WINDSOR, Colo. — A fast start helped Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC build a lead that proved insurmountable as they picked up a 3-2 win over Lexington SC at Future Legends Field on Wednesday.
It was the third straight win for Hailstorm FC, maintaining their position in second in the USL League One table and moving them just one point behind North Carolina FC.
“Our destiny is in our hands, and that’s what we would have wanted at the start of the season,” Hailstorm FC head coach Éamon Zayed said.
The match started as Sunday’s 4-2 win over Charlotte Independence ended, with a goal from Marky Hernández, who scored in the 16th minute to give Hailstorm a 1-0 lead. It was his third goal in the last four matches and his sixth of the season overall.
“I’ve been putting in the extra work and, you know, hard work pays off,” Hernández said.
Hailstorm expanded their lead just before halftime when defender Arthur Rogers scored his first goal of the season direct from a free kick, giving Northern Colorado a 2-0 lead at the break.
The goal that turned out to be the winner came early in the second half when reigning USL League One Player of the Week got on the end of a cross from Hernández and fired home his second goal in as many matches to make it 3-0 in the 56th minute. Powder now has two goals and three assists during Hailstorm’s three-match winning run.
“It’s obviously good to help the team in any way, and we needed all three goals because it ended up being 3-2,” Powder said.
Lexington got a lifeline in the 75th minute when a long shot from midfielder Phila Dlamini took a deflection past Hailstorm goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda to make it 3-1. The visitors got a second when Don Smart converted a penalty in the 87th minute, setting up a nervier finale than Hailstorm would have liked.
“I give Lexington so much credit,” Zayed said. “They do not give up, no matter what.”
After holding on for their third straight win, Hailstorm FC will look to make it four in a row at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon when South Georgia Tormenta FC come to Future Legends Field for the only time this season.
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The 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 leagues, tournaments, events and more.
More information is available at HailstormFC.com and FutureLegendsComplex.com.