The Harrisburg City Islanders fell to the Dayton Dutch Lions by a 1-0 deficit in the Islanders home opener Saturday night at the Skyline Sports Complex in Harrisburg. In front of a crowd of 1,711, fans gathered to show their support to the team’s valiant efforts. The fast-paced tempo of the match made it an exciting 90 minutes of action on the Island.
The game’s lone goal came in the 41st minute of the match when Dutch Lions striker Aaron Schoenfeld charged into the Islanders penalty area and was upended by Islanders netminder Nick Noble. Noble was given a yellow card for his play which resulted in a Dutch Lion penalty kick. Schoenfeld lined up the ball and buried it in the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead.
The Islanders had plenty of chances to tie the match, outshooting Dayton 11-8, but they struggled to connect with the net. Both Islanders Clesio Bauque and Jimmy McLaughlin led the charge; each had a handful of scoring chances in the match, but were unable to capitalize. In the first half McLaughlin took three shots, bringing the crowd to their feet with hopes of an even score. In the second half or regulation, Bauque also had three shots which did not hit the mark for the Islanders.
Dayton was led by the outstanding play of goalkeeper Matt Williams who recorded five saves on the night. His efforts in the net shut out the Islanders on every shot attempt. Dutch Lion forwards Aaron Schoenfeld and Thomas Gartner commanded the offense with aggressive ball movement and physical play.
Despite giving up a penalty kick goal in the first half, Islanders goalkeeper Nick Noble played a strong match between the pipes. His imposing presence kept the Islanders close the entire match.
The City Islanders’ next match will be held Thursday, April 24 at 10:30 pm away against the Orange County Blues.
