HARTFORD CITY POST THIRD STRAIGHT CLEAN SHEET, CONTINUE WINNING WAYS OVER KINGSTON

Poughkeepsie, NY. – On a sweltering Saturday evening in the Hudson Valley, Hartford City FC (5-2-1, 16 points) recorded their third straight victory by way of a shutout as the Colts knocked off last place Kingston Stockade FC (1-6-1, 4 points), 1-0, at Marist College.

It’s the first time in recent memory that Hartford City FC have posted three consecutive shutout victories, as the closest the Colts have come to pulling off the feat over the last couple of years came last season by posting back-to-back shutouts over the New York Shockers. And Nate DiLoreto, who has been in goal for all three clean sheets, has upped his scoreless streak of 291 minutes without conceding a goal. The win also keeps the Colts within three points of the North Atlantic Conference leading New York Shockers, who upped their 2024 season point total to 19 after a 4-1 victory over Valeo FC on Saturday evening.

After a heavy downpour at Tenney Stadium during warmups on Saturday evening, clear skies arrived just in time for opening kickoff and that spurred the HCFC attack on in the early minutes with Alonzo Clarke nearly picking out Evan Jones at the back post with a cross in the eighth minute. Four minutes later, it was Kingston asking a question out of the HCFC defense as Petro Klishch saw his curling effort tipped around the post by DiLoreto.

Jones, who was buzzing all over the field on Saturday night, nearly got on the board in the 16^th minute as he whistled a half-volleyed effort over the bar. Mark Grant would then sting the palms of Kingston goalie James Lowell with a long-distance rocket in the 23^rd minute. But despite all the pressure from Hartford City going forward, it was a mistake in the back from Kingston that gave the visitors the opening tally.

From a Nate DiLoreto booming clearance in the 35^th minute that overshot his intended mark, Kingston defender Albion Bacaj headed the ball back to his goalie, a seemingly innocuous play to allow his team to re-set. But Lowell miscued his catch and spilled the ball to the feet of Jones, who was able to walk the ball into the open net to score his team-leading third goal (and arguably his easiest goal) of the 2024 season.

The next chance of note for either team wouldn’t come until the 58^th minute when Mark Grant got loose at the top of the box, after Kingston failed to clear a long free kick, and unleashed his second long distance effort of the night that saw Lowell parry wide of goal.

A consistent trend of this three-match winning and shutout streak from the Colts is their ability to stifle their opponents in their attempt to stringe together many chances going forward as the game wears on. And Saturday night was no different as DiLoreto made two saves in the first half and wasn’t tested much over the course of the second half.

Over the final five minutes of the match, Hartford City had multiple chances to double their lead but couldn’t cash in. The first chance came in the 85^th minute on a counterattack when Michael Suski, who made his debut for the club on Saturday, fired a shot that forced a great diving stop from Lowell. Two minutes later, another second half substitute Matt Cence was fouled inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot. However, for the second consecutive week, the Colts failed to capitalize on a late penalty kick as Cence saw his spot kick attempt smothered by Lowell.

The hosts did provide a flurry of late offense by generating two corner kicks and one free kick in second half stoppage time, but DiLoreto and his defense held firm and repelled all efforts before the final whistle came, securing Hartford City’s home-and-home sweep against Kingston.

Hartford City FC return to Trinity Health Stadium on Saturday, June 29^th as they face off against Valeo FC. Kickoff for that match, which will be HCFC’s final home match of the 2024 NPSL Regular Season, is scheduled for 7pm.

June 24 at 1:05 pm