Harrisburg City Islanders News Release -- www.cityislanders.com
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Harrisburg City Islanders will welcome their cross-state rivals the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. to Skyline Sports Complex in Harrisburg, Pa. The game will be the first of three matches this season between the two teams and will be the lone contest in Harrisburg, as the City Islanders and Riverhounds will meet twice in Pittsburgh in July. The two clubs split the season series in 2011, with each team winning their respective home match.
The City Islanders enter Wednesday’s contest with a record of 1-1-2. In their latest challenge, the City Islanders battled the Richmond Kickers to a 2-2 draw at Richmond City Stadium on Saturday, May 12. Central Dauphin grad J.T. Noone and new addition Yann Ekra scored for the Islanders helping the visiting team reply quickly to both Richmond goals. Noone’s first-half goal was unassisted as he capitalized on an errant pass by the Richmond defense. Ekra’s header on a Jason Pelletier cross in the 80th salvaged a draw for the visitors, who played in front of a crowd of 2,273.
University of Pennsylvania grads Andrew Welker and Tom Brandt got their hands (and feet) dirty, each playing a full 90 minutes. In addition to the pitch, Welker made his presence felt on the stat sheet, accumulating two shots, six fouls and a yellow card in the 89th.
The Riverhounds will bring a record of 2-5-0 to Skyline Sports Complex. While the City Islanders were on the road on Saturday, the Riverhounds hosted the Los Angeles Blues, who were coming off a road victory against Dayton Dutch Lions FC on Friday night. First-half opportunities by the Riverhounds’ David Leon and Matt Kassel would prove insufficient as the Blues took the momentum – and the match – winning 3-0.
The first leg of this year’s Keystone Derby will kick off at 7 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. It will be Harrisburg’s second home game of the 2012 campaign and will also feature a number of promotional events as part of “Impact Faith Night.” The game will feature Christian music, a pregame prayer, a special halftime contest and a canned food drive. Fans that donate will be given a chance to win an electronic tablet. Fans will also get the opportunity to meet former Islander and current Navy Soccer Coach Derek Potteiger, who will speak about faith and athletics.
In addition to the Impact Faith Night events, there will be a youth training session prior to the game. The session will run from 5-6 p.m. and will be open to all teams and individuals ages 8-15. Sign-ups will close after the first 100 players. The session will cost $5 and includes a ticket for the evening’s game, while the price for tickets for adults with the participating players will be $10. Registrations must be made in advance and can be placed through either the team’s website, www.cityislanders.com, or by calling 717-441-GOAL. Mention the promo code TRAIN while ordering tickets. Fans who can’t make it to the game can watch it live on USLNATION.com.