For the last three seasons, the Ocean City Nor’easters’ defense has been key to the team’s success. On Sunday night, in the club’s regular season finale, West Chester United took advantage of a number of defensive miscues and handed the Storm their first loss in more than two years by the score of 6-3.

Ocean City fell behind three times and equalized each time, but West Chester scored three goals in the final 22 minutes to snap the Storm’s club record 28-game unbeaten streak. It was one of the longest unbeaten streaks in USL League Two history. It also brought the Nor’easters’ home unbeaten streak to an end at 13 games. 

Despite the disappointing result, the Nor’easters clinched a second straight Mid-Atlantic Division championship earlier in the week and a third straight USL-2 playoff berth. They will begin their playoff run on Friday, July 21 when they travel to Long Island where the Rough Riders will host the first two rounds next weekend. The playoff schedule will be announced on Monday.

The Nor’easters finish the regular season with an 8-1-5 record.

The scoring began early with West Chester scoring a goal from 45 yards away. In the 2nd minute, after the ball pinged around near midfield, Marcus Brenes collected the ball and noticed the Ocean City goalkeeper off his line. Brenes launched a shot and Sebastian Doppelhofer, who was making his Ocean City debut, tried to backpedal to keep it out but it was ultimately just out of his reach and into the back of the net.

In the 14th minute, the Nor’easters would bring the game level again. Alessandro Arlotti (Harvard / San Remo, Italy) received a throw-in with his back to goal on the left side, near the touch line, deep in WCU territory. He managed to turn on his defender, find space, and chip it into the center of the six yard box where Leonardo D’Ambrosio (College of Charleston / Turin, Italy) headed it into the back of the net for his second goal of the season.

For Arlotti, the reigning Ocean City team MVP, it was his team-leading eighth assist of the season, which is just one shy of the single-season club record. It was his 14th career assist, which puts him into sole possession of third place on the Nor’easters all-time list. With 11 goals and 14 assists for his two-season Nor’easters career, his 36 points put him 7th on the club’s all-time scoring list. 

About 15 minutes later, the visitors would regain the lead. The Nor’easters would give the ball away just outside of their defensive third. The Predators quickly went on the counter attack and a through ball was sent ahead to Harrson Coron who beat the keeper one-on-one.

Ocean City wasted no time tying the game back up three minutes later. Arlotti received the ball in WCU territory on the left side and laid it off to Jamie Davis (New Hampshire / Cheshire, England) on the left wing and sent in a sharp cross into the box where Galen Flynn (St. Louis / West Hartford, CT) headed it home from close range to make it 2-2.

The barrage of goals continued about a minute later when West Chester took advantage of a mistake by the Ocean City back line. Pressure from the visitors paid off when Josh Jones (Louisville / Hatfield, PA) tried to play the ball across to the middle to one of his defensive teammates but it ended up at the feet of Vincent Petrera who one timed it into the empty net to give the Predators a 3-2 lead in the 32nd minute.

Despite creating multiple chances, including hitting the post and forcing a point blank save by the West Chester goalkeeper in the 45th minute, the teams would go into the halftime break with WCU a one-goal lead. Both teams would come out for the second half with a new goalkeeper with Owen Moore (Liberty / Pilesgrove, NJ) making his Ocean City debut and Brady McSwain being replaced by Kent Dickey.

In the 54th minute, the Nor’easters would find an equalizer for a third time. Sander Roed (Louisville / Tranby, Norway), the Storm’s leading scorer, would play provider as he received the ball at the top of the box and laid it off to Davis who fired a blast into the far post from about 25 yards out. It was the third assist of the season for Roed and the third goal of the season for Davis.

In the 68th minute, West Chester would re-take the lead for the fourth and what would prove to be the final time. Joshua Pulla would bend a ball in with his left foot from the right wing and it would find the far corner of the goal.

The Predators, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week, would add two more goals in the final few minutes to give them their first win over Ocean City since July 18, 2021. 

In Ocean City’s 26 seasons as a club, the most goals they have ever allowed in a game was six. Before Sunday night, it had only happened once. Almost exactly 21 years ago, on July 13, 2002, the club (then known as the South Jersey Barons) lost 6-0 to the New Jersey Stallions when they were part of the USL’s D-3 Pro League.