DRFC 2024 Season Preview

After a historic 2023 season for Delaware Rising, we look ahead to the 2024 campaign including new players, new formats, & the chase for another championship.

With less than a month until the 2024 Northern Ohio Soccer League season kicks off, there’s no time like the present to give a preview of the upcoming men’s and women’s seasons. 2024 will see the expansion of both the men’s and women’s leagues as well as some major updates to the league format.

The women return for their 2nd season & are primed to repeat as league champions.

In the inaugural Women’s NOSL (WNOSL) season, Delaware Rising finished as league champions in a thrilling 2-1 win over City of Ohio SC on the back of two PK goals from Kindall Duke & Sarah Gundler & a championship worthy performance in net by Brianna Rogers. Along with the trophy, the Rising grabbed their fair share of individual hardware as Rachel Austin won the League MVP, Lindsey Whitmore finished as the league’s top scorer, & both players joined Brianna Rogers, Lexie Syroka, & Kindall Duke on WNOSL’s team of the season.

The 2023 NOSL Championship Squad

Moving forward to 2024, the Rising look to build upon the success of 2023 as they chase the 2nd championship in team history. The Rising will see many familiar faces returning for a 2nd season in a Rising kit including: forwards Rachel Austin & Lindsey Whitmore, midfielders Kindall Duke & Sarah Gundler, and defenders Lexie Syroka, & Jamison Murphy to name a few. Delaware will also welcome the return of head coach Evan Wherley & assistant coach Nathan Chwalik, as well as newly appointed assistant coach & former player Elise Schneller. There are also a plethora of new signings from the offseason tryouts, Reese Hinkle, Sydney Thomas, Ashley Green, Kasey Duke, Rileigh Glassburn, Holly Ennis, Clara Richardson, and Ella Schwertfager all excitedly awaiting their debut for the Rising, with further signings expected as the start of the season approaches. Be sure to stay tuned for an upcoming announcement of the full women’s squad.

WNOSL has expanded to 5 teams, with Süsserfuss Ballverein out of Kent, OH joining the league for the 2024 season. The newcomers will face Delaware Rising twice this season, home on June 15th & away on June 23rd. The season starts with a familiar foe as Panthers FC face-off against the Rising in a rematch of the 2023 semifinals, with the match taking place on Sunday, May 12th at 7:00pm at Buckeye Valley High School.

Other key match-ups for the 2024 season

• City of Ohio SC (Home: May 19th at BVHS, Away: July 6th at COSC)

• Mansfield Liederkranz, Home: June 29th, away: June 2nd

• Panthers SC, Home: May 12th, away: June 9th

See the full women’s schedule here

The Delaware Rising men return for their 4th season, looking to continue their playoff streak, but striving for more.

2023 was a season of transition as former Rising keeper & assistant coach Chris Stohl assumed head coaching duties & helmed the Rising to a 3rd consecutive playoff appearance. The chase for a NOSL Cup came to a premature end as the Rising fell by a score of 3-1 at the hands of Ashland United in the first round of the NOSL Playoffs. Ryan Miller provided the lone goal for the Rising with Evan Wherley earning Man of the Match honors. In terms of postseason awards, midfielder Landon Kuhn was named to the NOSL Team of the Season & led the team in scoring with a total of 7 goals including a hat trick on the road against Mansfield Liederkranz.

The men huddle up prior to a thrilling 1-1 draw at Greater Columbus FC

In 2024, the men will look to build momentum with multiple returning players including team MVP Landon Kuhn, midfield mainstay Ryan Miller, standout defenders Alex Brown & Cooper Solomon, forward Mason Morris, & the goalkeeper tandem of Connor Sexton & Gabriel Thomas all reprising their roles on the squad. Head Coach Josh Diehl joined the Delaware Rising staff late in the 2023 season & assumed full coaching duties ahead of the December tryouts, Chris Stohl will stay on as an assistant coach for the season. With key pieces returning for 2024, the men are hungry for another playoff appearance & to bring the NOSL Cup to Delaware for the first time. There are also lots new signings from the offseason tryouts with Sam Bechtel, Quinn Berry, Brayden Courtney, Zach Hunt, Kai Mays, and Aiden Miller announced already with further signings expected as the start of the season approached. Be sure to stay tuned for an upcoming announcement of the full men’s squad.

Ahead of the season, NOSL expanded to 18 teams & announced major changes to the league structure. New in 2024, NOSL will be split into 2 divisions with a promotion/relegation setup, with the top 4 teams making the playoffs & the bottom 2 teams risking relegation. In the Second Division, the top team will be automatically promoted with the next 3 teams going to a playoff to determine the final team to be promoted. Delaware Rising will be participating in the First Division in 2024. Further information about the new league setup can be found on the league website

Also new in 2024, NOSL introduced the Stimulus League Cup, a single-elimination tournament to be played concurrent to the regular league season. The Stimulus League Cup is sponsored by Minneapolis-based kit manufacturer Stimulus Athletic, and will feature teams from both the First and Second Divisions. Delaware Rising will participate in the tournament with their first match scheduled for Wednesday, May 22nd at 7pm against Mansfield Liederkranz II. Further information about the Stimulus League Cup can be found here

With Delaware participating in the First Division, they will see familiar foes & new ones. The season kicks off with a major test against Greater Columbus FC on Sunday, May 12th at 5:30pm at Buckeye Valley High School.

