June - Delaware Rising Recap

Rising complete a busy month with both squads in the thick of the playoff hunt.

June was a wild & action-packed month for Delaware Rising as the men & women’s squads combined to play 13 MATCHES in the only full month of the NOSL season. The men stayed perfect in league play after the last weekend of June, going 3-3-0 putting them squarely in 3rd place in the NOSL 1st division & earning a spot in the playoffs for the 4th consecutive year. They also won their way into the semi-finals of the Stimulus Cup where they fell short of a trip to the championship, falling 3-2 to Mansfield Liederkranz in extra time. The women built on the rocky start to the season, going 3-1-1 in league play, putting them in the 4th and final playoff spot heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

The Rising Men Remain unbeaten in League Play, highlighted by 9-1 rout of pali united

The men played a full schedule in June, playing 8 games in total during the month. Things kicked off with back-to-back matches against NOSL newcomers, Inter Columbus. Delaware won both matches, the first on Saturday, June 1st, a 2-1 win at BVHS with defender Alex Spiers earning Player of the Match honors for anchoring the backline & locking down the win. The second match came a few days later on Wednesday, June 5th, at Grove City Christian High School. Riding a scoreless tie late into the evening, midfielder Jackson Terry broke the stalemate to send DRFC to the semi-finals of the Stimulus Cup & earned Player of the Match honors for the goal.

Following their thrilling Stimulus Cup win, the men traveled to Ashland to face off against Ashland United in a rematch of the 2023 playoff match that prematurely ended Delaware’s title hopes. In a highly contested match, Delaware’s Mason Morris was an offensive force to be reckoned with, scoring the lone Rising goal in a 1-1 scoreline & earning Player of the Match for the effort.

Returning to Buckeye Valley the following weekend, Delaware earned their largest win of the season, a 9-1 rout of Pali United. The win was truly a team effort, with 4 different players scoring including: a brace for both Landon Kuhn & Franklin Rodriguez, & another hat trick from forward Zach Hunt. Kuhn, Rodriguez, & Hunt also contributed a plethora of assists on the evening, ultimately contributing to 8 of the team’s 9 goals. The player of the match accolade ultimately went to Landon Kuhn for scoring 2 goals, assisting on 2 others & forcing an own goal to open the evening.

A few days later, the Men would host Mansfield Liederkranz in the semi-finals of the Stimulus Cup at Olentangy Berlin High School. In a thrilling match, the teams would be deadlocked at 1-1 through 90 minutes. Delaware would concede twice in the extra time period & late in the 2nd half of extra time, Rising midfielder Ryan Miller would hit a solid worm-burner from the top of the box past the diving keeper to bring Delaware to within one goal. Delaware would have one final chance in the final moments of extra time, after a handball was called against Liederkranz inside the box, but would be unable to find the equalizing goal to get the game to PKs giving Delaware their first loss of the season.

Moving on from Stimulus Cup play, Delaware would travel north again this time facing Stark County United. In an evenly contest match, neither side would be able to get a tally on the scoresheet & the match would finish 0-0. Defender Alex Brown received Player of the Match awards for spearheading the defensive effort & helping Delaware maintain their unbeaten record.

The last week of June saw Delaware with another multi-match week, hosting Mansfield Liederkranz again, this time at Buckeye Valley HS. Delaware would open the scoring early on with a 10th minute goal from forward Franklin Rodriguez, who was able to fight through a few Mansfield defenders and maintain his composure to put the ball past the tailing defender and keeper to put Delaware up 1-0. Early in the 2nd half, Delaware would double their lead on a penalty from Landon Kuhn. Mansfield would see their fair share of chances to close the gap including a couple of shots that hit off the post, fortunately the Delaware defense was around to shut down any potential rebound shots. Kuhn would add one more goal in the final moments of stoppage time to put the match away, helping Delaware secure their 3rd clean sheet of the season & their 2nd in less than a week. For his strong midfield play & scoring a brace, Landon Kuhn was named player of the match.

