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City Stars Earn First Point in 0-0 Draw With Portland
City Stars Earn First Point in 0-0 Draw With Portland
| City Stars Earn First Point in 0-0 Draw With Portland |
 The Cleveland City Stars second home game of the season resulted in the team's first league point after a satisfying 0-0 draw against the Portland Timbers. A wet and windy start to the game didn't deter the Stars from a solid first-half performance, and clear skies shortly after kickoff spurred them on to a scoreless first 45 minutes. Portland had the first shot of the game in the 12th minute, when forward Mandjou Keita unsuccessfully tested goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap who scooped up the shot with ease. The Stars retaliated just six minutes later when Ricardo Pierre-Louis fired a 30 yard shot just to the right of the Timbers' goal. The back and forth continued between the two squads as both teams struggled to tally the first goal of the match. The Timbers came out strong in the second half, and didn't waste time taking several shots, but were unable to faze the veteran Gilstrap who made several brilliant diving saves. The City Stars mounted a counterattack, and in the 51st minute rookie Eric Carpenter played a brilliant ball into the center to connect with Pierre-Louis. The Portland keeper got quite a scare when the forward's rocket shot was narrowly off-target, missing the far post by only a few feet. It was the City Stars' closest chance of the half, as they spent the rest of the time fending off the goal-hungry Timbers offense. Hunter Gilstrap was truly the MVP of the game, with an impressive total of 11 saves. The talented goalkeeper faced a deluge of shots which he deftly controlled and redistributed to his team. "I feel lucky and blessed but the guys did a great job," said Gilstrap. "The game plan was to defend and we knew we would be up against the wall. This is a huge result for us. It's just as important as a victory right now and now we can start to attack and move towards the future." The Cleveland City Stars hope to continue and build upon tonight's result next week when they take on the Minnesota Thunder on the road next Saturday, May 16th at 8:05 p.m. The game can be viewed live on Usllive.com. Don't miss the next home game on May 22nd at 8 p.m. when the Stars take on the Carolina Railhawks, club of former City Stars coach Martin Rennie. The 22nd will be Family Fun Night, with special surprises for the whole family! To catch replays of tonight's game, tune in to SportsTime Ohio! STO will run the game tonight at 10:30 p.m., Sunday the 10th at 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday May 12th at noon. Don't miss a minute of City Stars action! For tickets, go online to clevelandcitystars.com or call 330-425-2003. Cleveland: Hunter Gilstrap, Stephen Cruickshank, Troy Roberts, Paul Ballard, Anthony Stovall, Eric Carpenter (Leo Gibson 75'), Pato Aguilera, Gordon Kljestan, Warren Kanu, Ricardo Pierre-Louis (Kolby LaCrone 68'), John Michael Hayden Portland: Steve Cronin, Scot Thompson, Cameron Knowles, Steven Keel, David Hayes, Ryan Pore, Johan Claesson, Tony McManus (Keith Savage 85'), Brian Farber (Alex Nimo 74'), George Josten (Jason McLaughlin 55'), Mandjou Keita (Takayuki Suzuki 71') Attendence: 1,107 |
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