Denton Diablos 1 - 3 Laredo Heat

Ft Worth Vaqueros 0 - 1 Laredo Heat

Laredo Heat SC had an impressive couple of days, taking on last year’s NPSL champion Denton Diablos on Thursday, winning 3-1. Goals came from Jordan Mase (2) and Masaya Sekiguchi. Mase scored his first in the opening half, opening up the scoring for the match. Denton scored in the 38th to even up the score going into halftime. Adan Garcia was the Diablo who scored. But in the second half, Mase would get his second and Sekiguchi would get his own, earning the visiting Heat three points. Heat Head Coach John Powell highlighted the importance of the big weekend for his club. “Getting all 6 points on the road this weekend was essential for the ambitions of our organization as well as the belief within our team. We want to win our conference and we know we can’t do that if we don’t qualify for the playoffs. These two massive wins put us in a very good position heading into our last three matches which will all be difficult.”

Just two days later, on Saturday, Laredo would travel to nearby Ft. Worth to play the Ft. Worth Vaqueros in the second match of their road trip. On short rest and on the road, Laredo would gut out a big win over Ft. Worth, 1-0. The winner would come for Laredo from Kristian Colaci in the 70th minute. The 6 points are big deal with so few matches left in the regular season. The wins vault Heat SC into the top spot of the Lone Star Conference with just 3 matches (2 in Laredo).

The two wins were big, especially getting the second on tired legs, just two days after beating Denton. Powell, on the conditioning of his players. “I think the players were amazing this weekend in so many areas. First, their preparation all week was of a very high level. Second, their concentration was consistent and unwavering. Finally, they executed despite the short rest, tired legs, and all that goes into such a long and taxing trip. Overall, I couldn’t ask for anything more than what the boys gave us this weekend.”

Tulsa Athletic 4 - 0 Demize NPSL

Sunflower State 2 - 4 Tulsa Athletic

It was another club with matches back to back this week, as Tulsa Athletic would power through two clubs near the top of the table. The week would start with a big win over last year’s conference champion. Tulsa was clearly the better team, beating Demize NPSL 4-0, led by a brace from Abou Diallo. And while some clubs might be thrilled with a big 4-0 win at home, Tulsa went on the road during the weekend to take on fellow front runner Sunflower State.

Tulsa social media claims this is proof they’ve finally made it.

That match would feature another Tulsa brace, this one for Juan Moreno, who would score twice in the first first half for the road warriors. Joseph Ruiz would add another to have Tulsa up 3-0 at the half time whistle. That third goal would be important as Sunflower State would battle back with 2 goals (Colin Innes and Nicholas McDonald) of their own, but that was as close as the home side would get. Ruben Carrasco would add a fourth for TA.

Six points in a tightly packed Heartland Conference is big news. The results clinch Tulsa a home playoff game next month.

Med City 1 - 2 Duluth FC

Some conferences are just a little spicier than others and the North has always been fun. Duluth FC and Med City have been battles all season with almost identical records, which made this head to head matchup all that more important. After a scoreless first half, Med City got on the board first when Andres Garcia put the ball in the net early in the second half. Garcia is currently top 10 in the NPSL’s list of goal scorers and a constant threat. However Duluth’s Sam Thornton would grab a brace and the eventual game winner in the 87th minute.

With just four matches to play for Duluth and Med City with three, this is a TIGHT race. Even better, these two teams will face each other one more time before season’s end. Mark your calendar for July 9th.

This Weekend

Important matchup in Sunshine Conference with conference leader, Miami United FC heads to Central Florida Panthers SC, who are currently sitting third in the conference. CFPSC only has two matches left in its season and this week’s match is a big one if it hopes to catch up to Miami United. Of course, Miami Beach CDF is watching this one, as it holds the second spot on the table.