AC Newport Falls to New York Shockers 2-0
By Anna Downes/AC Newport
It was a beautiful night for a National Premier League Soccer (NPSL) match at Toppa Field in Newport, Rhode Island. AC Newport faced the New York Shockers, and it was a physical battle with eight yellow cards total for the match.
AC Newport’s Johnluca Frenzelli Jr. started the action with a shot early in the first half that missed the frame by a hair. Aidan Hallinan of the New York Shockers scored the first goal in the 36th minute to take the lead. AC Newport put multiple shots on goal in both the first and second half, but didn’t get lucky in the first half.
In the second half, AC Newport switched out Moises Morales for Daniel Goba to shake things up for the offense. The battle continued into the second half. In the 75th minute, Rood Apolon scored the second goal for the New York Shockers, extending their lead.
The home crowd from Newport were lively and enthusiastic throughout the game, showing the NPSL that the City by the Sea is a soccer town now, not just a sailing mecca.
Fired up after the second goal, AC Newport came back with new energy. The physicality of the game was rough on New York Shockers goaltender Alexander McLachlan, and he came out of the match due to injury in the 77th minute. Tyler Brennan took the net in his place, facing a hungry AC Newport offense. AC Newport had two extremely close chances off of set pieces. Two well-struck headers just missed the net. AC Newport’s Kaisei Korytoski had an amazing performance, taking multiple well-placed corners and seat pieces that gave his team many chances on net.
The physical dynamic of the game caused the second half to go into eight, nail biting minutes of extra time. AC Newport were hungry to find the back of the net. The New York Shockers continued to defend well, but AC Newport did not make it easy.
The match was hard fought by both teams, with new expansion team AC Newport meeting a seasoned team with the New York Shockers.
“Tough loss tonight, but I’m so proud of this team,” AC Newport head coach Ziggy Korytoski. “They battled and fought one of the top teams in the country, and I couldn’t be more proud. The support tonight was just unbelievable. Newport’s really coming together for us. We are really, really proud to be a part of this community.”
The final result was a 2-0 win for the New York Shockers. It was a well-played matchup, and the New York Shockers defended the new and eager AC Newport team well. The expansion team is learning what it takes to perform in the league, and they remain hungry for their first win. Despite an unfavorable result for AC Newport, the community in Newport is excited to have a home team in the NPSL, and they brought electric energy for the matchup.
Photo Credit: Bridgette Tolland/AC Newport
