Photo courtesy of Trev Hellman/Union Omaha
PAPILLION, Neb. — Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC rallied to secure a 2-2 draw at Union Omaha Wednesday in their first match of the USL Jägermeister Cup.
“Mostly pleased with the performance tonight, but most importantly disappointed with the result,” Hailstorm head coach Éamon Zayed said.
As with all draws in the Jägermeister Cup, the match then went to a penalty shootout, which Omaha won, 3-2, to secure an extra point in the table.
“We didn’t come here to get anything less than thee points,” Hailstorm defender Johnny Fenwick said. “It’s a disappointment, but we have to look at the positives. It was a good performance, just like against Chattanooga. Just need to find a way to win games now.”
Hailstorm got on the board first in the 17th minute when forward Ethan Hoard got to a second ball first and played an inch-perfect through ball to Bruno Rendon, who was one-on-one with the Omaha keeper and slotted the shot home to give his team the lead.
Rendon scored five times for Hailstorm in 2023, earning second team all-USL League One honors, but this was his first goal in seven appearances in 2024.
“I’m happy to score my first goal of the season,” Rendon said. “Just have to keep going, work hard, and score more goals.”
It looked like Hailstorm would take their 1-0 lead into halftime, but Omaha scored twice in less than 90 seconds to take a 2-1 lead into the break.
Hailstorm equalized in the 62nd minute when their high press forced a loose back pass from an Omaha midfielder that Hoard pounced on and chipped into the back of the net for his team-leading fourth goal in all competitions this season.
Northern Colorado looked more likely to find a winner until a 35-minute lightning delay in the 84th minute broke up their rhythm and the game ended in a draw and the penalty shootout, which was the first in club history.
Hailstorm will continue their season, and their USL Jägermeister Cup campaign, on May 11 with a visit to One Knoxville SC.
“We’ll get back to work to turn performances into results,” Zayed said.
—
The home of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, 118-acre Future Legends Complex will feature 6,500-seat TicketSocket Park, 2,500-seat 4Rivers Equipment Stadium, multiple baseball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, an indoor sports arena, lodging, and retail; and will host guests for major sports leagues, tournaments, events and more.
More information is available at HailstormFC.com and FutureLegendsComplex.com.