Thursday

June 22, 2006 

Next Home Game:

June 24th, 7:30 pm

Eagles vs. Pittsburg

Buy Tickets by midnight Friday and Save $2.00 per ticket.  Purchase your tickets online at CharlotteEagles.com

Saturday, July 24th

4-7pm Waddell Stadium

EAGLES MEDIA

For info: (704)841-8644x36

Dave Miller,

Media Relations Director

Eagles Strike First, But Fall to Harrisburg 3-1

(Harrisburg, PA, June 21, 2006) - The Harrisburg City Islanders (3-4-3, 12 points) scored three unanswered goals en route to a 3-1 win over the defending USL-2 champion Charlotte Eagles (4-3-4, 16 pts) in front of 1,247 fans at Skyline Sports Complex on Wednesday night. Sumed Ibrahim and Adam Clay scored for the City Islanders (who also received a Charlotte own goal), and Dave Kern made three saves in goal for the win.

A fantastic all-around effort eventually carried Harrisburg to a well-deserved win, but early on the Eagles were in control. In just the 6th minute of the match, midfielder Adam Ruud gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead, taking a Chris Klotz feed and popping the ball over Kern from the left wing.

With a deliberate, measured passing game, the Eagles (4-3-4, 16) proceeded to frustrate the City Islanders for much of the next half hour. Charlotte could have taken a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute, but Kern got his hands up to make a fine save on a Casey Barton header which followed a corner kick scramble.

Close to the 40-minute mark, though, the City Islanders began to click. In the 37th minute, a David Schofield cross found the Sumed’s head at the left post, but keeper Dan Benton (3 saves) was there to tip it high. Just two minutes later, following some more Harrisburg pressure in the offensive third, the game was tied thanks to a Charlotte miscue. A Schofield corner sailed across the goalmouth and onto the head of defender Aaron Faro, who inadvertently put the ball into his own net, and the City Islanders officially had new life.

The second-half deployment of leading scorer Jamel Mitchell on the right wing (coupled with the shift of Schofield, normally a flanking midfielder, to the back) added to Harrisburg’s rising energy level. Still, disregarding a Matt Tanzini volley which whistled high in the 46th minute, it was the Eagles who had the best chances to take the lead right after the break. They could have done so three times: in the 49th minute, a Clay Roberts effort hit the crossbar and bounced out; in the 50th minute, Dustin Swinehart missed high on a quality look at the right side of the box; and at the 52-minute mark, Kern came up huge to parry a Swinehart blast from the right wing.

The City Islanders’ re-tooled right wing created Harrisburg’s second goal in the 57th minute. Schofield and Mitchell worked a give-and-go that sprang Mitchell into space, and the veteran speedster played a low cross that found its way to Tanzini, who quickly launched a big left-footed drive. Sumed was on the spot in the goalmouth to put it away, and Harrisburg led 2-1.

Charlotte’s final dangerous chance came in the 62nd minute, when Taurai Daka worked his way around Kern and squeezed off a shot, only to be denied by the tandem of J.T. Dorsey and Dustin Bixler, both of whom were protecting the vacant goalmouth.

After Mitchell had a near-post blast saved by Benton in the 73rd minute, Clay put the game out of reach. The second-year Bloomsburg man, being used as a forward for the first time, capped off a hard working night by grabbing an Eagles turnover, pushing his way around the onrushing Benton, and trickling a shot into the lower right corner of the net for his first goal of the year.

The Charlotte Eagles are back at home this weekend hosting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, June 24th at Waddell Stadium.  The Charlotte Eagles and CBS Radio will also be presenting the 2006 Charlotte Soccer Jamboree on Saturday from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm at Waddell Stadium.  The Charlotte Soccer Jamboree is a soccer festival complete with a Dribble, Dass and Shoot Competition, soccer clinics, 3v3 games, World Cup merchandise and giveaways, prizes, inflatables, great tasting food, and plenty of fun.  All youth participants in the Charlotte Soccer Jamboree will receive a FREE ticket to the Charlotte Eagles pro soccer match against the Riverhounds at 7:30 pm.  Those interested in the Charlotte Soccer Jamboree can pre-register for the Dribble, Pass, and Shoot Competition online at www.CharlotteEagles.com or by calling Nathan Krum at (704) 841-8644 x 32.  Full details and schedule of events for the Charlotte Soccer Jamboree can be found on the Eagles website:  www.CharlotteEagles.com.