SPOKANE, Wash. — Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC clinched the top spot in the West Group and a place in the USL Jägermeister Cup semifinals with a 3-1 win over Spokane Velocity on Tuesday.
The win also means any result in Hailstorm’s final group match against Central Valley Fuego FC later this month will secure them the top seed in the knockout round.
It was a cagey first half as each team put just a single shot on target. The closest anyone came to scoring was when Hailstorm midfielder Marky Hernández hit the post in the 39th minute.
However, the USL Jägermeister Cup’s leading scorer, Bruno Rendon, came on for Hailstorm at halftime and it took him less than a minute to open the scoring when he got on the end of a cross from McCain Clarke, giving Northern Colorado a 1-0 lead. It was Rendon’s 11th goal in all competitions this season and Clarke’s first career assist in USL competition.
Spokane equalized in the 49th minute through midfielder Luis Gil, making it a 1-1 game entering the final 15 minutes of regulation.
It was Noah Powder who broke the tie in the 77th minute, scoring for the second straight match. He arrived at the back post as Danny Robles flicked on Ethan Hoard’s cross, giving Hailstorm the 2-1 lead.
Hailstorm kept the pressure on their hosts after taking the lead and it paid off when Hoard was pulled down in the box and then stepped up and scored Hailstorm’s first penalty of the season to make it 3-1 in the 87th minute.
Northern Colorado has just three days off before taking the pitch again Saturday at South Georgia Tormenta FC in USL League One play. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. Mountain time and can be streamed live on ESPN+.
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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.