For the final weekend of June, Delaware welcomed Mahoning Trumbull United to Buckeye Valley for the final home match of the season. From the opening whistle, Delaware had MTU on the back foot & didn’t let up. Brady Smith opened the scoring following a solid individual effort from Landon Kuhn to beat the defense & slot a perfect pass allowing Smith to one-time a shot over the arms of the MTU keeper. Delaware would add a similar goal right before halftime; on a solid run of attacking play, Delaware would play a cross into the box to find Mason Morris who sent a controlled pass to the trailing attacker Zach Hunt who easily connected to give Delaware their 2nd goal of the afternoon. Delaware would go into the half with a 2-0 lead.

Brady Smith and Landon Kuhn would connect again early in the 2nd half, in a near mirror of the 1st half goal. Following a throw near the Delaware bench, Kuhn received a short pass before turning and racing past the MTU defender. With his marker beat, Kuhn slotted a low pass to Smith to get his 2nd goal of the afternoon.

The final goal of the afternoon was assisted again by Kuhn, this time on a beautiful give-and-go between Kuhn & goal-scorer Kyler Foreman. Foreman received a pass from defender Alex Brown near midfield & carried the ball nearly uncontested to the top of the 18 before hitting Kuhn. With the ball back at his feet, Foreman fired a left-footed shot that ricocheted off the near post & into the goal, giving Delaware a 4-0 lead & locking up their fourth clean sheet of the year. For scoring a brace on the afternoon, Brady Smith earned Player of the Match honors & helped the men cap off a perfect month & keep them perfect going into the final weekend of the season.

Kyler Foreman & Landon Kuhn embrace following Foreman’s 1st goal of 2024. The goal capped a 4-0 victory for the Rising & locked up the fourth consecutive playoff appearance in club history

Delaware Rights the ship en route to 2nd straight Playoff appearance

The women looked to get in the win column to start the month of June, following two close losses against Panthers FC & Ohio City SC. Their first road match & first win of the season came against Mansfield Liederkranz on Sunday, June 2nd. Delaware dispatched easily of Mansfield, winning 4-1 with all four goals coming from the front line of attack. Rileigh Glassburn, Rachel Austin, & Sydney Thomas scored for the Rising with Austin leading the way with a brace. Thomas assisted on both goals from Austin & Ali de Gracia assisted on Thomas’s goal. At the end of the evening, Rachel Austin earned Player of the Match honors for the brace & Delaware got 3 points for the first time in 2024.

The following weekend, Delaware would be on the road once again in a rematch from week one, facing off against Panthers FC in Ashland. This time, the Rising would get the upper hand with a massive team effort locking up a 2-1 win for Delaware. Molly Ennis & Rachel Austin gave Delaware their two goals (assisted by Clara Richardson & Sarah Gundler, respectively), but goalkeeper Ella Schwartfager would earn the accolades for the evening. Fending off an impressive Panthers attack, Schwartfager set a club record with 13 SAVES & ensured Delaware would head home with 3 points once again.

Riding a 6-point “road trip,” Delaware returned home for the first of back-to-back matchups against the newest addition to NOSL, Susserfuss Ballverein. The homecoming was spoiled as Ballverein handed the Rising their first loss in June by a score of 2-5. Rachel Austin scored for the 3rd consecutive match (her 4th of the season) & Sydney Thomas notched her 3rd goal of the season, with Ali de Gracia getting player of the match for being a force to be reckoned with in the midfield by winning tackles. The Rising rebounded in the road matchup a week later. Trailing 1-0 in the 2nd half, Molly Ennis scored her 2nd goal of the season & earned Player of the Match honors for getting Delaware even & bringing a point back home.

Molly Ennis converts on a PK in the 2nd half of Delaware’s 7-0 win over Mansfield Liederkranz.

The final match of the month proved to be a massive highlight for the Rising, capping a 7-point month by adding three more against Mansfield Liederkranz. In the final home match of the season, Delaware gave the home support plenty to cheer about, scoring 7 goals & earning the first clean sheet of the season & the first in club history.

The Rising got a truly team effort in the 7-0 rout, 6 different players scored on the evening with familiar faces Rachel Austin, Lindsey Whitmore, Sydney Thomas, & Molly Ennis (PK) all getting on the scoresheet once again. Makayla Parry & McKenzie Hayes added a goal each to get onto the scoresheet for the first time in 2024. Whitmore & Kindall Duke each contributed two assists & Roisin Kennedy & Reese Hinkle each contributed one to round out the scoring for the evening. As a result, the entire squad was named player of the match.

