The Ocean City Nor’easters visited the Mitchell Athletic Complex in Uniondale, New York, on Friday night to start the 2023 USL League Two playoffs against the Long Island Rough Riders.
It was the second straight meeting between these two teams in the playoffs. Last year, the Rough Riders sent the Nor’easters packing in the first round.
Ocean City jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute when Nick Pariano made a corner kick to the center of the box where Josh Jones headed it into the back of the net for the goal.
Seventeen minutes later, Long Island tied the game 1-1 when goalkeeper Stefano Camerlengo punched the ball away before Barakatulla Sharifi rebounded it and fired it into the net. The game remained tied 1-1 at halftime.
Late in the second half, Ryan Becher intercepted the ball before passing it to Josh Jones. Jones fired the ball past goalkeeper Wessel Speel in the 83rd minute to put the Nor’easters up 2-1. Long Island put pressure on Ocean City’s defense but came up short.
The Nor’easters defeated the Rough Riders by the final score of 2-1. This was the 25th meeting of all time between the Nor’easters and Rough Riders that dates back to 2001. Ocean City are now 10-10-5 against Long Island.
Ocean City will take on the Hudson Valley Hammers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday at 2 pm. The winner of Sunday’s matchup will face either Lionsbridge FC or North Carolina Fusion U-23s in the Eastern Conference Finals.
