Hub City FC Celebrates Historic Home Opener with 6-1 Victory over Grove United

By Hub City FC

Hub City FC Black Roses celebrated the first home match in club history with a 6-1 victory over Grove United on Saturday night before an estimated crowd of 300 fans at North Hagerstown High School.

Joshua Wisdom recorded a hat trick.  James Pele Sesay contributed a goal and two assists, and Carson Feeser scored the first home goal in club history as Hub City improved to 2-1 in National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) play with its second consecutive victory.

“It was our first home game, and we tried to make a statement and get the attention of the community,” Sesay said. “What we have here, we want the community to be part of it.  We deserved to win because it’s our home field, and we dominated the entire game.”

Hub City wasted little time taking control.

In the third minute, former Grace Academy standout Carson Feeser scored on an assist from former North Hagerstown standout Drew Lobley to give the Black Roses a 1-0 lead.  The pairing was a fitting one for the first home goal in club history, as both players are 2025 high school graduates from the Hagerstown area.

“It was super exciting,” Feeser said. “It was a pleasure to see all the fans happy and celebrate with my teammates.  I overlapped Drew, and he passed it to me.  We used to play together back when we were little, in middle school and elementary school, so it was fun to get a little flashback to that.  It was special to score the first one.”

Hub City doubled its advantage in the 26th minute when Sesay finished a chance created by Anthony Mpala Nzuzi.

Grove United cut the deficit to 2-1 on a penalty kick by Kelvin Mutaya Mwape in the 33rd minute, but Hub City answered almost immediately.  Just two minutes later, Wisdom converted an assist from Sesay to restore the two-goal advantage and send the Black Roses into halftime with a 3-1 lead.

Hub City continued to press after the break.

Mac Long made it 4-1 in the 61st minute, heading home a cross from Sesay.  Three minutes later, Feeser stole possession and set up Wisdom for his second goal of the night.

Wisdom completed his hat trick in the 68th minute with an unassisted goal, capping the scoring and securing the emphatic victory.

“We’ve been working hard in training all week to bring a performance like this in front of our fans and supporters,” Wisdom said. “It’s something the coach has been insisting on, and we’re happy we delivered.  Since our first match, we’ve just been getting better and better, really trying to unite as one.”

Hub City head coach Michael Long praised the atmosphere created by the home crowd and the support shown during the historic evening for the club.

“The crowd was fantastic,” Long said. “We had lots of people here.  The whole thing was created for our players and our fans.  So far, these guys have been super appreciative.  They’ve been treated well.  They’re playing great, and we’re off to a fantastic start.”

Long believed his team has played sharper matches despite the lopsided final score.

“It was actually probably our worst performance so far,” Long said. “We just weren’t as sharp tonight as we have been the past couple of matches.  But when you have players like we do who can take over a game in a moment, even when you’re not playing particularly well, they can still find a way to score goals.”

The Black Roses hope Saturday’s home opener is only the beginning.

“There’s nothing more fun than playing in front of your family, your friends and your community,” Sesay said. “Our main objective tonight was to show the community that this is part of them, that we want them to be part of the Black Roses.  It’s not only about the players.  It’s the entire community.”

Hub City FC Black Roses return to action on Saturday, June 6, when they host District Elite FC at North Hagerstown High School.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

Photo Credit: Andy Mason/Hub City FC