Rally Madison FC Lose In Hard Fought Home Match
Rally Madison FC fell to River Light FC tonight despite rallying back
Lineup Notes
MAD: #0 Zillman, #3 Maurer, #5 Gricius (46’ #7 Fernau), #8 Christopher, #12 Murray (89’ #77 Armstrong), #13 Gordon, #17 Arthur (63’ #27 C. Arnold), #18 Walos (77’ #11 Bever), #20 Cox (63’ #4 I. Arnold), #22 Hevey, #28 Mikkelson (46’ #16 Stanton)
RVL: #0 Gabbert, #6 Zimmerman, #9 Birdsell (68’ #27 Fagerson), #10 Gryzik (68’ #8 Smith), #17 Fink, #18 Coats (46’ #3 Isaacson), #19 Kipley, #21 Sudkamp, #23 Mrugala (82’ #2 Burfeind), #24 Roberts (68’ #16 Burke), #26 Rogers (46’ #28 Liapis)
Match Action
Following an extended road trip, Rally Madison FC returned home to Breese Stevens Field for its second meeting of the season against River Light FC. Rally Madison almost grabbed an early lead in the 6’ when Hevey made a promising run, but was thwarted by the River Light defense. River Light also showed attacking urgency early, but Zillman came up big in the 9’ to hold the score at 0-0. A locked-in Hevey continued to generate chances for Madison in the 12’ and 17’, but was unable to capitalize. In the 23’, Zillman showed up for Rally Madison once again to deny a shot fired on target. Another opportunity showed up for the hosts in the 27’ after a corner kick found Christopher’s feet, but the defender was unable to convert. River Light had a look in the 29’, but Arthur interfered with a key tackle to keep out the danger. Minutes later, Zillman was called on once again with a near-post stop following a dangerous combination play by River Light. In the 39’, Madison handed the visitors a risky free kick opportunity just outside the box, but the Rally keeper responded with a vital block to keep the match level. Murray then nearly put Rally Madison ahead in the 43’, but the shot flew just over the bar. One minute into stoppage time, Hevey added one more promising scoring opportunity to cap a strong first-half performance. After an evenly contested first half, neither side was able to find the back of the net, leaving the score tied 0-0 at the break.
With 45’ left to fight, Rally Madison looked to find a breakthrough. But it was River Light that struck first. Gryzik gave the visitors the lead in the 47’, unleashing a shot to the lower right corner. The visitors doubled their advantage just minutes later in the 51’ when Roberts fired to make it two for River Light. Despite the deficit, Rally Madison continued to create chances. In the 53’, the hosts saw a spell of possession in the attacking third, culminating in a powerful Fernau strike to close the gap with a goal to the good. River Light quickly tallied another goal after a tussle in the box which earned Fink a penalty kick that Zillman was unable to stop. Zillman continued to tally several impressive saves to deny the visitors a greater advantage, including a phenomenal stop in the 66’. Rally Madison responded in the 69’ with another goal by Gordon. Zillman was called into action again in the 71’, leaving her line to prevent another dangerous chance for River Light. Madison continued to build off its momentum and apply high pressure against the visitors, but was unable to convert its chances. With gas still left in her tank, Zillman made another impressive save in the 84’ to deny a powerful strike by River Light right at the net. With a few minutes remaining in the match, Gryzik grabbed her second of the night off a golden cross to give the visitors a two goal advantage. In stoppage time, Rally Madison saw numerous chances, but River Light’s back line held firm. Despite a tremendous fight from the home side, the match ended with River Light up four goals to Rally’s two.
Rally Madison will return to Breese Stevens Field this Friday to take on Rochester FC. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM with a USA vs Paraguay watch party on the pitch to follow.
Goal Summary
0-1RVL, Gryzik (47’)
0-2 RVL, Roberts (51’)
1-2 MAD, Fernau (53’)
1-3 RVL, Fink (56’)
2-3 MAD, Gordon (69’)
2-4 RVL, Gryzik (87’)
Disciplinary Summary
(68’) RVL Gryzik — Yellow Card
(90+3’) RVL Fink — Yellow Card
Next Match
Next, Rally Madison FC will look to capitalize on its home-field advantage when it hosts Rochester FC on June 12th at Breese Stevens Field. Fans can support the Club by purchasing single-game tickets, season tickets, or shopping at the Rally Merch Store!
About Rally Madison FC: Rally Madison will begin play in May of 2026, featuring the top pre-professional players in the country. More information on the Club and USL W League can be found at www.rallymadisonfc.com.
