OC, Newark share point after 1-1 draw
Ortiz scores equalizer in 61st minute to save Barons
The Ocean City Barons avoided their first three-game losing streak in club history with a 1-1 draw at the Newark Ironbound Express on Wednesday night.
Ocean City Barons Starting Lineup |
School / Hometown | ||||||
GK - Dylan Lawrence | Lees-McRae / Winterville, NC | ||||||
DEF - Leon Brown | Wheeling Jesuit (’04) / Siparia, Trinidad | ||||||
DEF - Dale Parker | Lees-McRae / Worksop, ENG | ||||||
DEF - Jimmy Davis | LaSalle / Pittsgrove, NJ | ||||||
DEF - Joe Banks | Drexel (’07) / Sicklerville, NJ | ||||||
MID - Jeremy Ortiz | LaSalle (’07) / Mt. Laurel, NJ | ||||||
MID - Joe Ilett | Eckerd College / Maldon, ENG | ||||||
MID - Adam Williamson | Lehigh (’05) / Ocean City, NJ | ||||||
MID - Adam Sternberger | Rutgers (’08) / Mays Landing, NJ | ||||||
MID - Ryan Richter | LaSalle / Southampton, PA | ||||||
FWD - Byron Carmichael | Marshall (’03) / Lumberton, NJ | ||||||
Substitutes | |||||||
Brad Franks | Elon University / Medford, NJ | ||||||
Lee Squires | Lees-McRae / Sheffield, ENG | ||||||
Steve Miller | Colgate / Ivyland, PA | ||||||
Scoring Summary | |||||||
30th (NEWARK) | Chris Karcz (Jerrod Laventure) | ||||||
61st (OCEAN CITY) | Jeremy Ortiz (Unassiated) | ||||||
Game Stats | |||||||
|
OCEAN CITY |
NEWARK |
|||||
Shots On Goal |
9 |
8 |
|||||
Saves |
2 |
4 |
|||||
Fouls |
9 |
12 |
|||||
Offsides |
4 |
3 |
|||||
Corners |
2 |
4 |
Both teams emerge from Wednesday’s game with the same record, 4-2-5, and are tied for third place in the Northeast Division, just three points behind the first place Brooklyn Knights.
"I thought we played really well, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net tonight," said Barons head coach Mike Pellegrino. "Hopefully we can build on this as we approach the last five games."
Ten minutes later, Karcz would score for the second straight game against his former club, when Jerrod Laventure crossed the ball to him from the wing. Karcz scores his fourth goal of the year, and along with Laventure, the pair of former New York Red Bulls players have scored 11 of the team’s 19 goals this year.
The Express would go into the halftime break with a 1-0 lead, but Jeremy Ortiz would strike in the 61st minute after a flurry of action in front of the Newark goal. The scramble in front saw a pair of shots blocked and cleared off the line, but finally Ortiz buried a shot from close range to tie the game at 1-1.
Even after a couple of offensive-minded substitutions, the Barons were unable to find a winner. Newark nearly stole all three points in the dying minutes when Karcz found space for a shot that went just wide of the post in stoppage time.
The Barons have five games remaining and with so many teams aiming for only two available playoff spots, their room for error is minimal. Luckily for them, four of their last five games are at home in Ocean City.
Their next game is Sunday, June 29 against the Westchester Flames at the Beach House. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available online through the City of Ocean City’s website. Mama Mia’s will be on hand to serve great food for Sunday’s game, but any fans unable to make it down to the boardwalk can listen to an online radio broadcast, beginning shortly before kick-off.
PDL Northeast Division |
Games |
|||
Brooklyn | 6-2-2 (20 pts.) |
6 |
||
Long Island | 5-1-4 (19 pts.) |
6 |
||
OCEAN CITY | 4-2-5 (17 pts.) |
5 |
||
Newark | 4-2-5 (17 pts.) |
5 |
||
Westchester | 5-2-1 (16 pts.) |
8 |
||
Eastern Conference Wild Card |
Games |
|||
Long Island | 5-1-4 (19 pts.) |
6 |
||
Fredericksburg | 6-3-0 (18 pts.) |
7 |
||
OCEAN CITY | 4-2-5 (17 pts.) |
5 |
||
Newark | 4-2-5 (17 pts.) |
5 |
||
Westchester | 5-2-1 (16 pts.) |
8 |