hardwarezampogna.jpg

Jamiel Hardware, shown earlier this season, scored the Harrisburg City Islanders' second goal Saturday night in Richmond. Harrisburg eventually won the game 3-2, securing a berth in the USL PRO championship match next weekend in California.

(Daniel Zampogna, PennLive.com)

Bill Becher's Harrisburg City Islanders might be the eighth and lowest seed in the USL PRO playoffs, but that hardly matters right now.

Not after the City Islanders just knocked off yet another higher seed — on the road — and kept their postseason march moving forward.

Next stop? California.

Getting goals from Morgan Langley, Jamiel Hardware and Danny DiPrima — along with some clutch second-half saves from Nick Noble — the City Islanders defeated long-running nemesis Richmond by a 3-2 count Saturday night at City Stadium.

CLICK HERE FOR A BOXSCORE

"It was an intense game," Becher said. "It looked a little brighter when Danny scored, but they answered right away and made us sweat it out a bit.

"But we did what we needed to do and got the result."

Danny DiPrima's finish in the 76th minute gave the Harrisburg City Islanders a 3-1 and ultimately stood as the game-winning score in a 3-2 triumph. The City Islanders are headed to the USL PRO championship game.

All three regular-season contests, like Saturday's scrap, were decided by one goal.

The victory moves the City Islanders (14-12-7) into next weekend's USL PRO championship game against the winner of the Sacramento-Los Angeles Galaxy II match that started late Saturday night.

Either Sacramento or the Galaxy will host the USL PRO final.

"We going to the shippppppp," tweeted winger Jimmy McLaughlin.

"Big win by the boys tonight!" defender Neil Shaffer tweeted. "One more to go."

"Heading to the USL PRO finals!!!!!" tweeted winger Robbie Derschang, who sat out the match while serving a one-game red card suspension. "Amazing."

"What a team," right back Matt Bahner tweeted.

Morgan Langley played a role in all three sequences that resulted in goals for the Harrisburg City Islanders -- finishing, playing the ball that led to the ball that led to a score and facilitating -- as Bill Becher's club earned a spot in the USL PRO championship game with a 3-2 win at Richmond.

For the City Islanders, it will be their third journey to a championship match. Harrisburg captured the 2007 USL Second Division title — in Richmond — by surviving a dramatic penalty-kick shootout (8-7).

Harrisburg lost in the 2011 USL PRO final at Orlando, falling in penalty kicks 3-2 after tying the game late in regulation to force overtime.

"This is different than 2011, because I don't think anyone was surprised that we beat Los Angeles and Rochester [to get to the final]," said Becher, whose City Islanders ousted regular-season champ Orlando 1-0 just to reach the semis.

"But from the beginning [of the playoffs], no one expected us to beat Orlando or Richmond."

As for Saturday night's game, the City Islanders jumped in front in the 28th minute when Langley took control of a loose ball, skipped past several Richmond defenders and tucked a shot inside the left post from the right wing.

Richmond tied it in the 33rd when Yeisley, the former Penn State star and Lehigh Valley native, ran on to an outlet pass from Shay Spitz that put him behind the City Islanders defense. With Noble charging out, Yeisley touched the ball around the 29-year-old keeper and rolled it just inside the left post.

Becher's City Islanders took the lead for good just before the break, using some terrific ball movement between five or six players to put the ball just outside the six for a Hardware finish. Bahner assisted on the play.

Bill Becher's Harrisburg City Islanders downed Richmond 3-2 in the USL PRO semis Saturday night, earning a trip to the USL PRO championship game. It'll be the third championship game appearance for the City Islanders, who won in 2007 and lost in 2011.

Harrisburg added a needed insurance score in the 76th when Langley won a 50-50 ball near the right touch, then promptly cranked a diagonal ball that DiPrima claimed just outside the 18. One rip later, the City Islanders led 3-1.

"Morgan was huge," Becher said. "He came to play. I think he was a little disappointed that he didn't start last week [in Orlando], but man did he answer the ball tonight. He scored the first goal, he played the ball that put Bahner behind the defense and led to the second goal and he assisted on the third goal.

"It was a great effort from the whole team, but I thought Morgan did what he can do tonight — which is cause a lot of trouble."

Richmond did not give up, however, as the Kickers pulled one back in the 79th when the lanky Shanosky nodded in Spitz's service from the left wing.

Although Leigh Cowlishaw's club continued to press — the Kickers hit four posts during the tense 90-minute exercise — Richmond was unable to locate an equalizer. A key clearance in the 89th by City Islanders defender Richie Marquez helped preserve the one-goal lead and the journey to the USL PRO final.

NOTES — Noble finished with five saves, four more than Richmond's Ryan Taylor. ... The City Islanders won both season series against Sacramento and the Galaxy II by 1-0 counts. ... Former City Islanders defender Stephen Basso, who signed with Richmond just prior to the league's roster freeze, came on the 59th minute for Luke Vercollone. ... Shanosky played two games for the City Islanders in 2011 on loan from Major League Soccer's D.C. United.... Another former City Islander, Tishan Hanley, was among the reserves Richmond did not use.

BULLOCK ON TWITTER: @thebullp_n