He’s still only a few years removed from playing at Eastern Connecticut State, but over the weekend, East Hartford’s Patrick Agyemang reached another milestone along his meteoric rise: MLS goal scorer.
The 22-year-old rookie scored his first goal in dramatic fashion in Charlotte FC‘s draw with the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night, leaping in the air to get his 6-4 frame on a fantastic cross from Nathan Byrne and expertly directing it to the corner of the net.
The header tied the game at 3-3 in the 89th minute, ensuring an important point for Charlotte, which sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, just one spot out of the playoffs with about half the season to go.
“Feels good,” Agyemang told reporters after the game. “I always had dreams of scoring in MLS, and especially in (Bank of America Stadium).
“Like when I first got there, that was one of my first dreams, just scoring in the Bank in front of the crowd. I’m just blessed to do so. It was just something I really wanted to do and I’m grateful to achieve it.”
“At first I was just very excited and celebrated but then was like let’s go again, let’s get another one because I want to keep scoring. As a striker you want to keep scoring. Unlucky we couldn’t do it again but I’m just grateful to help the team get a point,” he said.
Agyemang, the 12th pick in the MLS Superdraft last December, has made four appearances this season for Charlotte FC, earning one start.
The former East Hartford High School star has had an incredible rise since stepping on the Eastern Connecticut State campus as a freshman in 2018. Agyemang played his way from the Division III school to the University of Rhode Island, where he became a candidate for national player of the year in Division I.
Local fans will have a chance to see him in Charlotte FC’s next game, as the club travels to the New York Red Bulls on June 21.
