Despite a tough start to the 2008 season, and regardless of the fact they have just one win through the better part of the schedule, the Hammerheads may be down, but they aren’t out.

Saturday night, the team capped a three game road trip in Harrisburg, and as with the first two road contests, Wilmington earned a point with a tie.  The team will return home for a match with Bermuda on Thursday, and with a win, Wilmington could move up to seventh place in the USL’s second division, just one spot out of the playoffs.

Trey Alexander got the Hammerheads on the board in the 29th minute, on Wilmington’s only shot of the first half, but they held the lead at intermission thanks in large part to goalie John O’Hara’s seven first half saves.  

But he game’s complex changed twenty minutes into the second stanza.  Ben Clark’s ejection in thee 65th minute and Harrisburg’s ensuing goal in the 66th on Nate Baker’s penalty kick saw the Hammerheads go from playing up a goal, to being tied and a man down just like that.  

However, the Hammerheads would hold on for the draw, and while they were outshot 17-4 on the night, they earned a point in the standings.  While the team greatly needs wins, not ties, to get into the playoff hunt, Harrisburg has been beaten just one time all season while outscoring their opponents 17-7.  However moral victories, including the game against Harrisburg and their road trip as a whole, will not help the team make the playoffs.  It is that point in the season for the Hammerheads, where looking at the bright side of things only gets you so far.

So with three points in three road games, the Hammerheads are still alive, but will certainly need some wins to work their way up into the top six spots in the USL-2 standings by season’s end.  Five of Wilmington’s final eight games, including three of their next four,  will be at Legion Stadium.  Hopefully some homecookin’ will help the team get a few wins and position themselves for a playoff run.  It begins with a visit from Bermuda, which is coming off a moral victory of their own, as they tied with first place Charlotte after being routed 6-0 in their teams’ first match up.  Wilmington will be seeking revenge from the Hogges’ 2-0 win they posted over the Hammerheads back in late April.

Hammerhead’s Dame Walters Earns USL-2 Player of the Week Honors

A new identity for the Wilmington Hammerheads has come about during the second quarter of their campaign. The former league champions were winless at 0-5-1 through their first six games of the year, but have been unbeaten since with a run of 1-0-4. They broke the barrier with a 5-3 win over winless Pittsburgh June 7, but it’s the addition of defender Dame Walters afterwards that may have given the team its new identity.

Walters helped guide the club to an amazing three-game week in which the club fought back from a 2-0 deficit Tuesday 6/17 to earn a 2-2 draw at home against a title contender in Crystal Palace.

Wilmington then hit the road and posted impressive results with a scoreless draw that Friday in Cleveland against another title contender, and the following night,  tied the same Pittsburgh club that hung three on them previously in a game in which two penalties for Wilmington may have proved the difference in the win.

Walters has helped transformed the defense from a unit that was allowing two goals per game before the win to one that has now only allowed three goals in their last four games for a 0.75 average. The former Atlanta Silverbacks U-23 defender played all 16 games for the PDL side in 2006.

USL Second Division Team of the Week ( 6/24)

Pos Name Team Highlights

G John O’Hara Wilmington 12 saves, 1 goal allowed in two road draws

D Jonathan Burklo Wilmington Goal in 1-1 draw at Pittsburgh

D Darius Cox Bermuda Goal in 3-1 win over Western Mass

*D Dame Walters Wilmington Led team in two road draws

D Nigel Marples Harrisburg Led team in 0-0 draw at Richmond

M Federico Molinari Western Mass Assist in 1-0 win at Bermuda

M Sascha Gorres Richmond Led team in 0-0 draw against Harrisburg

M Joseph Kabwe Charlotte Goal in 1-0 win at Real Maryland

M Pat Healy CP Baltimore Goal in 2-2 draw at Wilmington

F Jamie Holmes Wilmington Goal in 2-2 draw against CP Baltimore

F Lloyd Holder Bermuda Goal in 3-1 win over Western Mass

* Player of the Week

- Courtesy USL