HARRISON, N.J. – Sean Davis’ rebound was all the offense the New York Red Bulls II would need as they held the Harrisburg City Islanders at bay the rest of the way for a 1-0 victory on Thursday at Red Bull Arena. With the win, NYRBII moved alongside Louisville City FC atop the Eastern Conference in points with identical 8-1-3 records and 27 points. The Red Bulls II have now won four consecutive matches and extended their unbeaten streak to six (5-0-1). Harrisburg’s road struggles continued. The City Islanders are now 1-6-0 away from home and 0-3-0 on their current four-game road trip. The all-time series is now tied at two wins apiece between the two clubs.

Scoring:
7’ – NY – Sean Davis

Three Things That Mattered:

• 1. The Red Bulls II vs. City Islanders series had seen the road team win in the previous three meetings. NYRB II put an end to that string, thanks to a thunderous rebound off the foot of Sean Davis in the seventh minute. NYRB II had the heavy attack for the opening 10-15 minutes, and during that scoring sequence Alex Muyl crossed the ball in from the right side. The Harrisburg defense deflected it away, but Davis converged and from 10 yards out blasted it into the upper left corner for his first goal of the season and a 1-0 NYRBII lead.

• 2. Though the Muyl-Davis connection wasn’t listed side-by-side on the score sheet, those two were involved later on with a crafty 59th-minute buildup. Davis lofted his pass beautifully over Harrisburg’s defense and timed it perfectly with Muyl’s run from the right. Muyl one-time volleyed the shot, but it was driven directly to Harrisburg goalkeeper Nick Noble for the save. Both players saw less than 70 minutes of action Thursday, but they were consistently effective throughout.

• 3. The City Islanders were certainly lurking around the net as the first half progressed. One of the best chances developed in the 27th minute when Harrisburg defender Shawn McLaws, a loanee with the Red Bulls II during the 2015 season, crossed in from the right to find Craig Foster. Foster whipped a header into the upper left corner of the goal, but he was ruled offside on the play. In the 76th minute, Foster had a difficult cross-his-body volley attempt that just rose over the crossbar. Harrisburg’s offense was once again without the services of Aaron Wheeler, serving the second of a three-game suspension. He will be absent from the club’s road game against the Charleston Battery on June 18.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Sean Davis, New York Red Bulls II – Along with the game’s opening goal, Davis’ passing and set-piece value shone throughout the match.

Upcoming Games:
Harrisburg City Islanders at Charleston Battery – June 18, 7:30 p.m. ET, MUSC Health Stadium
New York Red Bulls II at Orlando City B – June 19, 7:30 p.m. ET, Titan Soccer Complex