With the convincing win, Delaware locked up the 4th and final spot in the playoffs, giving them their 2nd playoff appearance in club history heading into the final weekend of the season.

Week #2 - Delaware Rising Recap

A 3-match week see the men earning points on the road & the women coming up short at home

In the 2nd week of NOSL action, both the men’s and women’s teams were in action again. The men got their 1st multi-match week of the season, first traveling north to Malone University in Canton to face off against Ambassadors FC on Saturday, then up to Mansfield to face Liederkranz II on Wednesday in the first round of Stimulus Cup action. The women welcomed City of Ohio SC on Sunday to the friendly confines of Buckeye Valley High School for a rematch of the 2023 league finals.

Short-handed Delaware Rising Ride Defense & Timely Penalty to 1-1 draw

An intense & chippy matchup between Delaware Rising & Ambassadors FC resulted in a 1-1 draw, with Delaware spending 70+ minutes down to 10 players. After receiving a straight red card early in the match, Delaware didn’t seem phased by the disadvantage in the least. Both Delaware and Ambassadors saw a handful of scoring chances in the first half, with GK Aiden Miller making a handful of saves to keep Ambassadors off the board. Delaware’s Zach Hunt nearly connected on an acrobatic bicycle kick in the 21st minute & also connected with Colin McComb to force a save right before the halftime whistle. At the half, Delaware and Ambassadors were deadlocked at 0-0.

Coming out of halftime, Ambassadors had an early scoring chance in the 51st minute, a penalty awarded after a rough challenge in the box. The kicker lined up & fired a hard shot to the lower right-hand corner, but keeper Connor Sexton read the shot all the way and kicked it away to deny Ambassadors a crucial 1-0 lead. Watch the game-saving effort here

Delaware sent away another close-range attack a few minutes later. Another rough challenge outside the defensive box gave Ambassadors a free kick from 25 yards. The kick was perfectly placed into the box & found another attacker who booted the ball off the crossbar back into play. Before Ambassadors could get another shot off, defender Alex Brown used a Hurculean goalline header to send the ball away from danger. Ambassadors got a 2nd ball toward net, but Sexton was able to snatch it to stop the attack.

The two squads traded possessions until the 70th minute when Delaware would get their biggest chance of the afternoon. On a corner kick, team captain Landon Kuhn, sent a ball into the box & while guarding the goalline, an Ambassador defender knocked down a Rising attacker drawing a penalty of their own. After the dust settled, Kuhn lined up at the spot & hit a shot to the bottom left corner of the goal just past the outstretched arm of the Ambassador keeper to give the Rising a 1-0 lead. See the goal here.

From there, Ambassadors turned up the intensity on the offensive side of the ball. A number of chances including a handful of corner kicks put the pressure on Delaware’s defense & they rose to the challenge. Unfortunately for Delaware, Ambassadors earned one chance too many. In the 90th minute, Ambassadors hit a corner kick that found it’s way into traffic in the box. The initial corner was punched away by Sexton, but Ambassadors put the ball back toward net where they were able to find open space. Despite the defense’s pleas for an offside call, the goal stood and the game was even at 1-1 where it would stay for the remainder of the afternoon.

Superlative for the night: Keeper Connor Sexton earned Player of the Match honors, contributing a number of saves in the 2nd half including the penalty that would ultimately solidify the draw to keep Delaware perfect on the young season.

Match facts:

• Delaware improves to 1-1-3 all time against Ambassadors. Both the draw & the win came on the road at Malone University.

• Delaware keepers are no stranger to penalty stops against Ambassadors. Along with Connor Sexton’s stop from the afternoon, Tanner Masters also made a massive penalty stop in the 2022 match-up that helped solidify the Rising’s 1st win against Ambassadors & helped launch them into the playoff race.

Final thoughts on the evening: the Rising had to revamp their game plan much earlier than anticipated after the red card, but the squad put up a solid effort to shut down (nearly) everything Ambassadors threw at them. At the end of the season, you’ll take all the points you can get & a hard-fought point on the road is better than nothing. A gutsy 10-man defensive effort shows that this team is built for adversity.

