WESTCHESTER, NY — The Lads had a dominant showing against Westchester, riding a three goal performance to sweep the season series against the Yorkers.
Velocity FC’s Head Coach Leigh Veidman reflected on Saturday’s win, which was Spokane’s first full match on the road since July 18.
“Really proud of the players and staff. If I’m not mistaken, Westchester have only lost 2 games before tonight at home in USL League 1 play. So to come here and put on the performance they did and get the result they did, says it all about their mentality tonight,” said Veidman.
Westchester midfielder Dean Guezen put pressure on Spokane early, missing a goal by inches in the 5th minute after he sent a rocket on target that hit the crossbar but did not cross the goal line.
Velocity FC was unable to contain Guezen for long, however, as he redeemed himself with a goal in the 14th minute to give the Yorkers an early 1-0 lead. Jonathan Jiménez found Guezen in the top left of the box, who placed his shot past goalkeeper Sean Lewis and into the bottom right of goal.
Westchester’s lead was short lived, as Spokane scored a penalty kick in the 17th minute to level the match. Velocity FC midfielder Jack Denton drew a foul inside the penalty area after being pulled down by Jack Loura. Neco Brett converted the penalty, marking his third goal in league play this season.
It was a back and forth affair between the two sides, with Westchester earning three corners and a pair of free kicks after Brett’s goal. However, it was Spokane that claimed the lead before halftime, with forward Shavon John-Brown scoring in transition in the 44th minute. The goal was John-Brown’s sixth of the season, which is the most of any Velocity FC player so far this year.
Velocity FC added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute off of an impressive strike by Andre Lewis. Andre received a ball way outside the box, sending a powerful left-footed shot into the back left of the net, giving his side a commanding 3-1 lead.
Sean Lewis spoke on how Spokane was able to stand their ground defensively against an aggressive Westchester offense.
“We were just disciplined, knowing that they were going to be pushing for that equalizer,” said Lewis.
Saturday’s match was also a milestone for Spokane defender Derek Waldeck, who made his 150th League One appearance tonight. Waldeck, who became the 11th player in league history to reach this milestone, spoke of the honor.
“I am honored to reach 150 league appearances. I’ve enjoyed seeing the growth of this league while growing personally throughout my career and I couldn’t have reached this milestone without the support of my wife, family, and many teammates and coaches along the way,” said Waldeck.
Coach Veidman spoke on what is coming next for his squad.
“All eyes and focus on another big away trip next week to Sarasota,” said Veidman.
With the win, Velocity FC improved to 12-7-2 in league play and is now just one point behind One Knoxville SC for fourth place in league standings.
Next up, Velocity FC will travel to Florida for a match against Sarasota Paradise. Kickoff is slated for 4:30 PM PT with streaming available on ESPN+.
The Lads’ next home match will be on September 20th against Athletic Club Boise. It will be a can’t miss match between the budding rivals and celebrating youth soccer night. Get your tickets now at USLSpokane.com and support the Lads as they continue their third season in League One!
