Saturday, June 2, 2012
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Wilmington Hammerheads handed Orlando City its first defeat of the season at Legion Stadium on Saturday night as loan addition Corey Hertzog, making his home debut after his arrival from the New York Red Bulls, had two goals and an assist to lead his side to a 3-1 victory against the USL PRO-leading Lions at Legion Stadium.
The Lions had taken a 4-1 victory at the Florida Citrus Bowl in April, leaving the Hammerheads with all the motivation they would need for their second meeting, but it was Orlando that opened the match on the offensive, as Dennis Chin tapped the ball into a wide-open goal in just the 13th minute to give his side the lead. Chin, gaining a step on his defender, used his speed to beat Hammerheads goalkeeper Alex Horwath in a footrace and put the Lions on the board first.
Having much to prove from the last match, the Hammerheads responded strongly to going behind, tying the game as Mark Briggs sent a through-ball into the penalty area for a racing Hertzog, who blew past his defender and found himself with only Lions goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo to beat. A quick juke to the right left allowed Hertzog to round Gallardo, and he slid his shot into the open goal to put the Hammerheads on the board and send the sides to the break even.
The game didn’t stay tied for long in the second half. The Hammerheads came out firing after the break and, just ten minutes in, were able to convert Hertzog's long throw-in into a goal to take the lead as he launched the ball from the right side just in front of the goal and found Briggs, who fired the ball past Gallardo to put the Hammerheads on top.
The clubs battled for the remainder of the half, with both having goal-scoring opportunities as the game went from end to end in one of the most exciting matches of the season. It wasn't until stoppage time that another goal arrived, though, with Hertzog finding himself alone on a counter-attack with Gallardo again as the Lions pushed forward to try and find an equalizer. Hertzog blasted the ball into the back of the net, giving Gallardo little chance, to end the game on a high note for the youngster out of Penn State.