USL2: FC Motown STA drops home opener, 2-0 vs Manhattan SC
May 26, 2022
FC Motown faced a gauntlet this week; Ending with a victory in the NJ State Cup Final
June 14, 2022
After losing a tough match in their home opener, Motown STA wanted to give the home crowd something to cheer about this Memorial Day weekend with a match against the Hudson Valley Hammers. The heat affected both teams, with no really clear cut openings in the first half.
In the opening minute of the second half, Hudson Valley would be the first team to make an impact in the game. A goal by Nicholas Zielonka in the ‘45, put Motown down 1-0, with a lot of time left to play. Not too long after in the ‘50, Duke University star Peter Stroud took a pass from Micah Garnette. Stroud was able to maneuver past defenders and struck the ball with his left, scoring Motown’s opening goal of the night. The match was now tied 1-1, and Motown changed the game's momentum with that goal.
One player who had both an assist and a goal of his own, was Motown’s Micah Garnette. His goal came in the ‘56 minute. A build-up sequence of 15 passes saw a long diagonal from Jack Kesoglu to Will Stroud who dribbled the ball down the right side before playing into Ryan Peterson who set for Garnette who sent a screamer to the left side of the net. Motown took the 2-1 lead on that game-winning goal by Garnette.
Motown STA would hang on and win the game 2-1, for their first ULS2 win as a club under the new partnership. Head Coach Tom Shields had this to say when asked how special it was for Motown STA to get their first USL2 win “One of the biggest challenges going into this summer was always going to be establishing our own identity with the guys from the 26 different schools on our roster. The game winning goal showed how we are trying to play.” Motown had five players who played at least 90 minutes in Saturday’s match. That speaks to the level of intensity and reliability that Motown has. Their stars shined the brightest when they needed them most.
We have an away game vs Morris Elite on Wednesday, June 1, at 8:00pm. Our next USL2 home game is Monday, June 13, 8:00pm at Drew University. We would love to see you and your family come support the boys! This will be a match vs Copa FC. Children under 16 are free, $10 for all others. Tickets are on sale at the gate but are recommended to purchase in advance. https://tickets.uslleaguetwo.com/users/62377705/events