Amateur
Ocean City Nor’Easters defeat West Chester, continue perfect season
Ocean City Nor’Easters traveled to YSC Sports on Tuesday night where they defeated USL2 Mid-Atlantic Division rivals West Chester United in a tense 1-0 match. Lorenzo Grispello scored the lone goal for Ocean City, and Nor’Easters goalkeeper Marius Helias helped to preserve the lead late in the match.
The match was one of the most anticipated events of the USL2 season in the Mid-Atlantic Division. West Chester and Ocean City have been the two juggernauts of the region, with Ocean City claiming the division title from 2022 through 2024 followed by West Chester taking the title in the 2025 season by one point. The 2026 season has been a strange one for West Chester.
Struggling with fixture congestion in other competitions, the Predators went in to Tuesday’s match 11 points out of a playoff spot, far behind LVU Rush. Ocean City, on the other hand, started their USL2 season with a perfect 8 wins in 8 matches, sitting alone in 1 st place in the Mid-Atlantic. Striker Gabe Faust scored in all 8 of Ocean City’s matches, setting a club record for consecutive matches with a goal.
The match was a tense affair, with few chances breaking either way in the first half. Faust struggled to get involved under the watch of West Chester defenders Daniel Krueger and Brady Costin. There was a controversial moment just before halftime, when a high boot from Ocean City’s Lorenzo Grispello made contact with the head of a West Chester player. Grispello was awarded a yellow card.
The breakthrough for Ocean City came early in the second half. After a turnover in the attacking third, Ocean City’s Jacques Mason and Stelios Starakis worked to win the ball back. The ball broke to Grispello on the left wing, who cut in and shot on his right foot. His low shot made it through West Chester goalkeeper Tino Kneis, putting the Nor’Easters ahead in the 55th minute.
West Chester had a chance to equalize late in the match. Ayoub Mouhou struck a low free kick towards the Ocean City goal in the 64 th minute. Rider University goalkeeper Marius Helias parried the shot back into the penalty area, but recovered brilliantly to make a second stop on the rebound, denying West Chester on the doorstep. Despite a flurry of late crosses, West Chester could not create another equally dangerous opportunity, and Ocean City defeated their rivals by a 1-0 score.
The win was a historic one for Ocean City. The Nor’Easters have started the USL2 season with a 9-0-0 record, the best start in club history. It is the second time ever that Ocean City have won 9 matches in a row, with the first occasion coming in the middle of the 1999 USL D3 Pro League.
Despite Faust’s record goal-scoring streak coming to an end, it was a dream night for Ocean City, who are now one win away from clinching a playoff spot. West Chester, on the other hand, are on the verge of missing the playoffs. With five matches left, West Chester are currently 11 points off of second place LVU Rush. The red-hot LVU Rush face West Chester on Sunday, a match due to have postseason implications.
