AFC ANN ARBOR CLINCH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 2-1 WIN

AFC Ann Arbor came from behind to win 2-1 over Grand Rapids FC Friday night, securing the clubs first ever NPSL Great Lakes Championship.

The match started quickly as Grand Rapids FC took a 1-0 lead 61 seconds after play began.  

After the goal, Ann Arbor sat in and controlled possession for the majority of the first half. 

The Mighty Oak came close to an equalizer several times, but were unable to right the ship in the first 45. Efforts from Alec Lasinski and Sam Zisette came closest, but the sides went into the break with Grand Rapids holding a 1-0 lead. 

The Mighty Oak didn't make any changes at the half but came out looking like a completely different side. 

Two goals in a space of two minutes saw an incredible turnaround from AFC. 

The first goal came from a set piece in the 54th minute. James Vaughan curled a ball into the box and Ben Thornton climbed well at the back post to slam home a header and level the match. 

In the blink of an eye, AFC took the lead. It was Yuri Farkas cooly tucking home a low cross to give The Mighty Oak a 2-1 advantage. 

With just over a half hour to play, Ann Arbor brought on several substitutes to see the match out. 

Substitutes Jesse Muskwe and Jep Allen linked up well down the left, looking to hit Grand Rapids on the counter attack. 

Grand Rapids weren't going down without a fight, though. In the 80th minute, a Grand Rapids effort smashed into the post but stayed out. 

The Mighty Oak held firm and stuck to the game plan. With the 4 minutes of added time played, the referee blew the whistle and the celebrations began.

The result earned the first NPSL Conference Championship in AFC Ann Arbor's history in addition to securing the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region Playoffs. The top seed has a bye in the first round of regional action next weekend. Coach Eric Rudland was delighted, but wanted to maintain the focus on the playoff push. The Mighty Oak will play on July 28th in the Midwest Regional Semifinal (location and opponent TBD). 

"It's an exhilarating feeling to win the league, but we've said all year this was our goal." He said. "But we don't want to be happy with [just] this. We want to make a push in the playoffs." 

With one final regular season game left to play, The Mighty Oak will return to Hollway Field on Monday July 17th to take on the Michigan Stars - and they will return as Conference Champions! 

Michigan Cyber Range Match Day Preview: AFC Ann Arbor at Grand Rapids FC

The Mighty Oak are playing the second of three matches in six days, as they travel to Grand Rapids FC Friday evening for the last road contest of the 2017 regular season.

Ann Arbor has already clinched one of two Great Lakes Division playoff spots and need just one point to secure the Great Lakes Championship. The remaining point needed to secure the top spot not only means the club’s first regular season title but will also lock up the one seed which comes with a bye to the Regional Final Four (Sweet 16 nationally).

AFC enters Friday with a seven game unbeaten streak dating back to the only loss of the season back on May 26, 2017 at Lansing United. In the seven match stretch, Ann Arbor has seen 21 goals from 9 different scorers. The defensive effort, led by goalkeeper TJ Tomasso, has been equally impressive as AFC’s offensive attack, allowing only 8 goals in 12 matches on the season. The combination of strong offensive and defensive efforts has led to The Mighty Oak having the largest goal difference in the entire Midwest Region (next best is 17 from Duluth FC in the NPSL North).

Even though the men have momentum, they’ll have a tough challenge Friday evening as Grand Rapids FC have picked up 13 points in the last 6 matches (4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss). The Mighty Oak will enter a hostile environment in Houseman Field, a place where Ann Arbor has has come up empty handed on points in two attempts (2015 GLPL match, 2016 NPSL match). But Coach Rudland doesn’t seem to be worried as the team has trained hard and prepared appropriately as they have all season long.

“We’re not concerned about what’s been done or not done in previous seasons. We’ve prepared for this match just as every other match this season and our form on the road has been good. Our recent reports on Grand Rapids have helped us comprise useful information for our game plan and we are looking forward to the match,” said Coach Rudland.

Keep up with play-by-play updates on Twitter or watch online here.

Ann Arbor Downs Detroit 3-1 Reclaiming First Place

A brace from James Vaughan helped Ann Arbor earn a 3-1 road victory over Detroit City FC

At the second attempt, AFC Ann Arbor came to Hamtramck Tuesday to take on Detroit City FC in NPSL play. 

