Hailstorm Win 4-1 over North Carolina
September 4, 2022 – United Soccer League One (USL1) – Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC News Release
SEVERANCE, Colo. – Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (8W-9L-8D, 32 points) defeated North Carolina FC (6W-12L-5D, 23 points) 4-1 at Severance High School. Trevor Amann fueled the win with the first hat trick in Northern Colorado history.
Lachlan McLean grabbed Northern Colorado an early lead. 15 minutes in, Arthur Rogers whipped a free kick into the six-yard box. McLean brought the ball down, and beat North Carolina goalkeeper Will Pulisic with the point blank range shot. This moved Rogers into second-place in USL League One for assists with eight.
A quarter of an hour later, the Hailstorm doubled their lead. A long ball over the top of the North Carolina defense put Amann in a one-on-one with Pulisic. Amann found an angle and passed the ball into the back of the net for 2-0.
On the verge of halftime, Amann completed the first brace in club history. From another Rogers free kick, McLean headed a shot on target. Pulisic made a diving save to deny McLean. However, the ball rebounded to Amann. putting it into the wide-open net, making it three-nil at the break.
In the 79th minute, Amann took a penalty kick for Northern Colorado. The referee awarded the penalty kick after Jackson Dietrich got fouled just inside the penalty area. Pulisic chose the right direction of Amann’s shot, but could only deflect it into the top of the net. The hat trick brought Amann’s season total to five goals, the second-most at the club.
Four minutes later, North Carolina received a penalty kick when Wolfgang Prentice took down Oalex Anderson. Garrett McLaughlin stepped up to the spot, scoring his 11th goal of the season, keeping his chances at the USL League One Golden Boot award alive.
It is the first time Northern Colorado have won back-to-back league matches. Following up their 2-0 victory over Greenville Triumph SC on August 27. The win moves the Hailstorm into the playoff picture with six weeks to play.
The Hailstorm return to action on September 10 when they visit South Georgia Tormenta FC. The match will begin at 5:30 p.m. MDT, at the Erk Russell Athletic Park in Statesboro, Georgia.
Match Quotes:
Head Coach Éamon Zayed
On the hat trick…
“It’s been coming, Trevor’s been in and around the box. He’s hit the post, he’s hit the bar, he’s had goals disallowed, and he’s missed some chances as well. With Irvin out, I challenged Trevor and Lachlan to go out and score some goals. He was due a game like that and hopefully he continues now.”
Head Coach Éamon Zayed
On winning two games back-to-back…
“We’re starting to feel a bit more of a rhythm. Being at the same place for training and playing here in Severance. First back-to-back wins of the season and coming at the right time, with only five games left now, and then hopefully playoffs.”
Forward Trevor Amann
On his hat trick…
“I was surprised he gave the penalty kick to be fair. I’m not going to say I wasn’t a little nervous. But I always bet on myself when it comes to penalty kicks and I’m one for one this year.”
Forward Lachlan McLean
On the team at the end of the season…
“From day one we always knew it was going to be a tough year, because like with all expansion team it’s tough to start the year. I think from every day we just go in and say can we get 1% better, 1% closer to where we want to be. I think we’re starting to see the dividends of that now, and this is the best time of year to be like that.”
The future home of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, 118-acre Future Legends Complex will feature 6,500-seat TicketSmarter Stadium, 2,500-seat Future Legends Field, multiple baseball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, an indoor sports arena, lodging, and retail; and will host guests for major sports tournaments, events, leagues, and more.
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