The day after a hard fought battle in Charlotte with the Eagles' winning 2-1, brings these two rivals together again for another Open Cup Qualifying Match but this time its' on the Dynamos' home field in Greensboro.
The match was to start at 8:00 pm immediately following a W-2 match between the Lady Eagles and the Piedmont Spark (the Lady Eagles won 3-0), but due to the severe weather in the area the game started a few minutes early. The game started with the Eagles making dramatic changes to their starting line-up.
Of the 11 regular starters, 6 players were starting for the first time and three others had only started one game. This fan had some concerns being an Open Cup game but they were quickly erased. The Eagles came out flying, with crisp passing and numerous scoring opportunities.
At this early point in the match with threatening skies one goal might be enough and this fan remembers an Open Cup qualifying match last year that was cut short and probably cost the Eagles from advancing. Back to the game in the 19th minute Caleb Norkus scored on an assist by Jose Gomez. The half ended at 1-0 Eagles.
The second half was even more explosive (fortunately not from the sky) but from the Eagles. Jacob Coggins from UNCC scored on a header at the 57th minute off a Kevin O'Brien assist. Several of the Eagles regular starters came in after 60 minutes had been played. The tempo of the game actually slowed down at this point.
The Dynamo always gives the Eagles a good battle and would get back in the game on a Troy Garner goal and assist by Andy Hilton with 17 minutes still remaining in the game. But the Eagles were not about to lose tonight and Caleb Norkus scored his second goal clinching the victory for the Eagles. That goal came with 5 minutes remaining and the assist was from Rob Mouw.
STATS- UNABLE TO AQUIRE ALL STATS BEING THAT IT WAS A ROAD GAME
STARTERS-
EAGLES- GOALIE NEAL ANDREWS, O'BRIEN, AVILEZ (PINCH 7), PARRY, EASON, JERELE,NORKUS, GONZALEZ (LEIB 60), GOMEZ (SWINEHART 60), COGGINS ( MOUW ),ALLEN
EAGLEMAN OF THE MATCH ROOKIE DRAFTEE CALEB NORKUS
