SEVERANCE, Colo. – Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (9W-10L-9D, 36 points) tied with Greenville Triumph SC (11W-8L-8D, 41 points) 1-1 at Severance High School. Greenville tied the game with a Evan Lee goal in stoppage time.
Irvin Parra came off the bench in the 62nd minute. 11 minutes after coming on Parra tracked back and stopped a Triumph attack turning it into a Hailstorm counterattack. Stefan Lukic took a pass from Parra and brought the ball forward. Lukic took a shot from distance that hit both posts, before Parra got on the rebound and headed the ball in. It was his 12th goal of the season.
In the 91st minute, Greenville earned a throw in deep in Hailstorm territory. Jacob Labovitz took the long throw finding Evan Lee. Lee put a header on target with goalkeeper Thomas Olsen making the safe. However, the rebound fell for Lee, who tied up the match.
With the draw Northern Colorado sits in seventh place and one point out of the playoff picture. Both opponents remaining for the Hailstorm are each outside the playoff picture
Northern Colorado is back in action on October 1 when they visit Central Valley Fuego FC. The match is at 8:30 p.m. MDT, at Fresno State Soccer Stadium.
Match Quotes:
Head Coach Éamon Zayed
On the match…
“We were in control of the game and dropped two points. You have a team who up in the playoffs, have been in the playoff final the last three years and celebrating like they won it tonight after game. So they know they absolutely robbed us of two points.”
Head Coach Éamon Zayed
On the ending of the match…
“It was an immature last few minutes from us. That cost us the game and possibly the playoffs. It’s been an Achilles’ heel not just now, during the year. Not getting clean sheets, not desperate enough for a clean sheet.”
Defender Wolfgang Prentice
On the game…
“It’s a unlucky result. We kinda had to win that game but all we can do is look forward to the next two games. Just hope for the best honestly.”
Forward Irvin Parra
On his goal sequence…
“I know I tracked it back and retrieved the ball and I played it out to Stef (Lukic). I really like the way he plays, he’s a maestro. I knew I had to push forward, I knew either he was going to play it in to me or he was going to take a shot like he did. I just had to pick up the leftovers basically, it’s my first goal that I actually pick up a leftover like that. It felt great to get a goal in and get one-nil up, but unfortunately drawing towards the last minute. We have to keep our heads up and we’re still in the push for the playoffs, we just have to stay strong and keep our momentum going.”
The future home of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, 118-acre Future Legends Complex will feature 6,500-seat TicketSmarter Stadium, 2,500-seat Future Legends Field, multiple baseball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, an indoor sports arena, lodging, and retail; and will host guests for major sports tournaments, events, leagues, and more.