MATTHEWS, N.C. – A late strike from Lewis Hilton cancelled out an early goal from Jamar Dixon, as the Charlotte Independence and Ottawa Fury FC settled for a 1-1 draw at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Saturday evening. The Independence looked strong in the first half, but Fury FC opened the scoring in the 11th minute, when Jonathan Barden’s cross from the right wing was headed past Charlotte goalkeeper Cody Mizell by Dixon. After the goal, Charlotte shifted gear and looked even better, and in the 89th minute, the home side finally found an equalizer. Austin Yearwood played the ball to Hilton, who hit a left-footed strike past Ottawa goalkeeper Callum Irving. With the result, the Independence move to 13-5-9, while Ottawa is now 7-9-11 this campaign.

Scoring:
11’ – OTT – Jamar Dixon (Jonathan Barden)
89’ – CLT – Lewis Hilton (Austin Yearwood)

• #CLTvOTT: Full match and Opta box score

Three Things That Matter:

• 1. Charlotte had an opportunity to clinch a spot in the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs this weekend, based on its performance and other results across the league, but the team will have to wait a little longer to celebrate after tying Ottawa on Saturday. Five games now remain on the Independence’s regular-season schedule, and all five will pose a challenge for the club, as the Tampa Bay Rowdies, FC Cincinnati Louisville City FC and the Charleston Battery – who Charlotte plays twice in the next month – are all fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
   
• 2. The Independence have beaten many teams this season, and they will likely finish among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but Fury FC proved to be a tough challenge for Charlotte this season. The Independence created more chances, especially in the first half of play, and held a majority of the possession throughout the match, but Ottawa created multiple opportunities of its own and could have won the game in stoppage time. The two sides won’t meet again during the regular season, which means Charlotte will have to wait a while for its first victory against the Canadian club.
   
• 3. With the result, Ottawa continues its quest for a spot in the USL Cup Playoffs. The club is currently just below the red line, which means it is still in the race. However, while the point against Charlotte is impressive, Fury FC is now on a seven-game winless streak heading into its final five games of the regular season.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Lewis Hilton, Charlotte Independence – Hilton scored the game-tying goal for the Independence and also completed 88.2 percent of his passes on Saturday.

Upcoming Games:
Charlotte Independence at Charleston Battery – Sept. 20, 7 p.m. ET, MUSC Health Stadium
Ottawa Fury vs. Louisville City FC – Sept. 24, 2 p.m. ET, TD Place Stadium