Other key match-ups for 2024

• Ambassadors FC, away: May 18th

• Mansfield Liederkranz, Home: June 26th

• Pali United, Home: June 15th

• Inter Columbus, Home: June 1st

See the full men’s schedule here

2024 will no doubt a season of high expectations & top-level soccer. Be sure to stay tuned for match previews & recaps as the season progresses. #uptherising 

2024 DRFC Tryouts Wrapped Up

And with the 2023 holiday season coming to an end, so marks the beginning of Delaware Rising’s groundwork for the 2024 men’s and women’s seasons.

Dozens of men and women footballers came out to Buckeye Valley High School to showcase their skills on Saturday, December 16th. The men’s side looking to add the right players to challenge for a Men’s NOSL title, while the women’s side looking to cement their dominance and win a second trophy.

The men’s session started in the late afternoon with very pleasant low-50’s temperature. Men’s Head Coach Diehl mentions, “Great weather for December. It was good to see some familiar faces and plenty of new ones. There’s a great match of talent and character. We’re going to have a solid squad next year. With Men’s Assistant Coach Stohl adding, “This is probably the best turnout we’ve had at tryouts, so I’m excited to see how we shape up the team”

The women’s session began later that evening under the stadium lights. Women’s Head Coach Wherley mentions, “It was nice to see some familiar faces with our returning players, as well as some new faces. It represents how well we did in year one. Players are interested in joining, and are seeing what we’re building. It’s fantastic.”

Back Row Left to Right: Sarah Gundler, Rachel Austin, Lindsey Whitmore, Kindall Duke, Brynn Blackstone, Lexie Syroka
Front Row: Jamison Murphy, Allison Stankus, Paige Pinion, Elise Schneller, Payje Wilson
Not Pictured: Brianna Rogers, Brielle Young, Catie Dzikowski, Sela Whitney, Emma Stanley, Juliana Vazquez, Madison Stahr

The women’s team having won the women’s NOSL championship was welcomed back for a media shoot with their trophy. The home for the trophy is still being decided. If you know a restaurant that should be the home base for Delaware Rising FC, let us know!

Club Director, Nathan Chwalik places his final thoughts on the day, “The day couldn’t have gone much better. The players looked quality. These really are some of the top players in our area. The coaches are happy, and I’m counting down the days for the season to start up in May.”

Stay tuned for the published roster selections.

Check out the action from the day here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg-v4IeBVdA&t=387s

Week 1: Delaware Rising vs. Team Vulpine

It was a hot summer morning to start Delaware Risings 2022 season. The guys arrived at their new home field located at Buckeye Valley High School with one goal in mind, to get a win under their belt. The pre-game festivities had started as fans arrived, including a tailgate with cornhole and food, a merchandise shop, and more! The guys warmed up, and the starting 11 was announced over the intercom. After a quick team photo, it was officially the beginning of the 2022 NOSL season. The new light blue kits were out and underway as the game had begun. You could tell this would be a physical battle from the start as the referee was making numerous calls on both teams. DRFC was controlling possession almost the whole game, yet every time they took it down into Vulpine territory, it was either cleared out, or a foul was committed. And this was the story of the whole game. It was in a stalemate until halfway through the first half; Vulpine intercepted a pass in the back and went one on one with Connor Sexton, slotting it past him to go up 1-0. The guys now needed to amp up their attacking efforts, which they did. Crosses flew in left and right, with many of them connecting yet struggling to find the back of the net. The guys were on the attack almost all half yet were down one to end it. As they gathered up and tried to find a sense of shade, coach Tyler Tredway gave his halftime speech and allowed the captains to interject.

As that concluded, it was time for the second half, with Vulpine getting us started. They kicked the ball off, and it was a repeat of the first half all over again. Chance after chance for the guys, yet none were getting passed the line. Captain and center midfielder Evan Wherley was whipping in crosses all over the field, including corners. He had an outstanding performance in connecting the attack with the defense, along with his midfield partner Max Deckop. The clock began to wind down, yet the chances still came in, including one late in the game where JP Seliskar connected with a cross with a bicycle kick. Seliskar made a great connection, yet it went wide by the smallest of margins. At the end of the game, Vulpine had taken the 1-0 win over DRFC. It was a heartbreaker as the guys gave it their all for the badge. But they move and now turn their attention to their next game against Amish Country United this weekend. #Uptherising