The match was originally scheduled for Friday July 7th, but due to extreme weather leaving the field in unplayable condition, the match had to be abandoned with just 5 minutes gone on the clock. 

Although the match was delayed, the implications remained high as the top two sides in the divisions looked to battle for position atop the Great Lakes table. 

The first half resumed in the 5th minute Tuesday, and from the off Ann Arbor were on the attack, going close through Kyle Breitmeyer. 

However it was Detroit who made the most of their chances, scoring on the stroke of half time to take a 1-0 lead into the break. 

Going down seemed to wake Ann Arbor up offensively. First it was Yuri Farkas cutting inside on the right, but his effort hit the post and stayed out. 

In the 57th minute, AFC found a lifeline. With a free kick from 25 yards out, James Vaughan stepped up and curled a beautiful free kick into the bottom corner to level the match at 1-1. 

Just 7 minutes later it was Audi of Ann Arbor Man of the Match Alec Lasinski's turn. The former DCFC striker latched onto a loose ball in the box to give his home town side the lead against his former club, 2-1. 

With 25 minutes to play, The Mighty Oak sat in deep to defend, looking to put the game out of reach on the counter attack. 

In the 90th minute, substitute Kwesi Allen did just that. "Jep" slid in behind the defense and rounded the keeper before being dragged down in the box, earning a late penalty for The Mighty Oak. 

Again it was Vaughan who stepped up to take the spot kick. As cool as you like, Vaughan nestled the ball in the back of the net to secure a critical 3 points away from home. 

After a hard fought road victory, Coach Rudland lauded the mentality in the side, especially in the second half.

"That was a big part of our half time talk was 'Hey, mentally we've got to stay with one another here." He said. "We've got to stay together and we'll work through this."

Speaking to the tactical adjustments, Coach Rudland felt that the substitutes helped shift the momentum for Ann Arbor, singling out the Man of the Match Performance by Alec Lasinski.

"When we brought Alec on, which we knew we wanted as our first change in the second half, he was fantastic." 

The result sees AFC Ann Arbor return to the top of the NPSL Great Lakes Division Table with 31 points from 12 league matches. 

AFC Ann Arbor play the final away match of the regular season as they take on Grand Rapids FC, Friday night at 7:30, before heading back to Hollway Field on Monday for the final home match of the regular season versus Michigan Stars. 

Ann Arbor Clinches 2017 Playoff Berth

Association Football Club Ann Arbor clinched a 2017 postseason berth after a Lansing United loss Friday evening mathematically confirmed Ann Arbor could not finish below second in the Great Lakes Conference. 

Ann Arbor is only in its second year in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a team comprised of 96 teams nationally, and have qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in arguably one of the toughest regions in the country.

The clubs success has been driven by Head Coach and Sporting Director, Eric Rudland, who is thrilled with his team’s efforts so far but said there is plenty of work left to be done.

He added, “Every season we want to be in the hunt to qualify for the playoffs, for me that is this sign of a competitive club. So to advance to the playoffs for our second year in a row is a tremendous step for the culture of our club. A lot of the credit goes to our owners, who all want to see the club succeed. They have devoted their time and finances which has positioned the club to have success on the field. Finally, you have to have the horses to run the race. In our case the the players we have are not only talented, they have molded well into a collective unit and are hungry to win.”

Last year’s team earned a 6-3-3 and record in the Great Lakes and secured their postseason fate on the last match of the regular season. This summer, the men have locked up one of two playoff spots with three matches remaining and have only dropped one contest all season long. Rudland is thrilled with the production and work rate of his team but The Mighty Oak remain focused on securing the number one spot in the conference.

Rudland said, “It's a big accomplishment. We all know that our conference of the NPSL is arguably the most competitive in the nation, so to qualify for the playoffs with 3 matches still remaining speaks volumes for our organization and our players. With that said, we still have 3 very important regular season matches on the table and want to finish our league play in good form and push to finish 1st in the conference.”

When asked if the large number of returning players from last years team have unfinished business, Rudland replied, “For sure. All of the returning players have a chip on their shoulder. The way we went out of the play offs last year was devastating. We all feel a sense of producing in the playoffs and proving that we are worthy of playing on a national stage.”

Click here for more information on the NPSL Playoffs. 

