Staff report

Reno 1868 FC is again the leading the goal-scoring team in professional soccer in North America, after the team recorded six goals in a rout of Portland Timbers 2 Saturday night.

Playoff-bound Reno crushed Portland, 6-1, in front of 5,640 fans at Greater Nevada Field, giving the club 69 regular-season goals this year (a USL record).

Reno 1868 coach Ian Russell said it was a good win, especially after playing three games in a week.

“We just have a lot of players that can score goals on this team,” Russell said. “Whether it be our defenders, strikers or midfielders. So we just hope to continue scoring like this while also trying to avoid conceding goals.”

Reno forward Dane Kelly, who returned Saturday from a one-match suspension, reclaimed the top spot in the race for the United Soccer League’s Golden Boot. Kelly opened up scoring in the 10th minute to put Reno up 1-0, off an assist by defender Kip Colvey.

Three minutes later, Kelly notched his 18th goal this season (most in the USL) to put Reno up 2-0, off an assist by Chris Wehan. The assist was Wehan’s 11th this season, the most in the USL.

Kelly then found a sprinting Lindo Mfeka in the 32nd minute for Mfeka’s fourth goal in two matches.

Mfeka, who said the cold weather was not ideal, credited his teammates for his goal.

“It’s all my teammates. If you look at the goals and how they went in, most of the work they did was for me and I just tap it in. So I am just trying to look for it and get in the box,” Mfeka said. “It’s amazing. All these guys are professional players. They’ve been playing for a while. Learning from all of them is just great. I couldn’t ask for a better place.”



Reno entered halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead and the club didn’t take the foot off the gas pedal after halftime.

Forward Antoine Hoppenot recorded his 10th goal this season in the 49th minute to put Reno up 4-0, after an assist by Matt LaGrassa. Ten minutes later, Reno was up 5-0 after another Hoppenot goal, with the backheel assist from Mfeka.

Hoppenot became the second Reno player to score 10 or more goals this year.

Hoppenit said the team had a lot of chances Saturday night and was able to finish.

“I think we just got comfortable with one another,” Hoppenot said. “We understand what runs people are making and it makes it easier once you are on the same pages. We’ve been doing that all year and we’re just going to try to keep it going.”

Reno’s final goal of the night came from sub Mac Pridham who put Reno up 6-0 before Portland broke up the clean sheet in the 73rd minute on a goal by Max Ornstil.

Reno is within two points of first place in the USL’s Western Conference and remains in sole control of second place.

Reno will host Western Conference leaders Real Monarchs SLC at 6:45 p.m. Saturday at Greater Nevada Field in a showdown for first place.

The first 1,868 fans will receive a Bavarian hat courtesy of Wild 102.9 FM.