VANCOUVER, Wash.
– Defender Ryan Kawulok recorded a hat trick and midfielder Jordan Crasilneck logged two assists to lead the Portland Timbers U-23s to a 6-0 victory over the Yakima Reds Saturday at Kiggins Bowl.
Kawulok recorded just the second hat trick in team history, and scored two of his three goals in the first half as part of a four-goal outburst by the Timbers U-23s in the opening period. His third goal of the night came in the 88th minute, rounding out Portland’s scoring on the night.
Crasilneck logged his first assists of the season, midfielder Freddie Braun tallied a goal and an assist, forward Brian Ramsey scored in his second straight game and forward Brent Richards turned in his first assist of the season to guide the Timbers U-23 (7-0-0, 21pts) to a team-record seventh straight win.
Goalkeepers Jake Gleeson and Steve Spangler split duty in goal for the Timbers U-23s and combined logged the team’s sixth consecutive shutout. With the clean sheet against Yakima (2-7-0, 6pts), Portland has not allowed a goal in 561 minutes of action, starting back on May 15.
Kawulok opened the scoring for the Timbers U-23s in the 24th minute, with his first goal of the season. Crasilneck delivered a corner kick from the right side into the center of the box. Kawulok was the first to the ball and headed home the go-ahead tally.
The Timbers U-23s took a 2-0 lead in the 31st minute on a strike from Braun. Following a Portland free kick from within range, midfielder Bim Ogunyemi headed a pass back across the goal mouth for Braun. With a narrow window, Braun slotted the ball inside the near post for his second goal of the season.
In the 33rd minute, Hasson found his first goal on the campaign to push the home side ahead 3-0. Braun played the ball wide down the wing for Hasson on the attack. Hasson advanced the ball towards the box, made a quick cut back, and then fired the ball into the back of the net from 10 yards out.
With the third goal inside a four-minute window, Kawulok buried a shot from on the doorstep in the 35th minute. Off a corner kick, the Timbers U-23s were able to take advantage of loose ball in the box. Defender Graham Dugoni slipped a pass through a crowded box to Kawulok, who then tapped the ball over the goal line to lift the Timbers U-23s to a 4-0 lead before the break.
Ramsey scored the first of two second-half goals for the Timbers U-23s. A through ball by Richards released Ramsey on a run down the left side of the box. He drilled a low shot past Yakima goalkeeper Andrew Wildfong for his fourth goal of the season and gave the Timbers U-23s a 5-0 lead.
In the 88th minute, Crasilneck and Kawulok connected for a second time on a corner kick, producing the final score of the night. From the right side, Crasilneck’s ball found the defender inside the box, and Kawulok was able to tuck it away past Reds substitute goalkeeper Claudio Lazar for this third strike of the season.
The Timbers U-23s had chances to add to their lead in the first half. In the 37th minute, Ramsey had his penalty kick attempt saved by Wildfong. Portland had appeared to break through in the eighth minute with its first goal of the night, but an offside call cancelled the tally.
Yakima had two close chances at ending the Timbers U-23s shutout streak. In the 30th minute, Gleeson stopped a breakaway with a timely save. Spangler was forced into action in the 61st minute, making his only save of the night on a close-range shot by Reds forward Warlen Silva. Reds midfielder Weslen Silva put a free kick from 20 yards out past the out-stretched arms of Spangler and off the cross bar in the 75th minute.
The Timbers U-23s face a two-game road trip against the Abbotsford Mariners on Saturday, June 19 and the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency on Sunday, June 20. Portland rounds out its June slate with a road fixture against the Tacoma Tide on June 30.
Notes:
The first hat trick in Timbers U-23s history was recorded by forward Ryan Youngblood on July 11, 2009, in a 4-2 road win over Yakima … Richards has either scored or assisted a goal in each game he’s played this season … Hasson’s two career goals with the Timbers U-23s have both come against the Reds … Yakima forward Warlen Silva was sent off with a red card in the 84th minute, reducing the visitors to 10 players.
Lineups:
POR: GK Gleeson (Spangler, 45), D Granger (Thompson, 60), D Crasilneck, D Dugoni, D Kawulok, M Hasson (Nielsen, 45), M Farfan (Beasley, 63), M Ogunyemi, M Braun (Harms, 66), F Richards, F Ramsey (Abrego, 55)
YAK: GK Wildfong (Lazar, 81), D Popov, D Olimene, D Russell, D Haddari (Izequial, 60), M Silva, We., M Brambila, M Aman, M Potenciano (Kromah, 79), F Oliveira, F Silva, Wa.
Scoring Summary:
POR: Kawulok (Crasilneck), 24
POR: Braun (Ogunyemi), 31
POR: Hasson (Braun), 33
POR: Kawulok (Dugoni), 35
POR: Ramsey (Richards), 50
POR: Kawulok (Crasilneck), 88
