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MURRAY: He’s the Player Your Club Just Hates to Face

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 06/06/19, 11:07AM EDT

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Like Tyrpak against the Roughnecks, some matchups favor a particular player


With a hat trick against Tulsa on Saturday night, Austin Bold FC's Kris Tyrpak has now scored 10 goals in 10 games all-time against the Roughnecks. | Photo courtesy Lori Scholl / Tulsa Roughnecks FC

There’s an old Wikipedia joke that still pops up every now and again where after a big game, a player or coach is installed as the Owner of the opposition they just dominated once again.

So, on Saturday night if you’d gone to the Wikipedia page of Austin Bold FC’s Kris Tyrpak, it wouldn’t have been too far-fetched to see the Texan forward’s entry updated to reflect how remarkable he has been over his career against Tulsa Roughnecks FC.

Tyrpak’s second-half hat trick against the Roughnecks – which earned his side a 3-2 victory at ONEOK Field and him the Championship’s Player of the Week honors – continued the remarkable history the 27-year-old has had against Tulsa over the course of his career. Tyrpak has now scored 10 goals in 10 career games against the Roughnecks, a mark that gives him the second-most goals against an individual opponent in the Championship’s history and that accounts for more than one-third of the 29 goals Tyrpak has scored in the league overall.

No matter who Tyrpak has suited up for in the Western Conference since arriving in the league in 2015, he’s found the net multiple times for each club against the Roughnecks, including three times in four games for the Swope Park Rangers. Tyrpak has averaged a goal every 62.6 minutes he’s been on the field against Tulsa, making him the boogie man that the Roustabouts have nightmares about before each time their side faces him.

But as we mentioned previously, Tyrpak doesn’t top the list when it comes to dominating an opponent. That honor currently goes to Matt Fondy, who racked up 11 goals in nine games against the club now known as Penn FC during his time in the league, scoring at a rate of a goal every 41.6 minutes. That’s a goal for every half of live action. Woof.

You can see similar numbers from the league’s all-time scoring leaders as well. For Dane Kelly, his time with the Swope Park Rangers and Reno 1868 FC proved particularly profitable against Orange County SC, against which he scored seven goals in eight games at a rate of a goal every 89.7 minutes, his highest total against one club in his prolific history.

Jorge Herrera has shined brightest against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances at a rate of a goal every 112.9 minutes. For Chandler Hoffman, it’s been OKC Energy FC that bore the brunt of his success with seven goals in nine games at a rate of a goal every 101.29 minutes, while George Davis IV has both played the most games and scored the most goals in league history against the Charleston Battery with seven tallies in 26 appearances against the Low Country side.

Ownership can arrive in different forms, too. Current OKC Energy FC goalkeeper Cody Laurendi has posted six shutouts and 27 saves in 10 appearances against the Roughnecks to sit tied with former Penn FC goalkeeper Nick Noble for the most clean sheets against an individual opponent in the league’s history.

Sacramento Republic FC’s Josh Cohen, meanwhile, has always been a tough foe for Tacoma Defiance with four shutouts and 26 saves in seven contests all-time, and the Battery never looked forward to going up against 2018 USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year Maxime Crepeau – now of Vancouver Whitecaps FC – as the Canadian National Team member recorded four shutouts and 23 saves in his six appearances against Charleston over the years.


With six shutouts and 27 saves in 10 games all-time against Tulsa Roughnecks FC, current OKC Energy FC goalkeeper Cody Laurendi has been a thorn in the side of his Sooner State rivals. | Photo courtesy Steve Christy / OKC Energy FC

Tyrpak and Austin square off again with Tulsa at Bold Stadium on August 17, where the Pride of Dripping Springs, Texas will get the chance to dominate the Roughnecks once again.

If history is any predictor, it could certainly be a long night for the visitors.

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