Regiment attack far too much for Wolves

FC Buffalo had a regrettable shorthanded performance on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania, falling 5-2 to the Fort Pitt Regiment.

A nightmare first half ended with FC Buffalo down 3-0 in its first ever match-up with the Fort Pitt, in McKees Rocks, Penn.

BOX SCORE

A shorthanded Blitzers team — the Wolves traveled with just 16 men due to injuries — was ravaged by Regiment strike force Nico Brett and Lamine Balde, in particular the former. Brett, who tallied 14 goals and 8 assists at Robert Morris this Fall, scored two goals in the match’s first 23 minutes.

Brett’s pace and nose for goal was nearly matched by Balde, who scored 9 goals and 6 assists at Bethany College. The Guinea native beat an FC Buffalo defender and blasted a shot past Waleed Cassis to make it 3-0 in the 38th minute.

Cassis had his shutout streak broken at 187 minutes.

Russell Cicerone broke the shutout in the 68th minute when he collected a pass from UB Bulls teammate Kristian Lee-Him before wobbling a defender and blasting a shot above the keeper for his sixth of the season.

But former Erie Admirals striker Sean Riley added two doses of misery when he beat Cassis in the 73rd and 85th minutes.

Luke Elston scored for FCB in injury time when he picked up a slick through ball from fellow sub Val Doppenberg and beat Fort Pitt’s Adam Alhabashi.

Tonight’s Rich Products Man of the Match was defender Kyle Moraldo, who was strong on the right side before being removed from the game after a kick to the face.

FC Buffalo’s next match is Sunday at 2pm, a home rematch with the Regiment. It’s part of “Soccer Day in Buffalo,” which will culminate with a viewing of the US/Portugal World Cup match at Mes Que at 6pm.

LINEUPS

Fort Pitt: Alhabashi; Barcomb, Jull, McCann, Wright; Tuohy, C. Miller, Piccolo,Riley; Brett, Balde

Goals: Brett 2 (6′, 23′); Balde (38′), Riley 2 (73′, 85′)

FC Buffalo: Cassis; T. Allen, Ross, Walter, Moraldo (Rogers, 66′); Bednarsky (Doppenberg, 75′), Tagaloa; Hanson, Cicerone (Elston, 79′), Thomas (Berardi, 65′); Fiemawhle (Lee-Him, 61′)

Goals: Cicerone (68′), Elston (90+1′)