Richmond, VA – (Wednesday, June 10, 2009) – The Richmond Kickers continue their five-game road stretch this weekend when they travel to the Real Maryland Monarchs on Saturday, June 13th. Continuing north, the Kickers face the Pittsburgh Riverhounds one day later. Fans are encouraged to follow the action in Maryland via USLLive.com on Saturday.
The Richmond Kickers are coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday. Kickers forward David Bulow converted a 20th minute penalty kick to equalize the score for the majority of the first half but the Kickers could not rally back from the 2-1 deficit.
Three days prior, the Kickers handed a 5-0 decision to the league-leading Harrisburg City Islanders. Midfielder Adrian Bumbut connected on a Mike Burke chip to open scoring in the 16th minute. An own goal in favor of the home side doubled the score before the end of the first half. Former Real Salt Lake (MLS) defender Kenny Cutler assisted after the restart, this time on a David Bulow tally with Bulow adding his second goal of the night two minutes later, courtesy of a Sascha Görres cross. As regulation waned, second half substitutes David Rosenbaum and Ross MacKenzie teamed up to round out the scoreline. With the victory, the Kickers leapfrogged into third place in the standings, with just three points separating them from the top of the table.
Kickers versus Monarchs
The Richmond Kickers hold a 2-0-0 record over the sophomore club in Maryland and meet the Monarchs for the first time this season. The Kickers swept the season last year with a combined nine goals scored in the pair of shutouts. Although the Kickers and the Monarchs concluded the 2008 season at opposite ends of the USL-2 table, Maryland has improved their record dramatically this season and currently reside just one point behind the Kickers in the standings.
The Monarchs began the 2009 campaign with four consecutive wins but recently suffered back-to-back losses at the hands of Harrisburg and Western Mass. Most recently, the Pioneers stole three points for the Monarchs with a 2-0 decision in Western Mass. Forward Gary Brooks has led the attack for Maryland, notching four of the team’s 12 goals while goalkeeper Dave Kern has allowed just eight goals against in seven matches, ranking fifth in the league with a goals against average of 1.142.
The Kickers and the Monarchs swap home field advantage on Saturday, August 1st when the Kickers play host at the University of Richmond Stadium.
Kickers versus Riverhounds
The Kickers meet the Riverhounds for the second time this season after battling to a 1-1 stalemate in Richmond on April 25th. The Kickers took the lead when Joey Worthen connected on a Matthew Delicâte cross in the 36th minute. Four minutes later, the Riverhounds leveled the score when Randolph Jerome finished a rebound at point blank range. Pittsburgh went a man down early after the second half restart due to a red card ejection to defender Chris Riley. With the advantage on a steamy night, the Kickers out-shot the Riverhounds 12-5 but could not find the game-winning goal during regulation.
The Riverhounds currently reside in the USL-2 standings’ basement with a record of 2-3-2 and eight points. They recently picked up their second win of the 2009 campaign with a 3-1 upset over the then league-leading Wilmington Hammerheads in late May. Rookie midfielder Tony Labudovski notched a goal and added an assist while Jerome registered his second tally of the season. Most recently, the Riverhounds suffered a heart-breaking loss to the Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division in the U.S. Open Cup First Round on Tuesday. Taking an early lead, the Riverhounds conceded the advantage in the 90th minute, pushing the match to overtime and eventually losing 4-2 in penalties.
The two teams round out their three-game series in two weeks when the Kickers return to Pittsburgh to take on the Riverhounds on June 26th.
Richmond Kickers Destiny Search for First Win of Season
The Richmond Kickers Destiny continue to search for their first win of the season with two matches slated for this weekend against Atlantic Division foes Charlotte Lady Eagles and Atlanta Silverbacks. First, the Destiny travel to Charlotte on Friday, June 12th before hosting the Silverbacks on Sunday, June 14th at 6:00 p.m. at Sports Backers Stadium.
The Destiny meet the Lady Eagles on the road after dropping a 4-1 decision at home earlier in the season. Meanwhile, the undefeated Atlanta Silverbacks lead the division with a record of 4-0-0, having just allowed one goal on the season.
The Destiny have yet to come out on top after a tough opening schedule. The Destiny was host to the Hampton Roads Piranhas in the first round of the James River Cup at the University of Richmond Stadium last weekend, dropping a 5-0 decision to their I-64 rivals. One day later, the women fell short on the road to the Northern Virginia Majestics on a narrow goal differential of 2-1.
