CARY, N.C. — For the third time this season, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC dropped a decision to North Carolina FC, this time a 3-1 defeat in the USL League One Semifinals.
Hailstorm’s season ends one game short of the USL League One Final, which will feature North Carolina against Charlotte Independence, who beat top seed Union Omaha next Sunday.
North Carolina opened the scoring when defender David Garcia deflected a long shot from midfielder Raheem Sommersall past Hailstorm goalkeeper Lalo Delgado, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute.
Garcia doubled the advantage in the 49th minute, heading home from a corner kick to give NCFC a 2-0 lead and Louis Perez added a third in the 87th minute.
Hailstorm grabbed a late consolation goal when Marky Hernández scored his ninth of the season in all competitions in the 93rd minute to make it 3-1.
The loss caps an historic season for Hailstorm, in which they had a Golden Boot winner, the league’s Golden Playmaker, made their first playoff appearance, and had 20 more points than in their inaugural season.
Stay tuned for 2024 schedule and ticketing information.
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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.