AFC Ann Arbor travels to Hamtramck Tuesday evening to play Detroit City FC at 7:30PM in a match that was rescheduled due to unplayable field conditions at Keyworth Stadium caused my severe thunderstorms Friday evening, July 7th.

Michigan Cyber Range Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor at Detroit City FC

The Mighty Oak enter the home stretch of the 2017 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) regular season atop the Great Lakes Division table with just 3 matches remaining. For the second consecutive week, Ann Arbor finds itself ranked 2nd in the NPSL power rankings.

AFC will travel to Hamtramck to take on the NPSL’s 7th ranked team in the nation, Detroit City FC who have won eight straight league matches climbing their way to within two points of Ann Arbor.

Friday’s match marks only the 4th time the club’s have met, the first of which was Ann Arbor’s only trip to Keyworth which resulted in a 1-1 draw. Each club took 3 points in the next two matches respectively, bringing the series to an even 1-1-1 record for each club.

Although AFC has been atop the table for the majority of the 2017 campaign, Coach Rudland’s group still feel like they have something to prove.

“The most important thing is that our players are really hungry at the moment to prove what they can do. So I expect our group to be up for the match this Friday,” added Rudland.

Ann Arbor has shown depth across the pitch allowing different guys to step up and make an impact throughout 11 matches. In the last 6 matches, 9 different players have scored 18 goals for The Mighty Oak.

In addition to the multiple offensive threats, AFC Ann Arbor has earned 6 clean sheets in 11 matches. Outside of mainstay TJ Tomasso (GK) who has been brilliant the entire season, the backline has seen 8 players contribute significant minutes to hold opponents to only 7 goals so far (5 less than the next team at 12).

“Just as we have had a few different goal scorers we have had a healthy rotation of players in the back for us down the stretch. I think the mentality of the backline has been fantastic. They are all warriors who really want to sacrifice and make plays for the team, whether that means starting, coming on as a sub or pushing other players in training. We are not perfect by any means but the men at the back for us all have a hunger to compete,” said Rudland.

He added, “TJ has been everything that people told me he would be for our club. He's a veteran with a blue collar mentality. He's the first guy in training and usually the last guy to leave. He has earned the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff, not only for his performances in critical moments, but also by the way he goes about his daily business.”

Tickets for Friday’s match at Detroit City FC can be purchased here or watch the game by following this link.

AFC Take Revenge on Home Soil, Beat Lansing United 1-0

Kaleb Jackson scored the lone goal in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Lansing United

AFC Ann Arbor secured an important three points at Hollway Field Saturday night, defeating Lansing United 1-0. 

There weren’t many clear opportunities for either side to take advantage of early on.

Audi of Ann Arbor Man of the Match TJ Tomasso was the star of the first half, making several terrific saves to keep it scoreless.

On the stroke of half time, Kaleb Jackson gave The Mighty Oak the lead after Alec Lasinski’s effort was parried into his path.

His volley was the last action of the half and AFC took a 1-0 advantage into the break.

KJ's goal changed proceedings. Lansing had to put their foot on the gas offensively, which left space in behind for The Mighty Oak to exploit.

Speaking with Coach Eric Rudland, he felt Ann Arbor were prepared for the tactical challenge Lansing presented.

“We were prepared for Lansing to play in a couple different systems. They played in a system that we were prepared for.” He said. “We actually wanted to sit a little bit deeper and invite them to come out and play and hopefully open up space to get in behind and find ways to get the goal.”

Tendai Jirira and Yuri Farkas linked up well on the left hand side but neither were able to put the game out of reach.

Late substitute Kwesi Allen came close deep in stoppage time as his effort beat the keeper but grazed the outside of the far post and stayed out.

The Mighty Oak held on and secured a crucial three points to remain on top of the NPSL Great Lakes Western Conference.

The result puts Ann Arbor 2 points clear at the top with 28 points from 11 matches.

The Mighty Oak will hit the road Friday as they prepare to take on Detroit City FC at 7:30 pm.

Michigan Cyber Range Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Lansing United

The Mighty Oak enter Saturday’s contest as the #2 team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). AFC Ann Arbor look to avenge their only loss of the season when they host Lansing United at Hollway Field (Pioneer High School) at 7PM.

Coach Rudland, who coached Lansing United from 2014-15, and his team are preparing for Saturday’s match just like any other contest, but with more familiarity of their opponent than earlier in the season.  

