EDMONDS, Wash. – Forward Erik Hurtado scored in a fourth straight match to spark the Portland Timbers U-23s to a 3-1 comeback win over North Sound SeaWolves FC at Edmonds Woodway High School on Monday night.
Playing its third consecutive match at home, North Sound staked the lead in the 26th minute on a goal from Nasyir Rodriguez. Hurtado scored the equalizer in the 41st minute, leading to a run of three unanswered goals for the Timbers U-23s. Portland struck again nine minutes into the second half and forward Mark Sherrod found the insurance goal in the 71st minute to cap off the 3-1 road victory.
With the win, the Timbers U-23s (7-3-1, 22pts) move into a two-way tie with the Washington Crossfire for second place in the Premier Development League’s Northwest Division, just one point back of the division-leading Kitsap Pumas.
SeaWolves FC (4-7-0, 12pts) took a 1-0 lead at the 26-minute mark when Rodriguez headed in a Correa corner kick. But in the 41st minute, the Timbers U-23s would pull level when Vickers’ corner kick found the head of Hurtado and the forward finished past SeaWolves keeper Elmer Rodriguez for his fifth goal of the season.
Nine minutes into the second half, Portland took the lead at 2-1 when a cross by midfielder Steve Evans led to a one-touch shot by midfielder Will Seymore into the back of the net. The Timbers U-23s scored a third straight goal in the 71st minute, as Sherrod found the back of the net for his team-leading eighth goal.
The Timbers U-23s face a two-game road trip this weekend to British Columbia to take on the Fraser Valley Mariners on Friday and Victoria Highlanders on Saturday.
Notes: With a win over North Sound on June 17, the Timbers U-23s won both games of the 2012 regular-season series between the two teams ... Forward Erik Hurtado has scored in four straight games from June 2-25, while striker Mark Sherrod has tallied in each of the last three matches ... Hurtado has scored three of his five goals this season against SeaWolves FC ... Sherrod is tied for third in the PDL in points with 19 and his eight goals on the season is tied for fourth in the league ... The Timbers U-23s out-shot SeaWovles FC 11-4 in the contest ... Portland was called offside a season-high 10 times against North Sound ... Midfielder Will Seymore made his second start of the season for the Timbers U-23s.
