Lionsbridge FC clinched the Coastal Virginia Challenge Cup and stayed unbeaten in USL League Two this season, posting a 3-0 shutout of Virginia Beach United on Saturday night.
A crowd at Christopher Newport’s TowneBank Stadium saw the Lions (6-0, 5-0 in the league) go ahead 1-0 in the 16th minute on George Wyatt netted a header, providing free chicken for fans in a promotion.
About 10 minutes later, Logan Finnegan doubled the lead off a Sam Hall pass.
As Virginia Beach United pressed forward, Tommy Shepherd passed to Celestin Blondel, who scored the final goal in the 84th minute.
The Lions will be at home again for a 7 p.m. Wednesday non-league game against Greenville United. VBU also will play at 7 Wednesday, hosting Christos FC of Baltimore at Virginia Beach Sportsplex.
1′ | The Coastal Virginia Challenge Cup starts now!
0 – 0 | #LIONvVBU | #UpTheBridge pic.twitter.com/CSeWRRVXc3
— Lionsbridge FC (@LionsbridgeFC) June 3, 2023
VBCFC, Greenville United play to draw
Virginia Beach City FC led for much of the night but finished in a 1-1 draw with Greenville United in a National Premier Soccer League match at Powhatan Field in Norfolk.
Final. We split the points. #4theCity🔱 pic.twitter.com/CawkhXkZrV
— Virginia Beach City FC (@vbcityfc) June 3, 2023
Ryan Mahon scored off a restart to put VBCFC ahead 1-0 in the 13th minute. Preston Bremus, named the hosts’ Man of the Match, and goalkeeper CJ Coulson made that lead stand up until the 73rd minute, when the visitors from eastern North Carolina pulled even with a goal from a corner kick.
VBCFC will head to Maryland to face the Annapolis Blues at 7 p.m. next Saturday.
LOCAL BASEBALL
Pilots fall to 0-2 before big crowd
Despite a large crowd of 3,827 at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, the Peninsula Pilots fell to 0-2 in the Coastal Plain League season with a 5-1 loss to the Morehead City Marlins.
Left-hander Trey Morgan, a Hampton High graduate whose father, Hank, coaches the Pilots, gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits to take the loss. He struck out six and walked none, and Vincent Bashara, Will Gross and Michael Caldon provided shutout relief.
Peninsula’s problem was converting its 12 hits into runs.
Starter Noah Covington gave up five hits but no runs in five innings to gain the victory for the Marlins (4-2). Steven Lacey gave up five hits and a wild pitch in two innings but just one run, and Joe Miceli shut out the Pilots for two innings to finish the game.
The Pilots got two hits apiece from Mason Dunaway, Ryan Dooley, Aaron Manias and Cole Stanford.
Michael Gould led the Marlins by scoring twice. He had two of Morehead City’s 10 hits, as did Landon Choboy and Trent Youngblood.
Morgan’s VMI teammate Justin Starke scored the Pilots’ run in the seventh after reaching on a single, but Peninsula stranded nine runners and hit into a pair of double plays.
The Pilots will return to action at 5:45 p.m. Sunday against the Tri-City Chili Peppers at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights.