He added, “Our first match vs Lansing was defined by conceding early, and even though we had a flurry of chances in the second half we came up short. Each match is always different so we are preparing for them based on our updated reports and taking into consideration our personnel, form and the fact that we will be at home.”

While Lansing has dropped their last two matches (to Kalamazoo FC and Grand Rapids FC), Ann Arbor enters Saturday’s match undefeated at home in 2017 while holding their position at the top of the table all season long. Visiting Lansing United are still in post-season contention entering Saturday’s Match as the 3rd place side in the conference.

AFC continue to show immense depth both offensively and defensively, which allows them to rotate players without impeding the chemistry of the team. Since the May 26th away match at Lansing United, Ann Arbor has registered 17 goals from 9 different players. Jesse Muskwe, Kyle Breitmeyer, Yuri Farkas, Alec Lasinski, Kaleb Jackson, Jimmy Fiscus, Hector Morales, James Vaughan and Amadou Cisse.

Defensively, Ann Arbor will see Sam Zisette, Ben Thornton and Matthieu Braem all returning to the line-up after minor injuries. The return of these key defenders accompanied by the exceptional goalkeeping of TJ Tomasso adds even more depth to a backline that has tallied five clean sheets in just ten matches.

"The message to the men is plain and simple, day in and day out we must get better. Our training mentality has been leaps and bounds above where it was last year and I think the men all feel a hunger to keep pushing forward as a group. We have to approach each match like we are playing against the top team in the league and continue approach each match one at a time," said Rudland. 

Gates open at 6PM for the 7PM kick, and tickets are available to purchase at a discounted rate online until 2PM Saturday. Tickets will also be available at the gate Saturday ($10 adult/$6 youth/ Kids 1, 2 and 3 are free). Click here to purchase tickets.

Getting to the match

Due to construction, southbound South Main Street will be closed at Pauline Boulevard. Follow detour signs and enter Pioneer HS parking lot via back entrance off of Seventh St. Northbound travelers on Main Street can still use the main entrance and using this entrance is highly encouraged if possible.

Top 10 Reasons to Attend Saturday's AFC Ann Arbor Match

1. The Mighty Oak are undefeated at home in 2017

2. Soccer Plus Kids Zone + Post Match Autographs

The Soccer Plus Kids Zone offers kids a chance to test their skills and have some fun and opens when gates do at 6PM. Stick around after the match to meet the team and get autographs from your favorite players. 

3. Nationally ranked #2 out of 96 NPSL teams

4. Giveaways

We've got giveaways from our amazing sponsors including Big George's, Revel N Roll and Clean Planet Foods! 

5. Meet Nutmeg the Squirrel

6. AFC looks to avenge the only loss of the season

7. Coach Rudland faces his former club at home for only the second time

Last year's meeting in Ann Arbor was one of the most memorable matches in club history. After going down 2-0, The Mighty Oak switched gears and score 3 goals in the final 11 minutes to comeback and defeat Lansing United. Since then, the rivalry between the clubs has taken on a whole new meaning. 

8. Food Trucks

 

9. Last weekend match of 2017

 

10. Michigan Milk Cup Implications

Ann Arbor has 4 matches left in the regular season, 3 of which count towards the Michigan Milk Cup. AFC is currently in first place in the race for the inaugural Michigan Milk Cup and a win over Lansing United would put them one step closer to winning the cup. 

First Place AFC Ann Arbor Cruise to 5-0 Victory Over Indiana

Yuri Farkas had two assists and a goal Saturday to earn him Audi Ann Arbor Man of the Match

AFC Ann Arbor hosted FC Indiana for the first time in club history Saturday evening. The 5-0 victory saw five different goal scorers, which was enough to tie to club records.

After both teams settled in, Ann Arbor wasted no time finding opportunities to strike first. In the 8’, 9’ and 10’ quality chances came for The Mighty Oak who were unable to convert in the early minutes of the match. In the 12’ Jesse Muskwe was able to convert AFC's 4th opportunity in just a few minutes.

Ann Arbor continued to pressure Indiana after the first goal as left back Tendai Jiraira and forward Alec Lasinski linked up for some great combinations which lead to even more opportunities on net.

