COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC’s Second Round U.S. Open Cup match against Colorado Rapids 2 looked for all the world like it would be decided in a penalty shootout.
But Davíd Garcia had other ideas.
The Hailstorm defender pounced on a cross from Lucky Opara in the 121st minute of a 2-2 match, poking the winner past Rapids 2 goalkeeper Adam Beaudry.
“It feels great,” Garcia said. “A goal is always a good moment individually, but I’m really happy with the result, to come here and get the job done.”
Garcia’s goal put an exclamation point on a dramatic match that saw both teams lead in the second half and that was only forced into extra time when Rapids 2 forward Kimani Stewart-Baynes scored a stoppage time equalizer in regulation.
“To concede in stoppage time was a big blow, to be honest,” Hailstorm FC head coach Éamon Zayed said.
Rapids 2 started the scoring early in the second half, when midfielder Wayne Frederick found himself one-on-one with Hailstorm keeper Lalo Delgado and put it past the Hailstorm keeper to give the hosts a lead.
Forward Marky Hernández entered as a substitute for Hailstorm in the 57th minute and took just two minutes to find the equalizer from a Noah Powder cross.
Hailstorm took the lead for the first time when Hernández found forward Ethan Hoard with a through ball and the first-year pro did the rest, beating a man and firing past Rapids 2 goalkeeper Adam Beaudry to give Hailstorm a 2-1 lead in the 80th minute.
“Éamon told me that if you’re going to beat someone, beat someone and shoot instead of beat someone and dribble,” Hoard said.
The win was Hailstorm’s third in extra time over in-state opposition, having knocked Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC out of the Open Cup in extra time in both 2022 and 2023.
“Tonight’s not that dissimilar to the Switchbacks games,” Zayed said. “Those both went to extra time too, so we’re used to it by now.”
Hailstorm will find out their opponents for the Open Cup Third Round Thursday at 11 a.m. Mountain time. That match will be played either April 16 or 17.
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The home of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, 118-acre Future Legends Complex will feature 6,500-seat TicketSocket Park, 2,500-seat 4Rivers Equipment Stadium, 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.