Dante Leverock and his Harrisburg City Islanders showered Toronto FC’s keeper, Quillan Roberts, with shots all night but he was up to the every challenge and the Islanders only gained one point in a 0-0 draw on City Island.
In the first ever meeting between the teams Harrisburg had nonstop pressure on the Toronto defense all the way up to the very end of the game. They had 10 shots on goal to Toronto’s one and 17 overall shots to their three. It was a game dominated by the Islanders who had two chances to break through in the waning moments of the match.
The first chance came off of a low corner kick that flew through every defender in the box but the one guarding the goal line on the far post. He was in the right place at the right time and kept the 0-0 draw intact.
Just minutes later Brett Jankouskas had a shot that was heading to the back of the net until it was deflected right to Toronto’s keeper by Garret Pettis.
The Islanders returned home hoping that they would be able to get back to their winning ways after losing two overall games.
Nick Noble almost was beat on the first shot of the game when Manuel Aparicio curled a shot passed the Islanders goalkeeper. Noble looked behind him but the ball ultimately met metal.
That scare seemed to wake the Islanders up because they pressured the Toronto keeper with six unanswered shots on goal immediately afterwards.
Shaffer had one of the best chances off of something that started off so innocent. He took a shot from way out that looked like it was heading for the top of the net but Roberts sprawled out to make the one handed save.
Harrisburg kept the pressure on for the majority of the half but had nothing to show for it at the end of the first 45 minutes.
The second half played out much like the first, Harrisburg pressuring but Roberts standing tall every time. Yann Ekra had one of the best chances of the game when he ripped a shot on goal but again Roberts was right there to save it.
Harrisburg’s defense stood tall in front of Noble who only had to stop one shot all night. It was the third game in a row where Toronto was held scoreless. It was Noble’s second shutout of the season.
The chances at the end of the game were the closest the Islanders came to putting one past Roberts that could have given them the win and the three points.
After the last chance Toronto went streaking down the field and fired a shot right over the crossbar that looked to be heading for the back of the net.
