D3 Pro League

Swinehart scores three, Johnson a pair; Charlotte atones, storms to crown with second-half rally 5-0 over New Jersey.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Saturday, September 9, 2000) -- The third time proved to be the charm for the Charlotte Eagles.

After two previous failures in the D3 Pro League’s championship game, the Eagles left no doubt about their intention to take home the hardware in 2000. Striker Dustin Swinehart found net three times within a 25-minute span in the second half to complement two tallies by Jeff Johnson, also after intermission, as Charlotte romped 5-0 over the New Jersey Stallions before a league record 5,350 fans at Providence High School tonight.

"We felt like better two than one and let’s get to three as quick as we can," Swinehart said. "We learned it’s never over and we didn’t want to get complacent."

It was the first shutout in D3 Pro League finals history’s The attendance bettered the record of 5,223 set in last year’s final at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Mass. The five goals was also a title-game record, eclipsing the Albuquerque Geckos mark set in a 4-1 triumph over the Eagles in 1997

"To play in front of 5,000 people screaming for you is awesome, especially when you’re getting chances and you feel like you’re losing some confidence," Swinehart said. "To have the crowd behind you is such a boost.

Johnson put Charlotte ahead 1-0 in the 53rd minute on a play started by Steve Mott, who chased a loose ball down at the end line He sent a cross that deflected off goalkeeper Keith Engelhardt into the center of the penalty area where the 25-year-old midfielder had little trouble finishing into the vacated net.

Mott, a reserve, also figured into Swinehart’s first goal seven minutes later. He headed a Mark Pinch corner kick at the far post back in front of the goal where Swinehart ran onto it and chested it into the net for a 2-0 advantage.

In the 77th minute, Swinehart made took a through ball from freshly-inserted Hugo Galeano, beat a pressuring Stallion defense and made it 3-0.

In the 84th minute, Rob Mouw dropped a ball back to the top of the box from where Swinehart completed his hat trick.

Swinehart was named the game’s "Most Valuable Player." "He may not be the most technical player in the world, but the kid’s got a heart twice the size of anyone else on the field," Charlotte coach Mark Steffens said. "He gets scoring opportunities that nobody else does because of his work rate."

After losing in the 1997 and ’98 finals, Charlotte was rudely dispatched from last year’s semifinals, losing a 2-1 lead in the final minutes of its semifinal against the South Jersey Barons, who eventually prevailed in a shootout.

"It’s in the back of your mind this might be the third time in five years, but we didn’t talk about it much because it can play with your mind," Steffens said."