Union tops Harrisburg in friendly

BEHIND A CORPS of young talent, the Union scored five goals in a 30-minute span as it rallied to defeat its United Soccer Leagues minor league affiliate, the Harrisburg City Islanders, on the road last night, 5-3, at the Skyline Sports Complex.

The Islanders scored a pair within the first 20 minutes, but midfielder Justin Mapp opened the floodgates with a Union goal in the 48th minute. A minute later, Mapp provided the assist on the equalizer from former La Salle forward-turned-defender Ryan Richter. In the 60th minute, Zach Pfeffer, the club's 16-year-old homegrown midfielder, from Upper Dublin High, made the score 3-2. Mapp dished his second assist to midfielder Roger Torres in the 76th minute.

Joe Tait, a trialist acquired for this friendly, capped the scoring for the Union 2 minutes later when he headed home a Torres cross off a corner kick.

Tait, 21, is an English defender currently on the roster for Dayton in the USL Pro Division. It's unclear whether his presence last night could mean a call-up to a club short on defenders.

Harrisburg nabbed the final goal in the 85th after a Jose Angulo finished a nicely placed through ball from David Schofield.

The Union has 10 MLS matches before the playoffs, beginning with New England visiting PPL Park Sunday at 7 p.m. (Comcast SportsNet, Galavision).

- Kerith Gabriel