Hearts of Pine get long-awaited win
PORTLAND — The Portland Hearts of Pine finally snapped a frustrating streak with a hard‑fought 2‑1 victory over Westchester SC on Sunday night, sending fans home with a sense of relief and fresh hope for the postseason.
Aboubacar Camara opened the scoring in the 11th minute when he collected a pass from Jay Tee Kamara, turned quickly and fired a shot that slipped past Westchester goalkeeper Luca Marinelli’s diving hands. The lead was short‑lived, however, as a defensive lapse in the 67th minute allowed Westchester to level the match. A cross found Koen Bommestijn in the box, and his header slipped behind Portland’s keeper, Hunter Morse, who had been sprinting across his line.
The drama escalated in the dying minutes. After a corner, Bommestijn rose again for a near‑post finish, but Morse reacted with a desperate left‑footed flick that sent the ball over the bar. The save was later hailed by USL League One’s Instagram account as the best in the league’s history, a claim Morse shrugged off. “I’ll let you guys decide that,” he said. “The ball got played across and I kind of had to go desperation because I’m sprinting across my goal. He went behind me and I just threw my leg out.”
Camara, who later called the save “probably the best I’ve seen since I started playing,” added, “That’s probably the best save I’ve seen since I started playing. Hunter Morse? I mean I don’t even know how to describe that guy. He’s been saving us all year.” His own goal—Camara’s seventh of the season—sealed the win and sparked a brief rain shower eight minutes after an on‑field skirmish. Portland’s Brecc Evans and Westchester’s Dean Guezen were shown yellow cards after a heated exchange that coach Bobby Murphy downplayed. “I’ve been in fights. That wasn’t a fight,” Murphy said, noting the altercation followed several uncalled hard tackles and a late foul on teammate Diego Gonzalez.
Gonzalez had opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 11th minute, giving Portland an early 1‑0 lead. The victory lifted the Hearts to a 6‑11‑8 overall record and 26 points, tying them with FC Naples and Sarasota Paradise for 13th place. With seven games remaining, Portland’s playoff hopes remain slim; they sit seven points behind eighth‑placed Fort Wayne FC, the final playoff spot. “I think right now it’s relief, that we got through this. Reward the fans. I don’t think we’re in a position to start staring at the table. We’ve got to just put points on the board,” Murphy said, looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup against ninth‑place AV Alta.
The win also marked a milestone for the franchise’s sellout streak, now at 35 consecutive games, with 6,224 fans packing Fitzpatrick Stadium. After a season of struggle, the victory provided a much‑needed boost for the players and the supportive crowd that had stayed loyal through the tough stretch.
Portland returns to action this coming Sunday against AV Alta, a team that sits just one spot ahead of the Hearts. With each game carrying added weight, the club hopes to build on the momentum from this overdue triumph.
