Playoff berth still in range after Nor'easters' 2-0 loss to Baltimore (VIDEO)
Ocean City hosts Jersey Express on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Tennessee Avenue Soccer Complex
UPDATE: Join us for Sunday's huge game against the Jersey Express at 5 p.m. for our first of two "Dog Days of Summer with the Ocean City Nor'easters." Dogs and their human friends are welcome at the match at the Tennessee Avenue Soccer Complex.
Also, anyone who brings donations of food, toys, and other animal needs will receive $2 off their ticket upon entrance to the game. Fans will get a chance to meet the dogs up for adoption before kickoff and during halftime. For more information about the Humane Society of Ocean City please visit www.hsocnj.org.
The Ocean City Nor’easters still control their own fate as the Premier Development League postseason comes into closer and closer view.
The Nor’easters battled a team in the Baltimore Bohemians that they hadn't seen since a 3-0 season opening road win back on May 22. Unfortunately, the Bohemians got their revenge with a 2-0 win at the Tennessee Avenue Soccer Complex on Friday night. The win brings Baltimore within a point of the Nor'easters who are in second place in the Mid Atlantic Division with two games left to play in the regular season. The top two teams in the division are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
The Nor'easters will look to bounce back on Sunday when they host the Jersey Express at Tennessee Avenue at 5 p.m. The Express are mathmatically alive in the playoff chase but anything less than a win will eliminate them.
Despite strong possession and dominant passing, Ocean City failed to convert on multiple chances that could have easily resulted in a goal to put them up early. The Nor’easters would have nine set piece chances all from the corner flag.
A precautionary 30-minute lightning delay was ushered in by the officials near the halfway mark in the first half. The dynamic changed after the break as the Bohemians began to shift the momentum and find their way with consistent pressure in the Nor’easters' half.
The second half would prove to be the downfall for the Nor’easters as the Bohemians found their way to score in the 47th, and 75th minutes of play to take a commanding lead.
The Nor'easters created a major surge in the final 15 minutes of the game to try to get back into the match. The pace of the game came to a fevered pitch as the reality of playoffs became all too apparent for the team as they berated the Baltimore keeper with shot after shot, looking to get back into the game after conceding a second goal.
Despite their most courageous efforts on goal, Chevy Walsh (Jefferson/Jamaica) and Nathan Regis (Pfeiffer/Trinidad & Tobago) could only find the keeper as he sprawled to keep Baltimore ahead as the game was in its dying embers.
The three extra minutes of stoppage time had come and gone, but the lessons from this game were clear to the team. Nor'easters head coach Tim Oswald had a brief meeting with the team after the game explaining the implications of what the boys could accomplish this summer with a playoff berth, motivating them to be ready for another game Sunday night.
After tonight's game the Nor’easters are only one point ahead of the Bohemians in the Mid Atlantic Division and four points behind division leaders Reading United AC. Only two games remain in the PDL season for Ocean City as they look to forge a path past the Jersey Express on Sunday and again through the Baltimore Bohemians in the season finale. Both games will be played at the Tennessee Avenue Soccer Complex in Ocean City.
With players and coaches will shift their focus to the Express on Sunday in what can be considered a must-win. Although, at this time of year, Coach Oswald will tell you that every game is a must-win if you want to qualify for the playoffs in one of the most competitive divisions in the PDL.
MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION (After Sunday, July 10) |
RECORD | PTS | GAMES LEFT |
Reading United | 8-3-1 | 25 | 2 (at JER on 7/13, vs LVU on 7/17) |
OCEAN CITY NOR'EASTERS | 8-5-0 | 24 | 1 (vs BAL on 7/17) |
Baltimore Bohemians | 6-4-2 | 20 | 2 (vs LVU on 7/15, at OCN on 7/17) |
New York Red Bulls U23s | 5-4-4 | 19 | 1 (vs. EFC on 7/16) |
Jersey Express | 5-6-1 | 16 | 2 (vs REA on 7/13, vs EFC on 7/17) |
Lehigh Valley United Sonic | 3-8-1 | 10 | 2 (at BAL on 7/15, at REA on 7/17) |
Evergreen FC | 2-7-3 | 9 | 2 (at NYRB on 7/16, at JER on 7/17) |
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The Ocean City Nor’easters is a professionally run amateur soccer club with the focus of developing, educating and promoting soccer, health and leadership. Located in Ocean City, New Jersey, “America’s Greatest Family Resort”, the Nor’easters provide quality entertainment to families throughout the Tri-State area and the thousands of visitors every summer.
The Nor’easters organization was established in 1996 and made Carey Stadium, in Ocean City, NJ, its permanent home in 2005. Competing in North America’s top amateur league, the Premier Development League (PDL), the Nor’easters provide the highest level of soccer in Southern New Jersey. The 65-team PDL is the 4th level of soccer in the United States, below the professional leagues; Major League Soccer (MLS), North American Soccer League (NASL) and United Soccer League (USL). As part of the PDL, the Nor’easters’ have the sixth-best overall record since joining the league in 2003 and have upset five professional teams in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, third-most of any amateur team in the country. Ocean City players have the ability to compete during the summer months in a professional environment while maintaining their collegiate eligibility and pursuing their academic goals.