IRVINE, Calif. (September 19, 2018) - Wednesday was a night worthy of celebration for Orange County SC and its supporters. The club officially clinched a playoff spot, and then made a statement by defeating Real Monarchs SLC 5-2 in front of the home crowd at Championship Soccer Stadium.

The victory further secured Orange County’s first place position in the USL Western Conference, and added to the club’s record breaking season totals in wins and points. Following Swope Park’s 2-0 victory over San Antonio FC in Kansas City, shortly after kickoff in Irvine, Orange County secured a berth in the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs.

“It’s a great feeling to be back in the playoffs, and I am convinced that we have a team that can compete for a USL championship,” said Orange County SC General Manager & EVP Oliver Wyss. “The credit goes to the hard work of our entire technical staff and talented players, who have worked tirelessly all season long to clinch a spot in the post-season—where this club belongs.”

In his first season as Orange County SC Head Coach, Braeden Cloutier has helped guide a talented team to the post-season. “Clinching the playoffs is a great feeling, and a tribute to the hard work this team has put into this season,” said Cloutier. “It’s only the first step though, in accomplishing our overall goal for the season. We still have a lot of work to do in the next several weeks, and I know our players are not satisfied.”

Against Real Monarchs, Orange County played as if it was not satisfied. After conceding an early goal, midfielder Aodhan Quinn tapped home a goal and midfielder/defender Noah Powder chipped the goalkeeper from nearly mid-pitch—a surefire USL Goal of the Week candidate.

Following an SLC equalizer, Orange County ran off three unanswered goals: One from midfielder Christian Duke—his first of the 2018 USL regular season—followed by a penalty from Aodhan Quinn and then the final score from forward Thomas Enevoldsen.

Orange County SC returns to action a week from today, traveling to “Sin City” to take on Las Vegas Lights FC. Kickoff is set for 8pm at Cashman Field. Orange County’s final 2018 regular season home game is on Saturday, October 6th, and tickets are available at https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/tickets. Playoff ticket information will be announced within the next week.

Stat Highlights

• Noah Powder has scored a goal in three straight matches. He added an assist on Quinn’s opener.
• Thomas Enevoldsen moves into a tie for 2nd in the USL’s Golden Boot race with 17 goals, tied with North Carolina’s Daniel Rios.
• Defender Joe Amico connected on 80% of his 40 passes, and had three tackles.
• Christian Duke scored his first goal on the 2018 season.