Charlotte, NC – Coastal Kings FC etched another milestone into their inaugural UPSL campaign on Saturday night, going on the road and upsetting Pro-Finish Management FC 3–1 to claim the first playoff victory in club history.

Entering the postseason as the No. 4 seed out of the Mid-Atlantic South, the Kings went toe-to-toe with the Mid-Atlantic North champions, who came into the playoffs on the back of an 8–1–1 regular season that saw them dominate their division. The result caps a remarkable three-game stretch in which Coastal Kings have defeated the No. 2 seed in the South, the No. 3 seed in the South, and now the No. 1 seed in the North in consecutive matches.

Fast Start in Charlotte

The Kings didn’t ease their way into their first-ever postseason match—they took control. Fifteen minutes in, Coastal struck first through Wilmar Gonzalez Aguinaga.
Drifting into space at the top of the box, Wilmar took a touch onto his left and unleashed a driven, low “sniper” of a shot that skipped past the outstretched hands of the 6'3" Pro-Finish goalkeeper and into the corner for a 1–0 lead.

The hosts, however, showed why they finished atop the Mid-Atlantic North. Ten minutes later, Pro-Finish Management FC found an equalizer, taking advantage of a rare lapse in the Kings’ defensive shape to level the match at 1–1.

The rest of the half was a tense, back-and-forth battle, with Coastal maintaining their composure, winning almost every 50/50 ball, and limiting PFM’s looks at goal. The sides went into the break deadlocked at 1–1, with everything still to play for.

Comber Pounces, Hargreaves Seals It

The second half belonged to the Kings.
Minutes into the 2nd half, Coastal earned a corner and sent numbers into the box. The initial service caused chaos; Pro-Finish mismanaged the clearance, and the ball pinballed through a crowd of bodies. In the scramble, forward Chris Comber did what he’s done all season—found a way to be first to the ball.

Comber muscled through traffic, stayed on his feet, and drove his finish through the congestion and into the back of the net to put the Kings ahead 2–1.

As the clock wore on, Coastal continued to apply pressure, and the decisive moment came on the right wing. Shannon Blake, who had been a constant problem for PFM all night, drove at his defender again, cutting inside before being brought down inside the 18. The referee pointed straight to the spot.
Up stepped Zack Hargreaves. Calm and composed, Hargreaves buried the penalty, sending the keeper one way and the ball the other to make it 3–1 and effectively seal Pro-Finish Management’s fate.

From there, the Kings managed the remaining minutes like a veteran side—defending together, clearing their lines when needed, and killing off the game to secure a historic road victory.

Another Historic Step for an Expansion Club

For a club that was awarded its UPSL Premier franchise earlier this year and only just secured its first playoff berth last week, adding a first postseason win to the story underscores how quickly the project in Savannah is growing on and off the field. From expansion side to giant-killer in a matter of months, Coastal Kings FC continue to show they belong among the region’s best.

Coach’s Note
Head Coach David Koebler reflected on the night with pride and perspective:

“I am proud of our boys tonight. We made the long trip up to Charlotte to play the No. 1 ranked team in the Mid-Atlantic North. They absolutely dominated their division this Fall. I have compassion for the disappointment they must be feeling. To have such a great season and to be heading home early in their minds is tough. I’ve been there. It’s heartbreaking, and I wish them future success in the spring.

That said, to quote a genius, ‘if you don’t know, now you know.’ Our players, our staff, this club—we are the business, and we have something to prove.

As a side note, how about the Mid-Atlantic South sweeping the Mid-Atlantic North yesterday? Kings over PFM, Charleston over NCFC, Soda City over AC Raleigh, and SCU Heat over Combine Academy. It just shows how stacked the South is. We might be one of the toughest divisions in the country. Pretty impressive.”

Next Up: Semi-Final Showdown With SCU Heat

The entire league now heads into a brief holiday break, with UPSL Mid-Atlantic playoff action resuming on December 6. For Coastal Kings FC, that means another trip north for a third meeting this season with perennial powerhouse SCU Heat in the Mid-Atlantic Division Semi-Finals.

Koebler knows the challenge that awaits:

“Yeah, it’s going to be another battle against them in a couple weeks. They’ve been around for over ten years and have a pedigree of talent and performance. Any time you get a chance to earn points off them, it’s a good day. We will continue to keep focus. One game at a time.”

One historic hurdle cleared, another one up next. The Kings march on.