WINDSOR, Colo. — After taking home a 4-1 victory over Tulsa Athletic in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC will return to the Sooner State to face FC Tulsa in the Third Round on Wednesday.
This will be the third consecutive season in which Hailstorm have faced USL Championship opposition in the Open Cup, having beaten in-state rivals Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in each of the past two years.
“We’re always looking forward to a challenge like this,” Hailstorm goalkeeper Lalo Delgado said. “I think we have a group that can go out there and showcase our quality.”
Wednesday’s match will be the first meeting between Hailstorm and FC Tulsa, who are coming off of a 1-1 draw at Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday.
“We know a little bit about them, with Arthur Rogers being there and watching the games they’ve played this season. But it’s always a little bit different when you’re out on the field,” Hailstorm defender Brecc Evans said.
Hailstorm have scored eight goals in five matches in all competitions this season, getting two each from forwards Marky Hernández and Ethan Hoard as well as defender Lucky Opara. FC Tulsa’s only player with more than one goal in their four league matches this season is forward Stefan Stojanovic, who has two.
A win on Wednesday would also match the farthest the club has ever advanced in the Open Cup, equaling their 2022 run to the Round of 32.
“We’ve been working hard this week on a game plan and we have to lean into it and play for one another, put the team first,” Delgado said.
The match kicks off at 6 p.m. Mountain time on Wednesday and will be streamed live at USLSoccer.com/watch.
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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.