From there, Farkas began penetrating deeper into the attacking third, laying off multiple balls to teammates that were goal scoring chances. In the 26’ he found Kyle Breitmeyer streaking up the right side, played a perfect ball which Breitmeyer calmly collected with his chest and played the next touch with his feet to the back of the net making it 2-0 AFC Ann Arbor which held until half.

Ann Arbor showed no complacency and began the second half bringing even more pressure than in the first. Goals from Alec Lasinski (49’) and Farkas (51’) opened up a 4-0 nothing lead just minutes into the second half.

The final goal came from Amadou Cisse (65’) making it 5-0 Ann Arbor with goals coming from 5 different players. The victory matches a club record set earlier this month against Michigan Stars FC for largest margin of victory and most goals in a game. This match however was played at Hollway (the Stars was an away match) which marks two new home records for AFC.

Defensively, the back line was solid and consistent throughout the match. TJ Tomasso was unphased by the few quality shot attempts by FC Indiana and had a lot of help from his supporting cast of David Cross, Jimmy Fiscus, Jake Rufe and Jiraira.

AFC Ann Arbor returns to action Saturday July 1st as they look to avenge their only loss of the season when they host Lansing United at 7PM. The Mighty Oak are unbeaten at home in 2017 and have only two remaining matches at Hollway Field (July 1, July 17).

Michigan Cyber Range Match Day Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs FC Indiana - Saturday, June 24th at 7PM

In the midst of a three game home stand, FC Indiana will travel to Ann Arbor for the first time, just two weeks removed from the two clubs first meeting in Lafayette, IN. Gates open at 6PM for the 7PM kickoff at Pioneer High School's Hollway Field, Saturday, June 24th. 

The Mighty Oak were able take 3 points on the road in the June 9th contest, led by a strong all-around team performance in the first half which featured Ann Arbor up 4-0 at the break. FC Indiana fought back earning two second half goals but fell short of completing the comeback as the deficit was too large to overcome.

Ann Arbor will look to add to its narrow cushion at the top of the table with just five matches remaining on the season. The traveling Great Lakes Conference side, FC Indiana, will be looking for revenge Saturday evening. Aware of the challenge, Coach Rudland and his team will be ready for the contest.

“We’re looking forward to being at home again tomorrow. We know that despite Indiana’s place in the table they have a lot of quality in their team and gave us a good game when we traveled to their home field two weeks ago. Our men have to approach every game from here on out with respect for the opponent and desire to get three points,” said Rudland.

Tickets for tomorrow’s 7PM kick will be available to purchase online until 2PM on Saturday and then at the gate beginning at 6PM.  

Getting to the match

Due to construction, southbound South Main Street will be closed at Pauline Boulevard. Follow detour signs and enter Pioneer HS parking lot via back entrance off of Seventh St. Northbound travelers on Main Street can still use the main entrance and using this entrance is highly encouraged if possible.

Also note the Ann Arbor Jaycee’s Summer Carnival will be going on be sure to stop by and check out some rides before or after the match.  

Match promotions

St. Joe’s Night- First 250 fans get a free seat cushion

Win ICC tickets to watch the match with AFC at Comerica Park

Big George’s Gift Card Giveaway

Saline FC Volunteer Appreciation Night

St. Joe’s Night Set for June 24th

As the Official Wellness Partner of AFC Ann Arbor, Saint Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor and The Mighty Oak have teamed up for St. Joe’s Night set to take place on Saturday, June 24th, when Ann Arbor hosts FC Indiana at 7PM.

St. Joe’s will provide free stadium seat cushions to the first 250 fans (gates open at 6pm) in addition to offering discounted tickets to all Saint Joseph Mercy Health System associates.

MOVE Wellness and Probility Physical Therapy will also be on-site that evening. MOVE will have equipment available for fans to test out and learn first hand the benefits of Pilates and gyrotonics. Probility Physical Therapy, who provides AFC Ann Arbor players with injury prevention and treatment, will also be offering free injury assessments to fans.

