Nor'easters' Akeil Barrett celebrates birthday in style with win over New England Revolution U-23s (VIDEO)
After exhibition game win, Ocean City shifts focus to Sunday's home game vs. New York Red Bulls U-23s
The Ocean City Nor'easters claimed a win on Friday night at "The Beach House" in a friendly match against the New England Revolution Under-23 team. Birthday boy, Akeil Barrett (Tulsa / Kingston, Jamaica) scored from the penalty spot and added an assist in a 2-0 win over the MLS Academy side.
After a scoreless first half that saw only a few chances for both sides, Ocean City stepped their play up in the second half, scoring two goals. Early in the second half, the Nor'easters were awarded a penalty after a ball bounced up and hit the arm of a Revolution defender. Barrett confidently stepped up and scored into the bottom right corner. Revolution keeper, Austin Aviza, guess correctly and got a hand on it but there was just too much power on the shot.
The Nor'easters would not seal the win until the 83rd when Barrett flicked the ball beautifully to Fredlin "Fredinho" Mompremier (Fairleigh Dickinson / Limbe, Haiti) who put it through substitute keeper, Kyle Parks' legs.
Ocean City looked dominant throughout the match and it was a great chance for some of the Under-23 players to get real game time alongside the PDL squad. The win marked the second year in a row that the Nor'easters have defeated the Revolution in a mid-season friendly. Last year, Ocean City defeated the Revs 3-1 at Carey Stadium thanks to a hat trick from Nathan Regis.
The Nor'easters will now quickly shift their focus back to league play as they host the Mid-Atlantic Division front-runners on Sunday. With the New York Red Bulls Under-23s (10-1-0) coming to Ocean City, the Nor'easters need a win to keep their slim PDL playoff hopes alive. However, even if Reading United eliminate the Storm from playoff contention by beating Jersey Express on Saturday night, there will still be plenty to play for. A win over the Red Bulls could give Ocean City the points they need to qualify for the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, although the format for next year's national championship has not been officially announced. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 7 p.m.
HIGHLIGHTS
FULL MATCH VIDEO
MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION STANDINGS (Updated after 7/5/17)
Top 2 teams qualify for the PDL playoffs
Reading holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Ocean City
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY Red Bulls U23s | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 38 | 10 | +28 |
| Reading United AC | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 26 | 9 | +17 |
| OC NOR'EASTERS | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 20 | 13 | +7 |
| Jersey Express | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 27 | -7 |
| Lehigh Valley United | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 21 | -6 |
| FA Euro New York | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 22 | -16 |
| Evergreen FC | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 34 | -23 |
Remaining schedules:
New York Red Bulls U-23s
Sunday, July 9 - at Ocean City Nor'easters
Wednesday, July 12 - home vs. FA Euro New York
Saturday, July 15 - home vs. Evergreen FC
Reading United AC
Saturday, July 8 - home vs. Jersey Express
Wednesday, July 12 - at Jersey Express
Saturday, July 15 - at Lehigh Valley United
Ocean City Nor'easters
Sunday, July 9 - home vs. New York Red Bulls U-23s
Wednesday, July 12 - home vs. Lehigh Valley United