Delaware move on to 2nd round of the Stimulus cup after Storm-shortened Win over LiederKranz 2

The men made a 2nd road trip this week following the draw against Ambassadors, this time for a mid-week matchup against Mansfield Liederkranz II in the first round of the newly established Stimulus Cup.

The game was evenly matched through the first 40 minutes of action, with both sides trading attacking chances though none that served major scoring threats. Delaware had a plethora of corner kicks during the first half, but weren’t able to make much of them until the 40th minute. On a corner taken from the near side, team captain Landon Kuhn, served up a perfect long-ball to the far side of the box where forward Jon Burton was there to head the ball toward goal. The shot was a bit of a floater & sailed just over the outstretched arms of the Mansfield keeper to give Delaware a 1-0 lead going to halftime. See the goal here

Coming out of halftime, Delaware didn’t have to wait long to find their 2nd goal of the evening. Just a couple moments into the half, a punt from the Mansfield keeper found a Delaware attacker. After a one-time pass, Landon Kuhn in a bit of captain-worthy situational awareness caught the Mansfield keeper slow to get back & launched a long-range shot that left Mansfield powerless to defend it. Less than 5 minutes into the half & Delaware would see their lead doubled to 2-0. See the goal here

The match would see no further action as thunder and lightning would begin rolling into the area, forcing a suspension of play in the 56th minute. After a 20 minute delay, the referees & league officials would ultimately decide to rule the match as an official match in lieu of trying to resume at a later date. Delaware left Mansfield with a 2-0 win & a berth in the next round of the Stimulus Cup, with their next opponent to be decided later the same evening in a random drawing.

After the conclusion of the evening’s matches, NOSL held a livestream to draw matchups for the next round of the Stimulus Cup. Delaware was selected to travel to Inter Columbus to face-off in the next round at a date and time to be determined soon.

Superlative for the night: Midfielder Landon Kuhn earned player of the match honors, contributing to both Delaware goals on the evening.

Final thoughts on the evening: in a match affected by the weather, it’s hard to say how the final 35 minutes of the match would have played out, but the intensity of Delaware’s attack & the staunch defensive effort certainly gave the team enough breathing room to lock up the victory. No sense getting caught up on the what-ifs and could-haves, Delaware earned a 2-0 victory on a night where the weather offered a helping hand & they’re moving on to the next round.

GK Connor Sexton, Midfielder Landon Kuhn, & midfielder Kindall Duke all earned Player of the Match honors for their performances in the week’s matches.

Delaware Gets highlight goal but come up short against Ohio City

Delaware Rising looked to bounce back from a week 1 loss to Panthers FC, but came up just short against a scrappy, rebranded Ohio City SC.

Delaware put in a massive shift defensively during the first half, fending off multiple waves of Ohio City attacks. Most of Ohio City’s offensive looks were stalled out before they could put the ball on goal, but there were a few shots that found the target & were stopped by keeper Taylor Thomas including a near point-blank save that came right before halftime (check out the alternate angle here). Delaware had a handful of chances of their own, but much like Ohio City, they didn’t find the target with consistency. At halftime, the match was even at a well-deserved 0-0 scoreline.

Ohio City would find a couple goals in quick succession early in the 2nd half. In the 54th minute, an Ohio City defender sent a ball over the top of the defense finding the forward perfectly in stride with enough open space to put the ball on target. Ohio City 1-0. The second goal came a couple minutes later, with another ball over the top. This time the attacker would use a quick step & some speed to open space to thread a near perfect pass to a fellow forward to tap into the goal. A very quick 2-0 advantage to Ohio City.

Delaware would get their lone goal of the evening 10 minutes later on a highlight reel free kick goal from team captain, Kindall Duke. While playing a ball in the final third, Rising forward Rachel Austin was pulled to the ground by two Ohio City defenders, setting up a free kick from about 30 yards out. Duke lined up and fired a shot that snuck in just beneath the crossbar, cutting the lead to 2-1. See the goal here & an alternate angle here

Following the Rising goal, the match was a mirror of the first half action. Both sides had a few additional scoring opportunities, but both defenses were able to stand up to every challenge. At the final whistle, Ohio City held on to secure the 2-1 victory.

