Timbers U-23s draw Kitsap 2-2 on the road

BREMERTON, Wash. – The Portland Timbers U-23s received goals from forwards Clark Phillips and Erik Hurtado as they played the Kitsap Pumas to a 2-2 draw in a matchup between the top two teams in the Premier Development League’s Northwest Division on Saturday night at Bremerton Memorial Stadium.

The Timbers U-23s twice took a lead in the match as Phillips scored 10 minutes into the contest and Hurtado found the back of the net early in the second half, but the Pumas answered back each time to earn a share of the points in the 2-2 draw. The two teams remain in a two-way tie for first place in the tightly-contested division.

With the draw against Kitsap, the Timbers U-23s (5-2-1, 16pts) wrapped up a stretch of three straight road matches and have reached the midway point of their 2012 regular season. The Timbers U-23s are unbeaten in their last three regular-season visits to Bremerton Memorial Stadium.

The Pumas (5-2-1, 16pts) rallied back on two occasions to extend their unbeaten streak to four games with the draw.

Phillips scored his second goal of the season, converting a 30-yard free kick by midfielder Cam Vickers by heading in a shot at the left post. The assist from Vickers was his league-leading sixth of the season. Hurtado, coming on as a second-half sub, tallied his first goal of the campaign shortly after halftime, finishing off a one-two play with forward Mark Sherrod.

The Timbers U-23s have an eight-day break until their next match, when they play host to North Sound SeaWolves FC on Sunday, June 17, at Sherwood High School in Sherwood, Ore., at 5 p.m. (Pacific).

Notes: The Timbers U-23s and Pumas have just a one-point lead in the division standings over Seattle Sounders FC U-23 in third … With the draw, Portland ended a string of back-to-back losses … The Timbers U-23s are unbeaten in their last three regular-season matches (1-0-2) at Kitsap … The Timbers U-23s finished their 2012 season series against the Pumas with a record of 1-0-1, and overall are 3-2-3 all-time against Kitsap … Portland defeated Kitsap 4-0 earlier this season on May 24 … Midfielders Ricardo Carrillo, Nick Hamer and John McFarlin all made their first starts of the season for the Timbers U-23s on Saturday … Timbers U-23s midfielder Eric Miller made a substitute appearance for the U.S. U-20 National Team in a friendly against Uruguay in South America on Friday.