MADISON, Wisc. – Taylor Calheira recorded a goal and assist while Owen Damm and Kalil ElMedkhar also found the net as FC Tulsa advanced to the Third Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-1 victory against Forward Madison FC on USL League One at Breese Stevens Field on Wednesday night.

Tulsa needed a trio of big saves early in the contest by goalkeeper Bryan Dowd to keep the game scoreless as the shot-stopper denied Madison’s Garrett McLaughlin in the seventh minute and made a double-save to keep out Juan Galindrez two minutes later. The visitors thought they had broken the deadlock in the 19th minute only for the offside flag to be raised, but two minutes later the breakthrough arrived as a well-worked move sent Calheira into space on the left, where he cut back a cross that found Damm cutting into the center of the penalty area to finish.

The Scissortails struck again in the 31st minute as another incisive move saw Stefan Lukic slip ElMedkhar between a pair of defenders before he put home a smooth finish into the left side of the net, giving the side a two-goal lead at the break.

Tulsa added a third from the spot as Calheira scored his second goal in as many games in the tournament after he was brought down by Madison goalkeeper Owen Finnerty in the right side of the penalty area in the 51st minute. Madison pulled a goal back through Nazeem Bartman midway through the second half as he scored from close range off a free kick, but Tulsa saw out the remainder of the game despite Boubacar Diallo being sent off late for a second bookable offense.

LOUDOUN UNITED FC 4, VIRGINIA DREAM 2: Zach Ryan scored a pair of late goals as Loudoun United withstood the challenge of amateur side Virginia Dream at Segra Field after Riley Bidois and Ben Mines had also found the net for the hosts either side of halftime.

Loudoun almost gave away an early goal via a defensive error in the fourth minute, with the Dream unable to capitalize, but as the half went on the hosts began to take more control of the game in the attacking half. Riley Bidois went close in the 21st minute only the miss the target, while Florian Valot had an ambitious effort six minutes late to chip the goalkeeper from distance go just wide. Bidois broke the deadlock three minutes before halftime, however, as he put home a flicked near-post header off Pedro Santos’ delivery to put United ahead.

Virginia hit back five minutes into the second half when Aspurah Slavov capitalized on a missed clearance by the hosts and set up Mike Akinkoye to shoot home first time, but Ben Mines restored Loudoun’s lead just before the hour-mark as his first touch on a through-ball by Aaron Hurge carried him past the defense, allowing him to slide a finish low past the goalkeeper. Loudoun added a third with 13 minutes to go when Ryan scored from close range after a good move down the right side opened up the Dream defense, but the visitors pulled within a goal with four minutes to go when Nicolas Likulia found the net. Ryan put paid to any comeback hopes in the second minute of stoppage time, though, as he tapped home after a good move by Abdellatif Aboukoura and Mines set up a simple finish.

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC 3, VENTURA COUNTY FC 0: Tony Alfaro recorded a goal and assist before being sent off midway through the second half as El Paso Locomotive FC continued its best run in the Open Cup in club history with victory against Ventura County FC of MLS NEXT Pro at the Dignity Health Sports Park Track and Field Stadium.

Locomotive made a positive start to the contest overall, but used their strength at set pieces to break the deadlock in the 17th minute when a corner kick from the right was flicked on at the near post by Alfaro before Daniel Carter chested the ball home at the back post from close to the goal line.

Alfaro added a goal of his own 12 minutes later off another corner kick, having his initial header saved only to remain in the play and roof home a finish from close range at the second attempt. Ventura County was then reduced to 10 players nine minutes before the halftime break as Jason Bucknor was sent off for his second caution of the contest.

El Paso almost added to its lead inside the opening minute of the second half when a deft cross from the left by Ricky Ruiz found Robert Coronado for a volleyed finish that went just wide of the left post. Alfaro wrapped up his night in the 64th minute, dismissed after receiving his second yellow card of the night, but Ventura County was unable to take advantage as it returned to 10v10 action and with nine minutes to go Locomotive wrapped up the result when Andy Cabrera tapped home from close range off a low cross by Beto Avila.

PORTLAND HEARTS OF PINE 1 (4), HARTFORD ATHLETIC 1 (2): Jake Keegan scored a late equalizer in extra time before Evan Southern scored the decisive goal in a penalty shootout to lead USL League One club Portland Hearts of Pine to victory against Hartford Athletic at the Frankin Athletic Complex.

Both teams created good opportunities in regulation, with Portland’s Azaad Liadi being denied on a low shot to the left corner by Hartford goalkeeper Antony Siaha after a counterattack in the 10th minute for the hosts and then heading over midway through the half after a clever piece of play by Nathan Messer to set up the chance.

Hartford went closest to taking the lead in regulation in the opening minute of the second half when Kyle Edwards headed over from a corner kick from inside the six-yard area. As the game went to extra time scoreless, however, the visitors struck as Jordan Scarlett headed home in the 107th minute off a corner by Emmanuel Samadia.

Hearts of Pine were then reduced to 10 players when Liadi was sent off after receiving his second yellow card, but shortly after coming on as a substitute, Keegan breathed new life into the hosts with a brilliant lobbed finish from the top-right edge of the penalty area as he beat Siaha to a lifted ball over the top in the 116th minute.

The game then went to a shootout, where after the sides exchanged goals in the opening two rounds, Hartford’s Sebastian Anderson had his low shot to the bottom-right corner saved by Portland goalkeeper Hunter Morse. Messer then converted for Portland to give his side the advantage, and after Michee Ngalina shot over the crossbar to open the fourth round, Southern closed out the shootout to send a packed house home happy.