Preview: First place on the line as Nor'easters travel to NY Red Bulls U23s

After Ocean City's 1-0 road win on Thursday, both teams enter Saturday night's match in Whippany, NJ undefeated

Preview: First place on the line as Nor'easters travel to NY Red Bulls U23s

The Ocean City Nor’easters will look to continue their unbeaten start in the 2017 Premier Development League season on Saturday night when they travel to Whippany, NJ to take on the New York Red Bulls Under-23s. It will be a battle between the only two unbeaten teams in the Mid-Atlantic Division with the Nor'easters (3-0-0) having played one more game than the Red Bulls (2-0-0).

For the Nor’easters, it will be the second of four straight road games after they kicked off their stretch away from home with a win over FA Euro on Thursday night. Ocean City prevailed 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Francisco Neto (West Virginia Tech/ Brazil) who scored off a rebound in the 34th minute. Jimmy Slayton (Hartford/Wethersfield, CT) was impressive in goal, keeping a clean sheet, including a crucial penalty kick save shortly before Neto's game-winner.

The Nor’easters will play the Red Bulls U-23s, the team that finished in 4th place in the PDL Mid-Atlantic Division last year with a 6-4-4 record. The Red Bulls joined the PDL in 2015 after five seasons in the National Premier Soccer League where they won the league championship in 2014. After joining the PDL, they reached the league championship game in 2015, but missed the playoffs last year.

Currently the Red Bulls are 2-0-0 after starting the season with a pair of home wins, 3-2 over Reading United, then a 2-0 victory over Jersey Express. Brian White is the team’s leading scorer with two goals. Virgina Tech netminder Benjamin Lundgaard is the team’s starting goalkeeper with seven saves and a 1.00 GA.

This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams. The Nor’easters have record of 3-1-1 against the Red Bulls U-23s, including a win over the club in the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup when New York was a member of the NPSL. Last year, the two teams split their two meetings with each team winning on their home field. The Red Bulls earned their first-ever win against Ocean City on June 8, 2016, while the Nor'easters avenged that loss with a 5-1 thumping at the Tennessee Avenue Soccer Complex on July 3 (Carey Stadium was under construction at the time). Chevy Walsh scored two goals and assisted on another to tie the Nor'easters' single-season record for goals with 12. Nathan Regis also added two goals and two assists in the match.

The game is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m. Follow the Ocean City Nor'easters Twitter account for live updates during the game.

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