Leading up to St. Joe’s Night on the 24th, the hospital will also be sponsoring the St. Joe’s Adult Soccer Clinic at Scicluna Field at Eastern Michigan University. Registration is free and the event is open to the public for adults of all ages and ranges wanting to learn, or fine tune their soccer skills and knowledge. Register for free here.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Associate Football Club (AFC) Ann Arbor sprung roots in the summer of 2015 competing in the Great Lakes Premier League. In 2016, The Mighty Oak as they’re also known, bumped up to the National Premier Soccer League to compete at an even higher level joining the likes of Lansing United and Detroit City FC. In their inaugural season in the NPSL, Ann Arbor was one of sixteen teams (out of 96) to qualify for the playoffs. After a successful inaugural campaign in the NPSL, The Mighty Oak have been in 1st place all season long in the Great Lakes Conference.

Ann Arbor Remains Unbeaten At Home With Late Equalizer

AFC Ann Arbor went down early on, but regrouped in the second half and secured a late point at home after Audi of Ann Arbor Man of the Match James Vaughan converted his spot kick deep into stoppage time.

It was a physical match from the start. Both sides were looking to assert their dominance, but after just 7 minutes Milwaukee converted from a corner kick to take a 1-0 lead.

The goal shifted the match tactically. Milwaukee looked content to get men behind the ball and keep possession for much of the match. This left opportunities to counter attack and The Mighty Oak worked hard to try and take advantage.

Despite the effort, and several gilt-edged chances, the sides went in to half time with Milwaukee leading 1-0. 

Ann Arbor began the second half aggressively, pressuring the ball and looking to find ways in behind the Milwaukee defense.

The physicality only increased as the game wore on, and both sides saw several players issued yellow cards for the efforts.

In the 74th minute, the match looked to be turning Ann Arbor’s way, as Alec Lasinski earned a penalty kick. Yuri Farkas stepped up, and hit the ball with a lot of pace, but was unlucky to see his effort ricochet off the post and stay out.

Despite the miss, The Mighty Oak kept the pressure on until the final minute and deep into stoppage time Kaleb Jackson was taken out in the box. The referee pointed to the spot and with Yuri subbed off, James Vaughan took control. Vaughan made it look easy and sent the keeper the wrong way, leveling the match at 1-1.

The action wasn’t done yet, however, as Ann Arbor created three good chances, the last of which from a corner. Jimmy Fiscus climbed well and his header flashed over the bar. The referee blew the whistle and the sides shared the points.

Coach Rudland took several positives from the match, most notably saluting the sides’ mental toughness throughout.

“You give away an early goal, you don’t find a way to equalize before half time - it’s frustrating.” He said.

“It would have been easy for our guys to mail it in [after Yuri’s penalty hit the post. So, I thought our perseverance, our resilience, and our ability to continue to fight was excellent. I give the guys a lot of credit for that because late in the game it would have been easy to just kind of sit in and say ‘Hey, it’s not our day.’ But we didn’t do that. “

NPSL play continues at home Saturday, June 24th as The Mighty Oak take on FC Indiana at 7:00 pm.

Michigan Cyber Range Match Day Guide: AFC Ann Arbor vs Milwaukee Torrent

Association Football Club Ann Arbor will host Milwaukee Torrent at Pioneer High School’s Hollway Field for the first time in club history Friday night.  

Milwaukee, a new addition to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Great Lakes Conference in 2017, hosted The Mighty Oak in the club’s first NPSL match of the season. Ann Arbor stole three points on the road with a 3-1 victory back on May 6th in Milwaukee.

But a lot has changed since the early season meeting between the two sides and Coach Rudland and team are well aware of that.  

“Milwaukee was our first of the season, which seems like ages ago. They have changed things tactically and shifted some personnel based on our reports, so we’re preparing for them with the updated information we have,” said Rudland.

Sitting atop the table of the Great Lakes Conference with a 7-0-1 (W-D-L) record earnings 21 points in just 8 matches doesn’t change the approach for AFC Ann Arbor.

“For us, it’s all about the next game. The work we’ve done so far is positive, but we have to keep chipping away and prepare for each match, each opponent with focus and detail. At the of the day, we still have to be hungry to prove ourselves,” added Rudland.

Gates at Hollway open at 6PM for the 7 o’clock start with tons of activities and promotions happening all night. See below for more details.  

Tickets will be available online until 2PM and available at the gate starting at 5:30PM. Youth tickets for ages 4-12 are $6, and adult tickets are $10. Infants and kids ages 1, 2 and 3 get in free.

Promotions

School’s Out Activities

Celebrate the start of summer and no school at tonight’s match. Revel N Roll will be giving away free game card vouchers to the first 200 fans and will have a game on-site for fans to try out.  

