Pioneers Put Distance on Azul

The Pioneers strengthened their playoff push with a 2-0 win over CFC Azul on Friday at Lusitano Stadium.

Ryan Malone (26′) and Jayme Kapinos (90+2′) each scored for the hosts while goalkeeper Warren Gross earned his league-leading ninth sheet clean of the season to put the Azul three points behind in the Northeast Division standings.

A 47th minute red card to Azul defender Justin Brewer gave the Pioneers the man advantage for the bulk for the second half.

With the win, the Pioneers find themselves in third place with two games remaining. The Azul currently sit in fourth place, three points outside of the playoff picture.

The Pioneers playoff push will conclude with an arduous two-game road trip to Vermont (Jul. 11) and Ottawa (Jul. 14). In a similar fashion, the Azul’s postseason hunt goes through Ottawa (Jul. 13) and Vermont (Jul. 14) next weekend.