FC Monmouth vs Pennsylvania Classics Match Preview
FC Monmouth will look to capitalize on some positive momentum following an extremely solid performance Wednesday night, hosting Pennsylvania Classics in their final home match of the season Saturday evening at 6pm in Red Bank.
Playing free-flowing and expressive soccer for large portions of the match, FC Monmouth held NPSL Keystone Conference leaders and undefeated Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals to a 1-1 draw, following an 11-day hiatus from league play.
The performance even warranted extreme praise from the Ukrainian Nationals’ Head Coach Cheryl Morris, stating that FC Monmouth were “the best team” they had faced in their entire season.
Coming into the locker room after the match, Morris sang his praises: “You guys played some absolutely stunning stuff this evening,” he began.
“Out of all of the teams we have faced, including [Major League Soccer club] Philadelphia Union’s second team, you lot played the most advanced football we’ve seen. The touches, the pace- there’s no way you guys should be bottom of the league. Absolutely no way.”
Head Coach John Killick felt similarly at full-time, admiring the way his team fought valiantly, including a highlight penalty save from goalkeeper Jake Nicoll.
“We really have been figuring it out- it’s a shame that the season is so short. A couple of different results, and we are right there at the top of the table. There’s still a lot to play for.”
This evening’s match pits mid-table side Pennsylvania Classics against the Jersey Shore’s darlings, in a scenario where three points would see FC Monmouth shoot right up the table.
Here is FC Monmouth’s 18-man roster for tonight’s final home NPSL match-up:
#1 Jake Nicoll Goalkeeper
#33 A.J. Montana Goalkeeper
#3 Mason Martelloni Defender
#6 Robert Tapp Defender
#20 Jack Longo Defender
#25 Thomas Scollan Defender
#27 Evan Walters Defender
#2 Brett Sieg Midfielder
#8 Johnny Hart Midfielder
#12 Aniello Lubrano Midfielder
#18 Jack Seitz Midfielder
#42 Erson Gerbeshi Midfielder
#66 Rhys Cotter Midfielder ©
#7 Christian Hernandez Forward
#11 Mickael Rodriguez Forward
#26 Rob Saunders Forward
#30 Alexander Navarrete Forward
#77 Louis Pennington Forward
*Michael Mallon misses tonight’s match via yellow card accumulation (4).
FC Monmouth would like to thank every single person who has attended and participated in any of our home matches this season. You are a large part of what makes this club special.
It is imperative that the club gets as much support as possible in this final home game. Tickets are available online and at the door for your convenience.
Additionally, tonight’s home match will be dedicated to RallyCap, a recreational sports development group that provides athletic outlets for children and young adults with disabilities through a volunteer-only campaign.
It is our pleasure to support such a positive and community-driven project, and we are looking forward to hosting several of their RallyPlayers.
We hope that you can join us for one final time under the lights at the Basie this summer! See you there! #WeAreMonmouth
Kieffer Braisted is a writer and social media manager for FC Monmouth. Having graduated from Kean University with a degree in communications and journalism, Kieffer brings a plethora of experience to the FC Monmouth media team, and will be producing both written content and managing social media platforms for the club.