Ocean City Press Release - www.ocbarons.com

Thursday, May 15
 
DENVILLE, NJ – With the largest margin of victory in club history, the Barons defeated the expansion New Jersey Rangers 8-1 on Wednesday night.

Steve Miller (Colgate / Ivyland, PA) became only the second player in Barons' PDL history to score a hat trick, while his strike partner Lee Squires (Lees-McRae / Sheffield, England) added a pair of goals and an assist.

Ryan Richter (LaSalle / Southampton, PA) also scored two goals off the bench and Ryan Finley (Rancacos Valley HS / Lumberton, NJ) became the youngest Baron to ever score a goal at the age of 17 years, 1 month and 16 days.

It was the most goals scored by the Barons in a single game and improves the club's record to 1-0-1. The win propells Ocean City into third place in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying standings. The top two teams from the Eastern Conference will advance to the 94th edition of the tournament.

The Barons will try to ride their offensive momentum when they travel to Long Island for a date with the Rough Riders on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

About the Ocean City Barons
The Ocean City Barons are a minor league soccer franchise based in Ocean City, New Jersey that competes in the Premier Development League (PDL) -- the top men’s amateur league in North America. The PDL is considered the 4th level of soccer in the United States below Major League Soccer, and the United Soccer League’s First and Second Divisions. Players have the ability to compete in the PDL throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment to the Ocean City community.

Founded in 1997, the Barons are entering their 12th year of existence in 2008 and are one of the winningest PDL clubs in North America. Since joining the league in 2003, they are 52-16-16, the 5th best record among the more than 60 teams in the league. Since joining the PDL, 15 former Barons have moved on to play professional soccer, including Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus in Denmark) who recently became the first Baron to earn a cap with the senior U.S. National Team.

They continued their tradition of success on the field in 2007 when they qualified for the PDL playoffs and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, marking the third time in the last four years the club had achieved both in the same season. The highlight of the 2007 campaign came in the First Round of the Open Cup when they upset Crystal Palace Baltimore, a professional team from the United Soccer League’s Second Division, 1-0 on June 12 at Carey Stadium in Ocean City.