The Swope Park Rangers (3-9-6, 15 points) secured their third victory of 2019 on Wednesday night, edging Hartford Athletic (3-13-4, 13 points) in a 4-3 thriller at Children’s Mercy Park.
Felipe Hernandez dispatched his team-leading eighth goal of the year, Kelyn Rowe bagged a quickfire brace in the first half and 17-year-old Tyler Freeman opened his professional scoring account as SPR held off a late Hartford rally in a USL Championship Eastern Conference barnburner played amidst scorching conditions.
Head coach Paulo Nagamura fielded a formidable Rangers lineup that included six players on loan from Sporting Kansas City, including MLS veterans Rowe, Erik Hurtado and Jimmy Medranda.