PDL News Release
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
TAMPA, Fla. – The second round of the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off on Tuesday night and continues on Wednesday, with a trio of PDL teams aiming to replicate their remarkable runs to face Major League Soccer opposition a season ago.
The Ocean City Nor’easters, Reading United AC and the Des Moines Menace all claimed victories against professional opposition last season, but on Wednesday night they will face off against fellow amateurs in their quest for the third round.
Defending PDL Eastern Conference champion Ocean City hosts the NY Greek American Atlas at Carey Stadium at 7 p.m. ET looking for a strong opening performance. The Nor’easters have returned a solid squad that includes 2013 All-Conference selection Dwayne Reid. Ocean City also added 2013 All-League selection Jason Plumhoff for the new season, and others such as captain Shawn McLaws, Frank Tweneboa and Zoncher Dennis.
Reading United also returns a number of top college prospects as it hosts the Greater Binghamton FC Thunder at 7 p.m. ET, with N.C. State’s Nicholas Surkamp having opened his account for the side in its opening game of the PDL season last Wednesday, a 2-2 draw with the Jersey Express. Syracuse goalkeeper Alex Bono and Virginia’s Darius Madison, a former member of the Philadelphia Union Academy, are other players to watch on Wednesday night.
Des Moines, meanwhile, will play host to fellow PDL side the Real Colorado Foxes after having qualified for this season’s tournament through the USASA qualifying tournament. Wednesday night’s game at Valley Stadium, set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT, will be the only meeting this season between the two longtime rivals from the PDL’s Heartland Division after the Foxes’ move into the new Mountain Division this season, but that should just add to the intensity as they battle for a place in the next round.
A number of other PDL clubs host games looking to make an impact, most notably the defending Southwest Division champion Fresno Fuego, who welcome USL PRO’s Orange County Blues FC to Chukchansi Park looking for their first berth in the third round since the club’s inaugural season in 2004. The Portland Timbers U-23s will also host USL PRO opposition as they open the round with the lone Tuesday night game against Arizona United SC at 7 p.m. PT at Providence Park.
The PDL champion Austin Aztex also received a home tie as they welcome NTX Rayados to House Park fresh off a 5-0 win in their opening game of the 2014 season this past Saturday night. Orlando City U23 faces Jacksonville United at the Seminole Sports Complex in a late afternoon kickoff before the Ocala Stampede face USL PRO leaders Orlando City at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Other perennial PDL powers the Michigan Bucks and the Jersey Express will also begin their tournaments at home, with Michigan set to face Chicago-based RWB Adria and the Express welcoming the Brooklyn Italians on Wednesday night. The Baltimore Bohemians make their debut, meanwhile, as they host Icon FC at Calvert Hall College at 5:30 p.m. ET, while the Laredo Heat round out the PDL sides set to host with the visit of Florida’s Red Force to the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex.