Never Say Die; Stockade FC’s 92nd-minute equalizer extends unbeaten run with 1,057 supporters at Dietz Stadium

Kingston, NY— There is just something about Stockade FC vs Brooklyn Italians in 2019 that brings out the late dramatics. Wednesday night was no different as Stockade FC equalized in the 92nd-minute to blow the roof off Dietz Stadium in front of 1,057 fans and extended their club-record unbeaten streak to 11 games. During the stretch,  Stockade FC has gone 7W- OL-4D (7-1-4 overall) and has collected 25 of 33 possible points.

After a rain delay which pushed kickoff time back over an hour, the match began with an extremely tense, chippy playoff-like atmosphere.  Brooklyn Italians opened the scoring only 9 minutes into the match as sloppy play on the wet surface resulted in a break out for Anthony Gimenes to find the lead in early stages for the visitors. 

Stockade FC responded almost immediately.  Just 2 minutes later, Afonso Pinheiro used his strength to beat his man along the endline and find Scott Zobre at the top of the box.  Zobre would pound home the leveler in the 11th minute as his strike rattled the roof of the net to draw Stockade FC and Brooklyn at 1-1.

The chippy, aggressive play was allowed to continue throughout.  Neither team was able to find a real rhythm in possession as the back and forth attacks continue during the first half.  In the second half, Brooklyn began to settle a bit more of the possession in the opening minutes. Just over 53 minutes into the match, Brooklyn’s Faouzi Taieb struck a long driven ball from near midfield which took an unfortunate bounce off the slick surface and beat Stockade FC goalkeeper Greg Monroe. 

The match took a major swing in the 55th minute after Bernardo Mattos was shown a straight red card and sent off, for what appeared to be a ball-winning challenge. In the mayhem of the situation, Pedro Espindola was shown his second yellow card for verbally protesting the decision and Stockade FC were reduced to 9-men. 

Down to 9-men, surely, the comeback was too much to ask.  Head Coach Jamal Lis-Simmons went to his bench looking for a boost after the Starting XI had given everything they had left.  Frankie Ljucovic, Paul Makaj, Vinny Colantuono, Justin Jaime, Brandon Gracias and Brady Van Epps came into the match for their moment, to create their headline.  They did just that. Stockade FC began to control more of the possession of play after switching to a 3-back system to push numbers into the attack. The reserves began to push for an equalizer and create opportunities.  

The opportunity arose.  

The fight and determination of Joao Avila in the attacking end helped to lay the ball for Brady Van Epps to smash home the Stockade FC leveler in the 93rd minute of play and blow the proverbial roof off of Dietz Stadium, sending sound waves throughout Uptown Kingston. 

The draw keeps Stockade FC’s playoff hopes alive. With 2 matches remaining, Stockade FC needs to collect maximum points at Boston CIty and at NY Cosmos.  Hey, Hartford! Hey, Rough Diamonds! We need your help. Brooklyn has 3 matches remaining (vs. Hartford, @ Cosmos and vs. Rough Diamonds) in which they can only collect a maximum of 5 points from those matches to keep the dream alive.  

XI: Monroe; Mattos, Markovic, Avila, Robinson; Koziol, Rezenede, Williams; Espindola, Zobre, Pinheiro

MOTM (MEN of the match)

Brady Van Epps (11)

Frankie Ljucovic (26)

Paul Makaj (29)

Vinny Colantuono (17)

Justin Jaime (20)

Joao Avila (5)

Noah Robinson (21)

Brandon Gracias (33)

Greg Monroe (1)

There is simply no way to pick one, single MOTM.  The recognition goes to all 9 players on the field in the closing minutes for their determination and never-say-die attitude to push for the equalizer amidst all of the obstacles and adversity put in front of them.

Stockade FC Keeps Rolling with 3-0 Rout of Boston City FC; Increases Unbeaten Streak Into Double Digits

KINGSTON, NY – Stockade FC reached their 10th consecutive match unbeaten with Saturday evening's 3-0 defeat of Boston City FC in front of 1,037 supporters at Dietz Stadium.

Alejandro Riquelme started the scoring in the 6th minute with a one-time rocket on the bounce after a stunning 50-yard driven ball from Joao Avila. The goal was Riquelme’s 5th of the NPSL season.

“Riquelme’s play has been fantastic for us this season. He has scored some big goals for us in big moments,” said Technical Director Dan Hoffay.

Play stabilized for the remainder of the first half on a hot evening as both teams struggled to find a rhythm in possession. Stockade FC began to build more quality attacking chances in the second half as they controlled the majority of the possession. Justin Jaime made an immediate impact off the bench when he doubled the lead in the 66th minute of play after Frankie Ljucovic and Pedro Espindola combined to send him through on goal. The Stockade attacking reinforcements continued as Vinny Colantuono found the third 11 minutes later when Conner Rezende found him in space for the beautiful back post finish.

The back line was strong yet again as the goalkeeping duo of Greg Monroe (0 saves) and Ryan Sinnott (1 save) were given very little to do. Paul Makaj and Frankie Ljucovic were phenomenal in the middle of the field as they controlled possession and the pace of play for 90 minutes. Dylan Williams was strong in his return to Stockade FC for the first time since 2016 after spending 3 season abroad.

“Solid performance by our guys tonight. It was great to get an early lead and we felt more in control as the game went on. Big contributions from our reserves again which was great to see. Our defense set the tone throughout the match earning another shutout, said Head Coach Jamal Lis-Simmons”

Stockade FC returns to action this Wednesday, June 26 (7PM), when the Brooklyn Italians visit Dietz Stadium with major playoff implications at stake.

STARRTING XI: Monroe; Robinson, Markovic, Avila, Landicino; Makaj, Ljucovic, Williams; Riquelme, Zobre, Espindola

MAN OF THE MATCH – Frankie Ljucovic (#26): The Gonzaga men’s soccer midfielder was phenomenal in the middle of the field for Stockade FC in his starting debut at Dietz Stadium. Along with Paul Makaj, the duo controlled the pace of play throughout, built possession to create dangerous attacks and limited Boston City’s counter attacking play with strong defensive work in front of the back line.

Stockade FC Earns Road Draw in Hartford; 9 Straight Matches Unbeaten.

HARTFORD, CT – Stockade FC earned another vital point on the road with a 1-1 result vs. Hartford City FC and extended their unbeaten streak to 9 games.

The club continued to extend its record unbeaten streak, and secured the first-ever supporter driven Wooden Shoes, in Hartford on Saturday night. Alejandro Riquelme opened the scoring in the 19th minute of play at the University of Hartford as Conner Rezende pushed the ball towards the end line for Afonso Pinheiro to swing into the box for Riquelme’s finish.

Stockade FC controlled the pace of play for the majority of the first half and into the second half before Hartford City FC found the equalizer in the 66th minute. Miguel Carneiro pushed home the leveler after Stockade FC was caught on the counter-attack.

Stockade FC continued on the front foot in the final 20 minutes of play, searching for the winner. Brady Van Epps and Scott Zobre both had major chances in front of goal late on as Van Epps hit the crossbar and Zobre’s attempt was blocked inside 5 yards.

The push for the playoffs begins now with only four matches remaining; two at home. Stockade FC returns home to Dietz Stadium on Saturday June 22 for a 6PM match-up with rival Boston City FC.

STARTING XI: Monroe; Gatti, Avila, Markovic, Robinson; Koziol, Makaj, Rezende; Zobre, Riquelme, Pinheiro

MAN OF THE MATCH: Joao Avila (Stockade FC)

The Marist men’s soccer defender has been a rock in the back for Stockade FC this season and continued his impressive form as the back line limited Hartford City FC to few dangerous scoring opportunities throughout the night.

Stockade FC Cruises Past Rough Diamonds, 3-0; Extends Unbeaten Streak to 8 Games

KINGSTON, NY – Stockade FC continued their impressive form in NPSL play with another win and extended their unbeaten streak to 8 straight matches by defeating Rough Diamonds (of Lowell, MA), 3-0 in front of 816 fans at Dietz Stadium.

Scott Zobre opened the scoring 14 minutes into the match as Matt Koziol sent him in on goal after some fancy footwork by Justin Jaime in the middle of the field. The goal was Zobre’s third of the weekend after he notched a brace vs. NYAC on Friday evening.

Alejandro Riquelme would double the Stockade FC advantage just 8 minutes later when his dipping strike from 20 yards out found the back of the net.

Stockade FC enjoyed the majority of possession, especially during the first half as they amassed 6 shots in just the opening 13 minutes of the match before finally breaking through.

Shortly after the half-time break, Conner Rezende would add the Stockade FC third as Joao Avila found him in space. Rezende beat the backline and added flair to the finish with his athletic back-handspring celebration.

Stockade FC Head Coach Jamal Lis-Simmons was pleased with the performance saying, “Offensively, we felt in control most of the match and created many opportunities throughout. Another good team win.”

The goalkeeping pair of Greg Monroe (2 saves) and Ryan Sinnott (0 saves) did not have a lot to do as the Stockade FC defense was outstanding yet again, registering the 5th shutout of the season.

“Another solid performance by our defense. It’s always great to earn a shutout in front of our home fans,” said Lis-Simmons.

Stockade FC is back in action next weekend, June 15th as the team travels to Hartford City FC. Stockade FC returns home to Dietz Stadium for a June 22nd match-up with Boston City FC (6PM).

STARTING XI: Monroe; Landicino, Mattos, Avila, Gatti; Koziol, Parada, Rezende; Riquelme, Zobre, Jaime

MAN OF THE MATCH – Scott Zobre (Forward #22). Zobre opened the scoring with the eventual game winning goal just 14 minutes into the match. The goal would Zobre’s third of the weekend as he tallied a brace in Friday’s defeat of NYAC. Zobre would add an assist to his tally as he played the final pass before Alejandro Riquelme doubles the Stockade FC advantage.

7 Unbeaten; Stockade FC defeats NYAC 2-0 on the Road

Pelham Manor, NY – Another impressive defensive showing, this time on the road, helps Stockade FC improve their unbeaten streak to 7 games as they defeat NYAC, 2-0 at Travers Island.

After a shaky first 40 minutes of play in which saw both sides struggling to gain a foothold in the match, Stockade FC’s efforts began to come together. Just before the halftime whistle, Noah Robinson and Alejandro Riquelme round space down the left wing. Riquelme sent the perfect ball to the back post for Scott Zobre’s darting run to head in the opener.

The goal provided life into the second half for Stockade FC. Again, impacts off the bench provided drastic swings in the momentum as Brady Van Epps played a whipped left footed cross into the box where Zobre was able to slam home the finishing touches on his brace in the 62nd minute of play.

“Zobre has been electric all year long. He found his chances and took advantage of them tonight,” said Technical Director Dan Hoffay.

Greg Monroe was fantastic in net for Stockade FC as he stood tall and withstood a flurry of NYAC chances in the early stages of the first half. Monroe finished the evening with 9 saves in route to Stockade FC’s fourth shutout of the year.

Head Coach Jamal Lis-Simmons was pleased with the defense showing saying, “Another impressive performance by our back line and goalkeeper. They really kept us in the match and allowed us to eventually find our rhythm going forward. Our reserves were, again, able to come in and give us some needed energy. Overall a good team win on the road.”

Stockade FC returns home this Sunday, June 9, as Greater Lowell Rough Diamonds visit Dietz Stadium for a 6PM kickoff.

Starting XI: Monroe; Robinson, Markovic (in mask!), Avila, Gracias; Koziol, Parada, Lanzetta; Makaj, Zobre, Riquelme

Man of the Match – Scott Zobre (Stockade FC). The former Binghamton winger opened the scoring for Stockade FC when Alejandro Riquelme found his darting back post run to give Stockade a 1-0 lead. In the second half, Zobre found his brace as Brady Van Epps whipped a driven ball on one hop for Zobre to smash home.

Stockade FC Extends Unbeaten Run to 6 Games, Defeats Rhode Island Reds 3-0

KINGSTON, NY – Stockade FC extended their unbeaten run in NPSL play to 6 games with a 3-0 win over Rhode Island Reds on Sunday evening. Stockade FC has collected 4 wins and 2 draws in the stretch and collected 14 of a possible 18 points since their defeat to NY Cosmos on opening day. More than 564 fans were on hand to see the win, many staying thru a heavy halftime rainstorm.

Pedro Espindola returned from injury in a big way as he set the tone by putting Stockade FC in the lead only 3 minutes into the match. Juan Parada and Matt Koziol combined in the midfield to send Espindola in on goal and he took care of business.

While Stockade FC struck early, the match was a tale of impacts off the bench.

“The boys really showed how deep our roster is. Guys came in and made an immediate impact and closed out a great team victory,” said Stockade FC Technical Director Dan Hoffay.

As the second half began, a small burst of rain started to fall and Alejandro Riquelme struck. Scott Zobre played another of his patented perfect crosses into the box for Riquelme, a second half substitute, to head past the Rhode Island keeper and double the Stockade FC lead.

Vinny Colantuono would put the icing on the cake in the 90th minute off a Paul Makaj assist. Colantuono found space behind the Rhode Island back line and powered the Stockade FC third into the roof of the net.

Jared Mazzola and the Stockade FC defense were terrific again, collecting the team’s 3rd shutout in the last 4 matches.

Head Coach Jamal Lis-Simmons said, “Great team win tonight. Our defense held strong throughout. It’s always great to get a shutout, especially in front of our home fans.” He continued, “Offensively, we felt in control of the match and capitalized on our opportunities, our bench played a big role in our second half success.”

Stockade FC is back in action on Friday, June 7 as the team heads to Pelham, NY for a 6PM road match up with NY Athletic Club. The team returns home to Dietz Stadium on Sunday, June 9 as Greater Lowell Rough Diamonds visit Dietz Stadium at 6PM.

STARTING XI: Mazzola; Robinson, Markovic, Mattos, Gracias; Koziol, Parada, Rezende; Espindola, Zobre, Pinheiro

MAN OF THE MATCH - Bernardo Mattos [#12]

The Stockade FC center back was vital in another shutout win as he controlled the pace of play from the back and limited Rhode Island Reds to very few scoring opportunities. Mattos’ calm presence on the ball helped Stockade FC to build from the back keep control of the possession throughout the evening.

Stockade FC Escapes Brooklyn with an On-the-Road Draw

BROOKLYN, NY – Inclement weather and difficult travel conditions set the stage for a dreary and slick night at Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn. After a 40-minute weather delay pushed back the start time, Stockade FC came out full of energy.

The first half was filled with back and forth chances, turnovers and a very fast paced match. The slippery conditions made it a challenge for both sides to find large spells of possession and the half ended scoreless.

Play began to clean up in the second half as Brooklyn found themselves with a few big chances early on. Greg Monroe was up to the task in net for Stockade FC as he made 9 saves on the night. In the 59th minute of play, the hosts took their lead as Vitoria Argeri found space on the left side and slotted home the opener.

Monroe’s goalkeeping would prove to be a major difference maker as he made a momentum swinging diving save just 2 minutes later to keep Stockade FC within reach and allow for a grandstand finish.

In the 90th minute, with just added time remaining, Juan Parada swung a dangerous corner kick into the box and Danilo Markovic managed to muscle it into the net to find the Stockade FC equalizer and send the team home to Kingston with a massive away point.

STARTING XI: Monroe; Gatti, Avila, Markovic, Robinson; Koziol, Parada, Rezende; Zobre, Makaj, Pinheiro

MAN OF THE MATCH: Greg Monroe
The Siena men’s soccer GK made 9 saves to keep Stockade FC close and allow the 90’ equalizer to walk out of Brooklyn with a point

Stockade FC beats Hartford City; Claim All 6 Points on the Weekend

KINGSTON, NY – Stockade FC completed their second consecutive home 1-0 shutout win on the weekend with Sunday’s defeat of Hartford City FC in front of 886 supporters at Dietz Stadium.

The boys in orange started hot and controlled the pace of play throughout the opening 45 minutes. The attacking group of Afonso Pinheiro, Scott Zobre, Paul Makaj and Conner Rezende caused havoc on the Hartford backline in the opening stanza.

Juan Parada was key in the midfield as Stockade FC held a large amount of possession early on. In the 12’ minute, Stockade FC found their break through as Parada pulled the strings and swung the ball wide for Scott Zobre. Zobre played the perfect ball into the box for the darting run of Afonso Pinheiro, whose header left no chance for Hartford keeper Hami Kara and would stand as the eventual game winner.

Hartford City began to build more of an attack in the second half after the addition of Luke Alvaro at halftime. The Stockade defense was up to the challenge and stood tall. Jared Mazzola had little to do in goal for Stockade FC through the first 70 minutes but would prove to be vital as he made 2 of his 3 saves in added time, sealing Stockade FC’s 1-0 victory and claiming all 6 points on the weekend.

“Really proud of my guys for they’re performance tonight. That’s another big 3 points for us. We established a good rhythm in the first half which lead to a great team goal,” said Head Coach Jama Lis-Simmons. “The second half, we struggled a bit in possession but were still able to create some good opportunities. Our defense held strong all night and really limited they’re opportunities. This was a huge weekend for us with two shutout victories in front of our amazing fans. We’ll be looking to take this momentum into a tough midweek match up in Brooklyn.”

“Gritty, gutsy performance by the boys to put us in a great position in the standings heading towards June,” said Stockade FC Technical Director Dan Hoffay. Stockade FC heads to Brooklyn for a mid-week matchup with the Brooklyn Italians on Wednesday before returning home to Dietz Stadium on Sunday, June 2 vs. Rhode Island Reds.

XI: Mazzola; Robinson, Markovic, Avila, Kmiec; Koziol, Parada, Rezende; Makaj, Zobre, Pinheiro

Man of the Match – Afonso Pinheiro. The former UAlbany forward and DC United superdraft pick scored his first goal of the season in the 12’ en route to Stockade FC’s second consecutive 1-0 win on the weekend. Scott Zobre found space on the wing and found Pinheiro streaking through the box to open the scoring and ultimately, push Stockade FC to victory.

– written by Dan Hoffay