Open Cup Run for New York Shockers Ends in Loss to USL Championship’s Hartford Athletic
By Eric Casey/NPSL.com
The luck of the draw was not on the side of the New York Shockers.
One of two NPSL teams who drew a USL Championship opponent in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, the Shockers fell in the first round 3-0 to Hartford Athletic at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut.
The first game to kick off in the 110th edition of the Cup, a few fireworks rang out from the supporter’s parking lot just after play got underway.
The next firework would come from the foot of Hartford forward Adewale Obalola; in the 11th minute, he calmly finished a short pass into the box from former NYCFC II player Jonathan Jimenez to grab the first goal of the entire 2025 competition.
It would be all Hartford in the first half, as the Shockers struggled to maintain possession or mount an attack against their second-division professional opponents, whose collective experiences include stints in Major League Soccer and being included on rosters in international CONCACAF competitions.
Hartford struck for the second time in the 38th minute, when Mamadou Dieng smoothly controlled a leading pass from Michee Ngalina and dribbled past the Shocker defense before slotting a perfect low shot off the post past an outstretched Ryan Hemming.
The second half started with some brief New York forays on the attack, but didn’t result in any serious challenges, as Hartford managed to absorb any pressure with relative ease.
The Shockers kept their composure, continuing to attempt to move forward whenever possible and preventing Athletic from piling it on in a game where the home team had 80% of possession.
Shocker defender and captain Adel Cekic was happy with the team’s showing against the professional-level Hartford squad.
“Coming in as the underdog, you go to know what you’re getting into,” Cekic said. “Not getting to play much [this year], and using players that are usually with us for the whole year. It was impressive.”
Shocker goalkeeper Hemming plucked a screaming cross out of the air with a diving stop in the 64th minute, one of several displays of calmness in the face of pressure. He was subbed out for fellow keeper Tyler Brennan in the 66th minute, as the Shockers faced seven shots on target and nine corners.
The Shockers’ best attempt of the night came in the 83rd minute cross dribbled through the box, but Filippo Bellú’s shot was deflected before being wrangled by Hartford keeper Antony Siaha. It would be the squad’s lone shot of the night, although they pressed Siaha into action a few times in the last minutes of the match.
Brass Bonanza, the goal song of the defunct Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League and current goal song of Athletic, rang out for a third and final time in the 87th minute as Hartford attacker Michee Ngalin slammed home a ball from Adewale Obalola.
Even though the massive upset wasn’t in the cards, Cekic felt the game was good preparation for the upcoming NPSL season where they’ll look to build on last year’s North Atlantic Conference title.
“We’re getting our legs and getting ready for the season,” he said, “That’s very key and important to us.”
Photo Credit: Eric Casey/NPSL.com
