The Nor’easters are very happy with the balanced schedule that the United Soccer Leagues have announced for the upcoming 2012 Premier Development League (PDL) season. With some old foes and new franchises to compete against on the road to playoff glory and some top new recruits, this year promises to be one of the best ever.
Sunday Night, Soccer Night could become a popular phrase in Ocean City, NJ as 6 of the Nor’easters 8 home games at Carey Stadium fall on a Sunday with 7pm kick off. The Nor’easters start off against traditionally tough teams and hope to get the points on the board early on as new Head Coach Tim Oswald looks to mark his mark on the franchise. For the full USL PDL schedule click here.
The Nor’easters supporters, the people and companies who sponsor the team and the City of Ocean City, NJ work hard to help this nonprofit minor league sports organisation reach it’s full potential and 2012 is the year for this potential to be realised. With the contiued help and support from those around us in this community the Nor’easters will push to put South Jersey and Ocean City higher up on the sporting map.
Let’s take a moment and see who your Ocean City Nor’easters will be up against this season in the hunt for the playoffs:
Home Game - Sunday May 27th - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - no game due to USL PDL scheduling
The Nor’easters kick off their 2012 USL PDL home campaign against the Central Jersey Spartans. The teams have faced each other four times in the past as the Spartans were only founded as a PDL club in 2010. Nor’easters record of 0-2-2 looks bad but the Spartans have only scored 2 more goals over those four games. This looks like it will be another close game between the two New Jersey teams but the Nor’easters will want to start the season with a win with new Head Coach Tim Oswald taking charge of his first game at the loud and intimidating Carey Stadium.
Home Game - Sunday June 3rd - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - Wednesday May 23rd - 8pm Kick Off - NJIT Stadium
This Newark based franchise and the Nor’easters have been facing off for four years now with Nor’easters holding a poor record of 2-5-2 with Express just edging the scoring 16-20 over the 9 games. However, one memorable game in 2009 saw the Nor’easters win 7-1 and the game featured Billy Pinto’s first ever goal for Ocean City. Pinto is now the assistant coach to the current Nor’easters team. A couple of red cards and recent close scoring games has made this a red hot in-state rivalry.
Home Game - Friday June 8th - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - Friday July 13th - 7pm Kick Off - Exeter High School
This is Ocean City’s oldest continued rivalry that dates back to the professional era in 1997. Reading United AC (formerly Reading Rage) have contested 24 games with the Nor’easters with the blue and white’s often on the winning side. Nor’easters record against their Pennsylvania opponents stands at 13-7-4 including a 14 game unbeaten streak over 7 years including 12 wins. Ocean City also dominante the scoring records at 52-37. Over recent years, however, Reading United have become the dominant side with the Nor’easters not recording a win against them in the last 5 games, 3 defeats and 2 losses. 2012 will be the turning point, back to business as usual.
Home Game - Sunday June 10th - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - Saturday May 19th - 7pm Kick Off - Ceder Lane Park
Baltimore Bohemians are a completely new USL PDL franchise in Maryland. The owner, Louis Angelos is son of Peter Angelos, majority stakeholder in the MLB Baltimore Orioles. The team get their name from their prime sponsor, National Bohemian beer. The Ocean City Nor’easters are looking forward to this new out of state challenge from Baltimoe, here’s to the future rivalry and cheers to wondering how a team with a beer sponsor will cope in a dry town!
Home Game - Sunday July 1st - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - Friday June 15th - 7pm Kick Off - Bermuda Athletic Association Fields
Another new rivalry but with an international twist. The Hogges have slightly edged the four games they have contested winning 2, losing 1 and drawing 1. The Bermuda Hogges double up as the Bermudan national U23 team and use the USL PDL as a challenging league for the young, aspiring Bermudans. The owner of the team, Shaun Goater, made his name as a player with Manchester City of the English Premier League scoring 101 goals in 184 appearances as well as playing for Manchester United, Nor’easters partner club Reading FC and Bristol City.
Home Game - Friday July 6th - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - Wednesday May 30th - 7.30pm Kick Off - Morris Catholic High School
The New Jersey Rangers franchise began in 2008 and it was the Ocean City Nor’easters who handed the Rangers their first defeat, an 8-1 thumping including a hat-trick from the latest Nor’easters in the Pros, Steven Miller (now with Montreal Impact). The Nor’easters have a 6-1-1 record against Rangers with a goal difference of 23-8. The 2009 Nor’easters victory over the Rangers clinched the playoff berth before going onto the PDL Quarter Finals finally losing to Chicago Fire U23s. The Ocean City Nor’easters are hoping to continue their dominance over the Denville, NJ natives as the games continue into 2012.
Home Game - Sunday July 8th - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - Saturday June 23rd - 7.30pm Kick Off - City Park Stadium
The Nor’easters first met the Westchester Flames in 2002 but due to the leagues regional alignments they have only met each other 12 times. Nor’easters have a 5-2-5 record against the New York team. In 2005 the Nor’easters put the Flames to the sword with a 6-2 victory. During that game former Nor’easter Rueben Mingo put up a points record that still holds today with 4 goals and 1 assist. This long stood, friendly and very competitive rivalry sets to be even more intense as both games are scheduled towards the end of the season, playoff positions will be up for grabs and those extra points even more important.
Home Game - Sunday July 15th - 7pm Kick Off - Carey Stadium
Away Game - Wednesday June 20th - 8pm Kick Off - Metropolitan Oval
This is the Nor’easters second longest continued rivalry, the pair first met in 1998. Since then they have played 16 times with the Nor’easters boasting a 8-6-2 record with a goals scored total of 38-24. The teams have been involved in some high scoring, high entertainment games throughout the years. The most notable of these games was in 2003 when Ocean City Nor’easters posted their first ever PDL victory after dropping down from the pros. Former Nor’easter Jeremiah White scored twice. Jeremiah White later went on to become the first Ocean City alumni to earn an appearance for the US Men’s National Team. The rivalry between the two clubs is fierce and the recent results show the Nor’easters starting to pull away from the Brooklyn, NY club. 2011 saw the Nor’easters win home and away with a 6-0 scoring total amassed in the two games, the Ocean City supporters will be hoping for the same again this time around.
Home Game - No game due to USL PDL scheduling
Away Game - Wednesday June 27th - 7.30pm Kick Off - St. Anthony’s
This is the most even of match ups with the Nor’easters just in front with a 3-2-2 record while the goal differential in those 7 games is 12-12. Always exciting and full of goals, this game will be unpredictable. The two clubs first played in a US Open Cup Qualifier back in 2001 but did not compete in the same division until 2008. Due to scheduling reasons they only meet once in 2012 but the Nor’easters always relish a visit to Long Island scoring 6 goals in 3 games at St. Anthony’s. All in all, this will be a great game.
