WINDSOR, Colo. — Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC clinched a berth in the USL League One playoffs for the second straight season with a 4-0 victory over South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday.
“We’re into the playoffs but that’s not our goal,” Hailstorm FC head coach Éamon Zayed said. “It’s a nice achievement, a box ticked off, but our goal isn’t just to make the playoffs.”
Marky Hernández got the scoring started, collecting an attempted Tormenta clearance and scoring from distance past Tormenta keeper Ford Parker, giving Hailstorm a 1-0 lead.
“I hadn’t scored a goal like that in a long time,” Hernández said. “I just got it and thought I could shoot it from there.”
Hernández’s goal would be the only one before half, and the teams went into the break with Hailstorm holding the 1-0 advantage.
It was also be Hernández who got the scoring in the second half, collecting David Garcia’s flick on from a corner and slotting it past Parker to double the Hailstorm lead in the 53rd minute.
Hailstorm put any doubt about the result to bed in the 67th minute, when Bruno Rendon found Danny Robles on the counter attack and Robles fired home his second goal of the season to make it 3-0.
Scorer then turned provider in the 76th minute as Robles found Noah Powder to put the exclamation point on the win.
“Danny was really, really good,” Zayed said. “He’s been waiting for his opportunity patiently, and he came in and was fantastic.”
In addition to the four-goal onslaught, Hailstorm also kept their third consecutive clean sheet in USL League One play, giving goalkeeper Lalo Delgado seven in the league and nine on the season in all competitions.
“We’re getting to our standard. Credit to the defense, we’ve been working really hard for it,” Delgado said.
Hailstorm will now prepare for their final road trip of the season next week as they travel to take on Charlotte Independence at 5 p.m. Mountain time next Saturday.
Hailstorm Clinch Playoff Berth with Dominant Win
