A pair of almost-concurrent USL League Two matches Saturday night ended in elation for Lionsbridge FC and disappointment for Virginia Beach United.
In Newport News, the Lions closed their regular season by routing Patuxent Football Athletics 7-0 at TowneBank Stadium. In a match that began in Leesburg about 30 minutes later, Northern Virginia FC overcame Virginia Beach United 4-2 to win the Chesapeake Division, ending the visitors’ postseason hopes and sending Lionsbridge to the 35-team national playoffs.
Because it had a draw and a loss to both VBU and NoVa FC, Lionsbridge would lose any head-to-head tiebreaker. The only way Lionsbridge could gain its fifth consecutive playoff berth was to beat Patuxent and for NoVa to defeat Virginia Beach United.
There wasn’t much doubt about the Lions’ part of the equation, with Evan Howard compiling his second hat trick of the season.
Lionsbridge (12-2-3 overall, 9-2-3 in the division for 30 points) went ahead in the second minute on Christian Hatley’s volley, and Taig Healy lined a shot into the net in the 10th minute off a short corner kick.
Howard then scored in the 34th, 35th and 40th minutes, making the halftime score 5-0. Healy had two first-half assists.
Sam Hall headed home a corner kick from Andrew Bennett in the 47th minute, and Isiah Chisolm added the final goal in the 51st off a saved shot by Rick Louis.
About 30 minutes later, NoVa completed its triumph to set the final standings.
NoVa put VBU in an early 3-0 hole on goals by Chris Niblock in the sixth minute, Gage Lyons in the 11th and Alexander Garrison in the 18th.
Micah Wayland’s goal in the 47th minute and Alexander Moody’s penalty kick in the 75th trimmed Virginia Beach United’s deficit to 3-2, but Matthew Dean virtually sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th minute.
Lionsbridge will play host to the South Atlantic Division’s Charlotte Independence II (8-3-1) in the playoffs’ first round at 7 p.m. Tuesday at TowneBank Stadium. Patuxent, from Maryland, fell to 0-12-2 while being outshot 21-5.
Lionsbridge, which lost 5-3 to NoVa last weekend, built on some of the momentum it generated by beating Virginia Beach City FC of the National Premier Soccer League 9-1 Wednesday night. Louis had a hat trick that night.
VBU, which earned its first playoff berth last season, finished 9-3-2 in the division for 29 points. NoVa (10-1-3), which added the division title to the playoff berth it previously clinched, compiled 33 points.
NoVa began last week 13th in the 20-team power ratings the league posts at uslleaguetwo.com, while Virginia Beach United was 18th and Lionsbridge was out.
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