KICKERS HOST FREE YOUTH NIGHT SATURDAY
Face Wilmington Hammerheads at UR Stadium
RICHMOND, VA - (Wednesday, May 28, 2008) – The Richmond Kickers host Free Youth Night and are slated to face the Wilmington Hammerheads this Saturday, May 31st. Kickoff is set for 7:00 pm at the University of Richmond Stadium and free youth tickets for children ages 3-17 can be downloaded in advance via RichmondKickers.com. The first 1,000 fans through the gate will receive a new 2008 team poster.
The Kickers hold an all-time series record of 3-2-2 against the Hammerheads, over the past two seasons. The two teams last met in Wilmington on July 25, 2007 when they battled to a 2-2 draw. The Kickers rallied back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime to tie the score. Defender Kelvin Jones registered a goal to cut the margin to one while Freddie Smith assisted on the equalizer. Earlier that season, the Kickers handed a 2-0 score to the Hammerheads in Richmond. One season prior, Wilmington went 2-1-1 against the eventual USL-2 Champions, the only team to hand the Kickers two losses in 2006.
Currently in the USL-2 standings’ basement, Wilmington is still searching for their first win of the season, most recently dropping a 2-1 decision to the Real Maryland Monarchs. After taking an early lead last weekend, Maryland notched two unanswered goals to down the Hammerheads. Meanwhile, the Kickers are battling back into the lead, responding to a two-game losing streak with back-to-back 1-0 wins. Forward Stanley Nyazamba was responsible for both goals in the Kickers victories in Western Mass on May 17th and against Charlotte last Saturday.
The Hammerheads and the Kickers are slated to meet twice more at the end of the season with the teams swapping home field advantage in a back-to-back affair. The Hammerheads travel to Richmond on August 1st before turning around and heading to Wilmington on August 2nd.
Players to Watch
Kickers: Joining the Kickers on a short-term contract, defender Trevor McEachron (#25) earned USL-2 Player of the Week honors this week for his defensive efforts in the Kickers 1-0 win over Charlotte last weekend. Making two appearances with the Kickers so far this season, he has made an immediate defensive impact, including clearing two dangerous Charlotte shots off the goal line, leading the back line to consecutive shutouts. Last weekend in Richmond, rookie forward Stanley Nyazamba (#27), out of Lee University, responded to the Charlottes’s unbeaten streak with a 1-0 win in favor of the home team. Nyazamba recorded the lone goal over the Western Mass Pioneers one week prior in a victory by the same scoreline, earning back-to-back USL-2 Team of the Week honors. USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Week, Ronnie Pascale (#22) has posted three shutouts out of five matches this season, good for a first-place tie in the league in shutouts. Pascale is also ranked third in the league in saves (24) and is a top ten leader in the goals against and goals against average categories. Former Columbus Crew midfielder Ben Hunter (#11) returns after a one-game suspension. He is currently tied for second in the league in assists, adding two in the Kickers home opener win against Western Mass in April.
Hammerheads: Goalkeeper John O’Hara (#1) spent two seasons with the Richmond Kickers Future (PDL), making 30 appearances for 2,817 minutes, while posting 11 shutouts in a Kickers uniform (2003-2004). He brings Irish Premier League and USL First Division experience to Wilmington after playing with the Sligo Rovers and Carolina RailHawks, respectively. Midfielder Mark Nerkowski (#12) notched the Hammerheads lone goal against Real Maryland last weekend, giving Wilmington an early lead. Nerkowski earned USL-2 Team of the Week honors for his offensive efforts. Meanwhile, forward Josh Smith (#9) leads Wilmington in assists, adding one against Charlotte and a second against Maryland. Last year’s leading scorer Jamie Holmes (#26) returns to Wilmington this season after leading the Hammerheads with three goals and three assists in 2007. Former Kickers midfielder Trey Alexander (#20) joined Wilmington prior to the 2008 season but is serving a one-game suspension this weekend due to a red-card ejection against Maryland last Saturday.
Next Home Game
The Richmond Kickers take to the road for the next two, first in Charlotte on June 3rd followed by a trip to Harrisburg on June 6th. The Kickers head home to open the 2008 edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, June 10th, slated to face the PDL side Fredericksburg Gunners at 8:00 pm at Sports Backers Stadium. Richmond returns to regular season action the following weekend, hosting the Bermuda Hogges on Saturday, June 14th at 7:00 pm at the University of Richmond Stadium. Visit RichmondKickers.com for all ticket information.
