PDL News Release
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The 16 teams that will compete in the four PDL Conference Championships were finalized on Tuesday night as the Ottawa Fury, Reading United, Carolina Dynamo, Michigan Bucks and Portland Timbers U-23s all advanced through their division playoff contests.
The Timbers U-23s needed a penalty shootout to advance past the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 in the Northwest Division, with goalkeeper David Meves scoring the decisive fifth kick to give his side a 5-4 win after the two teams had played to a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time. The Timbers U-23s will face the Fresno Fuego on Saturday in the Western Conference Championship semifinals, with the Victoria Highlanders meeting the Ventura County Fusion in the other semifinal.
Reading also needed extra time to advance against the Baltimore Bohemians, and got goals in the additional 30 minutes from Fatai Alashe and Dante Marini, both off assists by Jason Plumhoff, to take a 3-1 victory and move on from the Mid Atlantic Division playoff. United will now face Ottawa in Saturday’s Eastern Conference Championship semifinals, with the Fury pulling away for a 6-0 victory against the GPS Portland Phoenix in the Northeast Division playoff behind a hat trick by Carl Haworth.
The Carolina Dynamo round out the Eastern Conference Championship field after a late goal by Sebastian Ibeagha earned a 2-1 victory against the Virginia Beach Piranhas in the South Atlantic Division playoff. The Dynamo, who reached last season’s PDL Championship Game, will meet the Ocean City Nor’easters in Saturday’s semifinals.
The Michigan Bucks got a big second half, and goals from four different players, to defeat the Chicago Fire PDL 4-0 to advance in the Great Lakes Division playoff. Dion Peters opened the scoring, and his goal was followed by strikes by Zach Steinberger, Matt Walker and Kenny Uzoigwe, setting up a contest with the Thunder Bay Chill on Saturday in the Central Conference Championship semifinals. FC London and the Real Colorado Foxes will meet in the second semifinal.
The 2013 PDL Playoffs continue Friday night with the semifinals of the Southern Conference Championship, hosted by the Austin Aztex. The opening semifinal will see the Ocala Stampede face the Laredo Heat, with the host Aztex then meeting the Panama City Beach Pirates in the second semifinal.
The four conference champions will convene for the 2013 PDL Championship, to be held at a location to be determined from August 2-4, 2013.