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