In addition, fans can enter to win 1 of 2 grand prizes from Revel N Roll including a bowling party and arcade party for your little one and their friends. Entry is open and free, but limited to fans ages 18 and up.

The Soccer Plus Kids Zone gives young soccer players a chance to test and sharpen their skills before the match. The Kids Zone opens at 6PM when gates do so come join the fun early.  

Soccer ball tattoos, post-match autographs plus the first 50 kids will also get free AFC Ann Arbor bubbles compliments of St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor are just a few more reasons there is no better way to celebrate school being out for the summer!

Celebrating Pride Month

The Jim Toy Community Center President Travis Radina (season membership holder) will be joining us for the honorary kickoff to celebrate pride month and the new partnership between AFC Ann Arbor and JTCC. AFC Ann Arbor will be selling a special edition Pride Month t-shirt with portions of the proceeds benefitting the JTCC.

Youth Walkout Partner

The Bishop Elementary Spanish Immersion has become a close partner and friend of the club. This evening, students from Miss Heredia’s class, who the team visited last week in school, will be joining the starting XI for the official team walkout.

Club Partners

Ozone House

Our friends from Ozone House will be in the house educating fans about their amazing and important work of ending teen homelessness in our community. 

Clean Planet Foods

Be sure to stop by the Clean Planet Foods cabana to get some awesome AFC Ann Arbor and Clean Planet swag. You can also try samples of their delicious proteins and get discounts that you won’t get anywhere else.

Strength In The Oak Beer Re-Release Date Set for June 20th

In the club's inaugural season back in 2015, Arbor Brewing Company created "Strength In The Oak" beer in partnership with AFC Ann Arbor. The oak aged old ale beer has been on hiatus for a few months but will make it's highly anticipated return, June 20th at 7:30PM. 

Attendees will be able to sample the beer, chat with players and coaching staff from AFC Ann Arbor. Everyone is encouraged to snap some pics and grab some autographs. The first 50 guests will receive a limited edition SITO Beer poster. 

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club (AFC) Ann Arbor sprung roots in the summer of 2015 competing in the Great Lakes Premier League. In 2016, The Mighty Oak as they’re also known, bumped up to the National Premier Soccer League to compete at an even higher level joining the likes of Lansing United and Detroit City FC. In their inaugural season in the NPSL, Ann Arbor was one of sixteen teams (out of 96) to qualify for the playoffs. After a successful inaugural campaign in the NPSL, The Mighty Oak have been in 1st place all season long in the Great Lakes Conference.

Top 10 Reasons To Attend Friday's AFC Ann Arbor Match

AFC Ann Arbor hosts Milwaukee Torrent this Friday which will be one of four remaining home matches in the 2017 NPSL schedule. 

Here are 10 reasons you won't want to miss Friday's match:

1. Support your 1st place Mighty Oak! - See complete standings here
2. Revel N Roll Giveaways - The first 200 fans will receive a FREE game card to Revel N Roll in addition to all fans having a chance to win one of two grand prizes from Revel N Roll. Win a bowling party for 12 or a private party room and game cards simply by entering to win for free at the game! 
3. Win International Champions Cup (ICC) tickets! - Watch ICC with AFC in a suite on July 19th at Comerica Park. Enter to win for free! 
4. Made for Kids in the Community! - Whether it's the Soccer Plus Kids Zone, or free soccer ball tattoos, we've got tons of fun activities for kids all evening long. Youth tickets (ages 4-12) are only $5 if bought in advance online. Kids 1, 2 and 3 are free! (and so is parking) 
5. Meet Nutmeg the Squirrel
6. Food Trucks
7. Undefeated at home in 2017 - Ann Arbor has only lost 1 match in 8 tries which came on the road at Lansing. The Mighty Oak will look to remain undefeated at home on Friday. 
8. Big George's Gift Card Giveaway - Another awesome giveaway, free to enter! Win a $50 gift card to Big George's! 
9. Celebrate "School's Out" - The last day of school for some kids is June 15th and for most June 16th. There's no better way to mark the start of "summer" with an AFC Ann Arbor match
10. First Home Night Match of 2017 - Ann Arbor will host it's first evening match of the season which will be played under the lights at Pioneer High School's Hollway Field.