano, but Fite flung himself at the ball and was able to tip it onto the post before Richards’ cleared it off the line, preserving Hartford City’s 2-1 advantage into halftime.

After the first 20 minutes of the second half went by without either team generating many clear-cut chances, the Shockers tied it at 2 on a lovely passing sequence. Second half substitute Wisdom Ishaya collected a loose ball in the attacking third, linked up with another substitute Yusif Okine, who then found Soumah on the edge of the box in a dangerous position. But the first half goal scorer turned into facilitator as he picked out the late-arriving Jackson Leon, and the veteran slotted his effort past Fite to level proceedings.

Throughout the next twenty minute, the Colts couldn’t gain access into the Shockers’ penalty area as they had to resort to long range efforts that didn’t trouble Henning. But, in the 88^th minute, Jake Williams lined a left footed cross into the corridor of uncertainty that Henning could only parry to the feet of Mark Grant. The second half substitute pounced on the loose ball quickly, but Henning denied his point-blank chance, before Christian Dionne lasered the rebound towards goal but was blocked off the line by Kyle Macfarlane.

New York had one late chance in stoppage time to complete the comeback as from a free kick outside the box, Linge headed one over the bar from close range and the final whistle blew shortly after to see the teams share the points.

Hartford City return home on Saturday, May 18^th as they host Kingston Stockade FC at Trinity Health Stadium in a rematch of the 2023 North Atlantic Conference Playoff Final. Kickoff that evening is scheduled for 7pm and fans can stay in touch with HCFC’s social media channels for ticket information and live stream information for that match.

May 12 at 2:07 pm

FIRST ROAD TRIP OF 2024 AWAITS HARTFORD CITY FC THIS WEEKEND

Hartford, Conn. – For the first time in the 2024 NPSL Regular Season, Hartford City FC (1-0-0, 3 points) will hit the road as they will travel up to the Capital Region to take on the New York Shockers (1-0-0, 3 points) on Saturday, May 11^th. Kickoff at the Afrim’s Sports Park is scheduled for 7pm.

MATCH INFORMATION

Hartford City FC fans who are looking to travel up for Saturday’s match can buy tickets in advance on the New York Shockers website by visiting newyorkshockers.com/mensschedule. Directions to Afrim’s Sports Park (969 Watervliet Shaker Road, Albany, NY, 12205) can also be found on the Shockers website as well.

The match will likely be streamed as well as the Shockers produced a stream for their season opening match last week against Syracuse FC on their YouTube page, which can be found by searching New York Shockers on YouTube. But please pay attention to both HCFC and New York’s social accounts for confirmed information closer to the match.

OPENING DAY SUCCESS

A pair of goals and an assist from Christian Dionne, along with a 12^th minute tally from Nate Becher, was enough to lift Hartford City FC to 3-0 victory at home over New Jersey United AC last weekend to kick off the 2024 season.

It was also the fourth consecutive season that Hartford City FC have won their season opening match and it only took 12 minutes for the Colts to grab the lead. Noah Silverman jumped on a loose pass from New Jersey, found Christian Dionne on the right and then the winger unselfishly cut a pass back to the penalty spot where Becher was waiting to stroke it into the back of the net. New Jersey United picked up the pace over the next hour or so of match time as Colts’ starting goalie Nate DiLoreto was forced into a handful of quality stops, including parrying Jeremy Klinger’s snap shot in the 40^th minute and stopping Diego Navas twice mid-way through the second half.

But with the visitors pressing for the equalizer, HCFC found a second gear in the latter stages of the match. Captain Jake Williams clipped a cross that was too tall for substitute Tomás Duben in the 72^nd minute but found the feet of Dionne, who cut the ball onto his left foot and ripped a shot that nestled just inside the far post. Dionne would add his second of the night in the 85^th minute when he ran down a ball played over the top from Williams and smashed it past the New Jersey United keeper.

ABOUT OUR OPPONENT

It was a good start to the 2024 season for the New York Shockers as they picked up all three points at home in their season opener last Saturday night against Syracuse FC. After falling behind 1-0 when Syracuse’s Dillian Killion scored the opener in the 28^th minute, the Shockers rallied in the second half when second-half substitute Mohamed Soumah leveled the match in the 56^th minute and then veteran striker Filippo Bellu netted the go-ahead goal minutes later.

Like Hartford City, the Shockers returned several familiar faces to the starting lineup last weekend, including the likes of 2023 NPSL North Atlantic Conference Best XI defenders Antonio Linge and Seth Scarano, along with Bellu who also garnered All-Conference accolades last season. Not to forget that the team also boasts the steady presence of players like Adel Cekic, Jackson Leon, Connor DeFilippis and Ryan Henning in goal. There’s no doubt that New York will be a very formidable outfit this season and will try and return to the pinnacle of the conference like they did in 2022 when they won the North Atlantic Playoff tournament.

ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY

 Saturday’s match will be the tenth all-time meeting between the squads in both regular season and postseason play. Hartford City FC have won five of those meetings and drawn two, with New York winning twice, one of which came in the 2022 North Atlantic Conference Semifinals. The Colts won all three home meetings last season, a 2-1 win over Memorial Day weekend, a 7-0 win on June 22^nd and secured a 2-1 victory in the Conference Tournament semifinal last July. And the last time the teams squared off at Afrim’s Sports Park was back on June 17^th, 2023 when the proceedings ended with a 0-0 draw.

May 9 at 3:37 pm