CRUCIAL MATCH-UP

June 29, 2008 CRUCIAL MATCH-UP Flames visit Barons Sunday

Ocean City, N.J. -- The Ocean City Barons return to Carey Stadium on to take on the Westchester Flames in a crucial Northeast Division showdown Sunday night.

The last time these two teams met was last Saturday, June 21, when the Barons fell, 2-1, in New Rochelle, N.Y. The Flames have won the last two meetings, and can even the all-time series at 3-3 with a win.

Westchester will enter the game having played the night before at home. They drew 3-3 with the first-place Brooklyn Knights Saturday, extending their unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1) and bringing the Flames into a tie for fourth place in the Northeast Division. However, a win by either team on Sunday night will catapult them into tie for second place with the Newark Ironbound Express, one point behind Brooklyn.

The Barons are in the midst of a three-game winless streak that began with a 4-0 loss to the Express June 15, followed by the 2-1 loss at Westchester and last Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with the Express. Ocean City has seen a change in form in the month of June. They finished unbeaten in May (3-0-2), but have only earned one win in June (1-2-3). That win was a 3-0 win at the New Jersey Rangers, which was the only game of the month that the club scored more than one goal.

June 29, 2008