A Peek at West Chester, our next opponent

Reading United makes its second visit of the season to Kildares Turf Field in West Chester Wednesday night at 8pm. Reading fell to West Chester United twice already this season, both score lines ending 2-0. West Chester is in first place in the Mid Atlantic division with 23 points. Reading finds itself tied with Real Central New Jersey on points, but ahead in the standings in fifth thanks to a better goal differential. 

Last Time Out (or battle atop the standings): West Chester battled second-place Ocean City to a 0-0 draw. This was the fourth straight game West Chester kept a clean sheet. The draw also kept West Chester in first place in the Mid Atlantic division, where they now lead Ocean City by four points. The Nor’easters do have two games in hand, having played fewer games to this point. The two teams matchup again in the final regular season game for both sides.

Dominant Defending: West Chester, as previously mentioned, has produced four straight clean sheets. That matches the team’s previous longest streak this year, not conceding a goal until the fifth game of the season. West Chester has only conceded four times all season. Only one other team in all of USL League Two has given up fewer goals. The defense is anchored by a center back pairing of Luca Mellor and Shane Bradley. Behind them is one of the best goalkeepers in the Mid Atlantic, Dane Jacomen. Jacomen has 30 saves, and eight clean sheets out of ten games. He’s given up less than half a goal per game, stopping 88% of all shots against him. 

Last Meeting: West Chester got the third of four straight clean sheets in a 2-0 win over Reading last time the team’s squared off. Christopher Donovan, West Chester’s leading goal scorer, scored both goals. The first was a header off a corner kick in the 52’. The next goal came in the 90’ to ice the game for West Chester. Donovan lined up a shot from outside the box, firing the ball into the top left corner of the net. West Chester dominated possession and bossed proceedings in the midfield throughout the night, tallying 22 shots when all was said and done. The teams also met in May. There, West Chester scored two quick goals and held onto the 2-0 lead for the win.