USL Week 11 honors announced

Gaudette, Shipalane named Players of the Week
USL News Release

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

TAMPA, FL — United Soccer Leagues announced the Team of the Week honors for the 11th week of the USL season, honoring Puerto Rico’s Bill Gaudette as the USL First Division Player of the Week and Harrisburg’s Tiyi Shipalane as the USL Second Division Player of the Week.

Last year, the 2008 USL-1 Goalkeeper of the Year started the season off with only two shutouts in the Islanders’ first 12 games. Puerto Rico’s Bill Gaudette appears to be mirroring that campaign in 2009 posting back-to-back shutouts over league-leading Charleston over the weekend after posting just one in his first 12. The pair of 1-0 wins allowed the Islanders to jump from fourth to first in a matter of three days.

In the opening contest Thursday, Battery forward Randi Patterson used his pace to run onto a long ball over the top in the ninth minute. Patterson fired at goal with a first-time effort but Gaudette reacted well and blocked the ball wide. Minutes later Patterson threatened again as he reacted first to another looping ball over the Puerto Rico defense. Gaudette closed down on the striker, forcing Patterson to flick the ball towards the goal, but it was cleared off the line by defender Scott Jones. Late in the game Tyler Hemming whipped a free kick into the middle where Dan Antoniuk met the cross and flicked a header that Gaudette tipped over the bar.

The 1-0 victory Thursday courtesy of defender John Krause’s stoppage time strike handed Charleston their first loss of the year, ending a 12-game unbeaten streak.

In the second meeting Charleston attacked from the starting whistle and came close in only the fourth minute as wide midfielder Chris Williams whipped a cross in from the left. Antoniuk met the ball, but his header dropped harmlessly to goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, who gathered it at the far post and went on to post five more stops in the match for a total of 10 in the two matches.

With Crystal Palace Baltimore pulling within one point of the USL-2 league leaders Friday evening in Bermuda, the Harrisburg City Islanders responded with a 4-0 thrashing of visiting Real Maryland Saturday.

Tiyi Shipalane helped lead the way, setting the tone just five minutes in. Shipalane received the ball from Jason Pelletier in Maryland’s corner and tiptoed around several Monarchs to the top of the goal box. From the 18 yard line, he ripped a shot that slid past Monarchs keeper, and former Islander, David Kern, and into the side netting.

Three minutes after Nicki Paterson made it 2-0 on a penalty in the 16th, Pelletier and Shipalane teamed up again after Mo Odour won the ball in the middle of the field and dished the ball to Shipalane. Shipalane carried the ball 40 yards to Maryland’s corner, and crossed it into the box for Pelletier to head in the net.

In the 59th minute Shipalane scored the only goal of the second half when he capitalized on a failed clearance by the Monarchs. After winning the ball at midfield, he dribbled 30 yards to go one-on-one with Kern, and bury the ball in the back of the net. It was his fifth goal of the season and second of the evening, sealing the final 4-0 score.

Four of Shipalane’s five goals on the season have come in matches against the Monarchs. He also has five assists on the year.

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