Harrisburg City Islanders News Release -- www.cityislanders.com
Friday, July 22, 2011
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Harrisburg City Islanders will be hosting National Division rivals the Los Angeles Blues in the third meeting between the two teams this season on Saturday night at the Skyline Sports Complex at 7 p.m. The City Islanders are coming off a 5-1 win against F.C. New York on Wednesday night, while the Blues are coming off a two-game series against the Dayton Dutch Lions in which they took four points off a win and a tie last weekend.
Harrisburg City Islanders (8-5-5, 29 points)
The City Islanders are currently in second place of the National Division. They're just one point behind the first-placed Rochester Rhinos. This will be the Islanders 10th home game of the season, recording a 6-1-2 record and scoring a USL PRO-best 23 goals while allowing 10 goals. Overall, the Harrisburg City Islanders have scored the most goals in USL PRO with 31.
Last time these two teams met was back on June 26th at Titan Stadium of Cal State Fullerton, when the City Islanders beat the Blues 2-1. City Islanders forward Sainey Touray scored in the final moments of the first half as midfielder Andrew Welker scored the second goal for Harrisburg in the 60th minute. Los Angeles' Israel Sesay cut the lead in half in the 82nd minute, but the Blues wouldn't score the equalizer, ending the game 2-1.
This past Wednesday, the Harrisburg City Islanders defeated F.C. New York in an entertaining 5-1 win in front of 1,563 fans at Skyline Sports Complex on City Island. Midfielder Andrew Welker led the way for the City Islanders with a hat trick, while Sainey Touray and Jose Angulo also scored for the City Islanders. F.C. New York forward Jhonny Arteaga scored the lone goal off a penalty kick for his side.
"We are coming off a good performance against New York, and we hope to carry that momentum into the game with LA," said Harrisburg City Islanders Head Coach Bill Becher. "This is a big game in the standings, and could go a long way in determining playoff positions in our division."
Harrisburg Players to Watch
Andrew Welker
Welker scored a hat trick versus F.C. New York this past Wednesday night. Earlier this season, Welker scored a goal in each of the two games against the Blues. The former Cumberland Valley Eagle is second in the USL PRO with eight goals.
Sainey Touray
In his last five games, Touray has scored three goals and tallied three assists. The former Tallinding United and New York Red Bull striker is currently tied for first on his team in assists (4) and third in goals (6).
Los Angeles Blues (6-4-5, 23 points)
The Los Angeles Blues are currently in third place in the National Division. They're seven points behind the first-placed Rochester Rhinos and six points behind the City Islanders. This will be Los Angeles' ninth away game of the season, recording a 4-1-3 record, scoring the second-most goals in USL PRO on the road (16) while conceding a second-best nine goals. Since losing to the City Islanders 2-1 back on June 26th at Cal State Fullerton, the Blues have gone 1-1-2.
This past Sunday, the Los Angeles Blues defeated the Dayton Dutch Lions 4-1 at Norco College. The Dayton Dutch Lions drew first blood in the 13th minute as Eric Kissinger scored to take a 1-0 lead. Cesar Rivera of the Los Angeles Blues would respond in the first half with two goals. Gerardo Bravo and Mehrshad Momeni would score the last two goals for the Blues, respectively.
"L.A. is a very good technical team, and they caused many problems for us in two games at their place," said Becher. "We know we will have to be at our best to get a result on Saturday night."
Los Angeles Players to Watch
Cesar Rivera
The 24 year old, who has trained with Mexican powerhouses Necaxa and Morelia, leads his team in points (13) and goals (6).
Michael Randolph
The former Yavapai Roughrider and Los Angeles Galaxy left back/midfielder has two goals and two assists this season. With his prestigious left foot, look for Randolph to create chances for the Blues.
Saturday's kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at the Skyline Sports Complex on City Island. The game will be streamed online at usllive.com, brought to you by Invica Sports. Fans will receive free hot and cold packs courtesy of Arlington Orthopedics, while supplies last. Also, the City Islanders will be hosting PINK NIGHT. They'll be turning the island PINK! Players in pink, Tiki Mon in pink, staff in pink, pink face painting, Pink Making Strides Tattoos and pink balloons!
Breast Cancer Survivors will be honored that evening. Any breast cancer Survivor can receive a free ticket. They must contact the American Cancer Society/Making Strides against Breast Cancer contact, Danielle Lavetan at 717-909-9747. Portion of paid tickets will be donated to the MSBC fund. MSBC will have a table with lots of information, plus a raffle which will be announced at half time. Fans can take home their favorite player's PINK jerseys following the game. The silent auction for the jerseys will take place from 5:30 p.m. to the final whistle in the food court. Payment is required following the game and a portion of the proceeds will go to the MSBC fund.
For more information on the City Islanders, or to order tickets, contact the team at 717-441-GOAL, or visit www.cityislanders.com.