Springfield, IL – Traveling from one state capital to another, the Des Moines Menace (7-1-0) began a two-match road swing at Springfield FC (3-6-0) on Wednesday night. The top-ranked team in all of USL League Two smashed Springfield in the opener, tying a franchise record with 10 goals.
Reminiscent of the previous encounter, Des Moines gained the early advantage. Controlling possession on the outer channel, the Menace overwhelmed Springfield as play progressed to the box. A subsequent shot on goal was deflected off Springfield’s keeper, and there to clean up the rebound and put back for his first goal of the season was Ryusei Shimonishi (D | Osaka, Japan) in the 13th minute.
After successfully defending a Springfield counter, the Menace found success with precise connections on the near channel. Positioned just outside of the corner, Andrew Shaffer (M | Columbus, OH) guided a superb cross to captain Luke Husakiwsky (M | Davidson, NC) who blistered a ball to goal, making the score 2-0 at the midway point of the opening half. Springfield’s only goal of the evening came in the 30th minute, where a cross landed to Adam Benrahou on the far post and connected. Putting a stamp on the Stags in the 44th minute, Yoshi Okawa (M | Tokyo, Japan) swiped the ball which allowed Dominick Bachstein (F | Malvern, PA) to navigate into the box. From there, it was Dom Time. A pinpoint shot bent the upper 90 inside the far post, solidifying a 3-1 victory in the Land of Lincoln for Des Moines.
Menace Marks
Metronet Man of the Match: Caio Hughes (M | Bangor, Wales)
Goals: 13’ (Shimonishi), 26’ (Husakiwsky), 44’ (Bachstein)
Assists: 26’ (Shaffer)
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Up Next:
The Menace make a return trip to Kansas City, Kansas to battle the Santafé Wanderers on Saturday, June 21. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm, and the match will be streamed on SportsEngine Play.
Tag(s): News