Thomas Vancaeyezeele Sparks Hartford Athletic to Friday Night Win Over Monterey Bay
Latics snap six-game losing streak behind goals from Ngalina, Beckford in front of a packed crowd at Trinity Health Stadium.
In front of a full house at Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford Athletic earned their first come-from-behind victory of the season — and their first win in six games — as Michee Ngalina and Deshane Beckford found the back of the net in a 2-1 triumph over Monterey Bay FC on Friday night. Thomas Vancaeyezeele was the unlikely sparkplug, setting up both goals and turning in a stellar defensive performance into the bargain.
After a somewhat flat opening ten minutes, the first chance of real consequence for either team came in the 13th minute, when Beckford whipped in a dangerous ball that found Ngalina at the top of the box. Ngalina tried an acrobatic first-time shot that forced a diving save from Monterey Bay keeper Antony Siaha.
Monterey Bay got the breakthrough in the 18th minute after a scramble in the box following a corner. Former Latic Walmer Martinez put in the initial ball, which Jerry Ayon headed onto the crossbar. Carlos Guzman scuffed the follow-up, but Hartford were unable to clear and Adrian Rebollar was able to poke home the go-ahead goal.
The Latics responded well and had a few opportunities to equalize almost immediately. The first came in the 22nd minute, when a clever touch from Marcus Epps put Beckford in clean, but he blazed his attempt over the bar. Two minutes later Beckford found Jay Chapman almost completely unmarked at the top of the box, but his shot crept past the outside of the post.
Hartford got their well-deserved equalized ten minutes later, when Vancaeyezeele released Ngalina down the left wing with an excellent ball. The forward’s shot took a wicked deflection to leave Siaha stranded and restore parity, sending Hartford down the tunnel level for the first time in more than six weeks.
The home side opened the second half strong, and in the 50th minute, a flicked ball by Ngalina was only half-cleared, with Vancaeyezeele again the man in the right spot. A gorgeous first touch created plenty of space, and a deft second gave an unmarked Beckford plenty of time to pick his spot past a scrambling Siaha to give the Latics their first lead of the night.
Both teams created a few more chances — and Triston Hodge nearly scored directly from a corner kick — but the best remaining chance of note fell to the visitors, when Mobi Fehr flicked the ball goalward following a corner in the 87th minute. Renan Ribeiro reacted athletically to tip the ball onto the crossbar and preserve the lead for the home side.
Hartford fans remembering the number of points dropped late in games in the 2023 season spent the last few minutes wondering if the other shoe would drop, and a late scramble in the box evoked visions of many past games where a late goal spoiled the night, but the Latics saw this one out successfully to record their first win since the first weekend of April.
With newly minted rivals Rhode Island FC coming to town next weekend, this was a much-needed win to point the club back in the direction of success. There’s much work still to be done, but the positive signs are there — including two goals in two games for Michee Ngalina — and fans will be hoping to look back on this game as a turning point for the 2024 season.