AFC Ann Arbor

Principal
Full name AFC Ann Arbor
Nickname(s) The Mighty Oak
Founded 2014 (2014)
Stadium Skyline High School

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AFC Ann Arbor is an American soccer club based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded in 2014.

History

AFC Ann Arbor in action against San Marino Soccer in a 2015 friendly at Hollway Field

AFC Ann Arbor was started by a group of Ann Arbor residents with a desire to have a local team. The team had applied to the National Premier Soccer League for the 2015 season but its application was declined. Instead, AFC Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids FC, another team denied by the NPSL, decided to start a league of their own called the Great Lakes Premier League.[1] The new league held its inaugural meetings on January 17, 2015.

Starting with the 2016 season, AFC Ann Arbor played in the National Premier Soccer League as part of the Midwest Region[2] under manager Eric Rudland, formerly of Lansing United.[3] They finished in second place in the Great Lakes West Division in their first NPSL season, advancing to the national playoffs, but ultimately losing to AFC Cleveland on penalty kicks.

The 2017 season brought more success for AFC Ann Arbor as they won their first even Great Lakes Conference Championship and the inaugural Michigan Milk Cup in the process.[4] They again advanced to the NPSL national playoffs defeating the Dayton Dynamo in the second record (having received a bye in the first round) before falling to Detroit City FC 3−2 in extra time in the Midwest regional final.[5]

Stadium

Hollway Field, located at Pioneer High School, was AFCAA's home field for the first three seasons of the teams existence. The team then moved to Skyline High School for the 2018 season.[6]

2018 roster

[7] [8] [9] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
United States GK Nick Barry
United States GK Hunter Morse
United States GK Mike Novotny
France DF Matthieu Braem
Jamaica DF Sergio Campbell
England DF Jack Cawley
United States DF Sercan Cihan
Brazil DF Marlon Freitas
United States DF Hunter Gibbons
England DF Brandon Katona
Kenya DF Stanley Okumu
United States DF Jake Rosen
United States DF Justin Savona
Brazil DF Breno Stapcinskas
United States DF Stephen Turnbull
Trinidad and Tobago DF Martieon Watson
Brazil MF Leonardo Abonizio
No. Position Player
United States MF Zach Buescher
Brazil MF Caio
Norway MF Serge Gamwanya
United States MF Henry Ramirez
England MF Michael Shaikly
United States MF Baba Valdmanis
United States MF Kenny Vasquez
United States MF Marc Ybarra
United States FW Kyle Breitmeyer
Brazil FW Yuri Farkas
United States FW Azaad Liadi
United States FW Alec Lasinski
Canada FW Jordan Montoya
Kenya FW Chris Odhiambo
England FW JP Rylah
England FW Liam Travers

Notable Players

Head Coaches

  • United States David Hebestreit (2014-2015)
  • United States Eric Rudland (2015–present)

Year-by-year

Year Tier League Regular Season Playoffs U.S. Open Cup Average
Attendance
2015 5 GLPL 3rd of 5 (2-2-4) ―[A] Ineligible[B]
2016 4 NPSL 2nd of 7, Midwest-Great Lakes West (6-3-3) Regional semifinal Ineligible[B]
2017 4 NPSL 1st of 8, Midwest-Great Lakes (12-1-1) Regional Final First round
  1. ^ A No playoffs were held in the inaugural season of the Great Lakes Premier League.
  2. ^ B To enter the U.S. Open Cup, a team must have belonged to an affiliated league with at least 4 teams that played a schedule of at least 10 games.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "NPSL denies Ann Arbor semi-pro soccer club's application; owners plan to establish new league". MLive.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  2. ↑ "A year after being denied, AFC Ann Arbor joins National Premier Soccer League". MLive.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Former Lansing United coach Eric Rudland takes the helm at AFC Ann Arbor". MLive.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Ann Arbor Close Out Regular Season Undefeated at Hollway". AFC Ann Arbor. July 18, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Late Goal Lifts Detroit Past Ann Arbor in Midwest Region Championship". AFC Ann Arbor. July 30, 2017.
  6. ↑ "AFC Ann Arbor soccer team changing home venues in 2018". mlive.com. MLive Media Group. February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  7. ↑ "2017 Roster". AFC Ann Arbor. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Meet 'The Mighty Oak' - 2017 Roster". AFCAnnArbor.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  9. ↑ "2017 College Soccer Preview: The Mighty Oak Return To Campus". AFCAnnArbor.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Real Monarchs SLC Ink Defender Joseph Stanley Okumu". RSL.com. August 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ "How do you enter the 2016 US Open Cup?".


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