Lionsbridge FC continues to delight the big crowds it consistently draws for home games.
The Lions advanced to the USL League Two Eastern Conference final — a national quarterfinal — for the second straight year with a 2-0 victory over Salem City FC of Greensboro, North Carolina, at Christopher Newport’s TowneBank Stadium on Sunday night.
Lionsbridge FC will host the next two rounds at CNU on Friday and Sunday.
Dom Foster opened the scoring just before halftime, netting a header in the 45th minute off a well-placed pass by Matthew Kirk.
Isaiah Chisolm, a Grafton High graduate who plays for Kentucky, virtually sealed the win with a goal in the 70th minute on a play that began with a corner kick. He had netted the winning goal Friday night against the Western Massachusetts Pioneers.
Lionsbridge will face Seacoast United of Epping, New Hampshire, at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Seacoast’s Phantoms, the Northeast Conference champions, defeated Vermont Green 3-0 for a spot in the national quarterfinals. This will be their first meeting against Lionsbridge.
The other two teams coming to Newport News, Asheville City SC and Corpus Christi FC, will play for the Southern Conference championship at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Like Lionsbridge, both of those squads won twice over the weekend. Asheville did so at home in western North Carolina, while Corpus Christi beat two foes in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Lions, last year’s national runners-up, have won six consecutive home playoff games dating back to 2022. They are unbeaten in their last 15 matches this season and haven’t been beaten since May 26.
Friday’s victors will return to TowneBank Stadium on Sunday for a national semifinal.
