Hydra Crush Victory

The Worcester Hydra kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a crushing 6-0 win over the Boston Victory on Saturday night at Foley Stadium in Worcester.

The Hydra (5-4-5, 20 points) were given a man advantage in the just 26th minute when Victory (2-10-2, 8 points) ‘keeper Vincent Papageorgiou was ejected and had an easy time dismantling Boston from there.

With the match still scoreless, Papageorgiou was sent off for taking down Alencar Junior outside the box in the 26th minute. Not only did this force the Victory to play down a man and force defender Keegan Campbell into goal, but Junior also made Boston pay twice, beating the defender playing out of position in net from the ensuing set piece and putting Worcester up, 1-0.

Charles Rugg would double the lead for the Hydra off an assist from Colin Murphy three minutes before halftime with his second goal of the season.

Junior tallied his second goal of the night and 10th of the season in the 56th minute to increase Worcester’s lead to 3-0.

The night wouldn’t get any easier for emergency duty ‘keeper Campbell. Eboy Badgie came off the bench to make it 4-0 in the 72nd minute and then scored a second – his third of the season – three minutes later off a Rugg assist to make it 5-0.

But the Hydra would show no sympathy for the Victory’s plight, scoring a final goal in the 84th minute through Michael Bustamante to make it 6-0.

Oliver Blum made just one save for the Hydra in the shutout win as the Hydra outshot the Victory, 15-4.

The Hydra and Victory square off again on Wednesday, July 11, at 7 p.m. at Quincy’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.