Superlative for the night: Kindall Duke earned Player of the Match honors, for her early season candidate for goal of the year.

Match facts:

• Delaware falls to 1-0-3 all time against Ohio City SC

• Kindall Duke’s player of the match award marks the 3rd time she has been given the honor, the most of anyone in Rising Women’s team history. The other two times were in consecutive matches against Panthers FC in 2023, in the regular season finale & the first round of the playoffs.

Final thoughts on the evening: the Rising will look forward to the changing of the calendar. Another solid defensive evening with some very clean tackles from defender Reese Hinkle, but the Rising are still looking to find more connections between the defense and offense. They have the ability to score on a whim & when they are able to build consistently from the defense or connect on the counter-attack, it tends to let them score a lot of goals. When those connections happen, things will turn around quickly. The defense is there, the offensive weapons are there, the connection between the two will be crucial to their long-term success.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will be off for the Memorial Day holiday weekend & will return to action in the first weekend of June. The men welcome Inter Columbus to BVHS for the first time on Saturday, June 1st at 6 pm & the women will travel to Mansfield to face Liederkranz on Sunday, June 2nd at 2 pm.

Week #1 - Delaware Rising Recap

A mixed bag of results from the start of the NOSL regular season, with the Men grabbing all 3 points & the Women dropping their first match since last July

Opening weekend of the NOSL season has completed with the Delaware Rising men’s and women’s teams in action on Sunday evening in a doubleheader at Buckeye Valley High School. There’s always fanfare to start a new season, & both teams were eager to kick things off in a big way. The men faced off against heated rival Greater Columbus FC in the first match, and the women followed up with a familiar foe in Panthers FC out of Ashland.

Delaware Rising Kickoff 2024 with

6-0 rout of greater columbus FC

The men wasted no time on Sunday evening, new signing Zach Hunt opened the scoring within the first 3 minutes of the game with a clinical finish on a breakaway to beat the GCFC keeper near side after a midfield assist from 2023 team MVP, Landon Kuhn. See the goal here

The first half was mostly quiet after that point, both teams had some chances but neither were able find daylight with Delaware holding on to the 1-0 lead going into halftime.

The second half was a different story altogether. From the opening kickoff, Delaware took the game to GCFC & their consistent possession and attack paid dividends. Delaware opened the game up with a flurry of goals, 5 IN TOTAL before the game hit the 70th minute.

Rising newcomer Jack Kossoudji opened his scoring tally with a ticky-tack goal in the box. From a short pass from Jackson Terry, Kossoudji hit a solid shot to the feet of the GCFC keeper, the ball squirted through his legs and Kossoudji was able to pick it up before the defenders could and tapped it in for an easy goal, increasing DRFCs lead to 2-0. See the goal here

Not content to sit back, Delaware was able to quickly regain possession from the restart, the backline was able to break down a GCFC attacking threat and sent the ball over the top to Brent Rader who beat his man to slot a short grounded pass into the middle where Ryan Miller could easily beat the keeper, making it 3-0 Delaware Rising. See the goal here

Goal #4 nearly came from a 30 yard free kick from Landon Kuhn, the shot rang off the near post & ricocheted back into the middle of the box. The defense was slow to react to the free kick & Alex Brown got to the ball 1st. After his shot was deflected by the keeper, the ball popped to nearby forward, Zach Hunt who easily headed the ball for the brace. See the goal here

Ryan Miller got a brace a few moments later, this time on another set piece. Delaware set up for a corner kick on the far side, taken by Landon Kuhn. The ball was served perfectly, just outside the 6-yard box where Miller was able to get off a solid header into the nearside top corner well away from the reach of the keeper. The rout is on, Delaware Rising up 5-0! See the goal here

The onslaught of goals was capped off with a beautiful high probability goal from forward Zach Hunt, following the best solo assist effort of the evening from Jack Kossoudji. Kossoudji received the pass on the far side of the 18-yard box & used some premier footwork to get past his man before slotting a difficult pass to Hunt, who beat the keeper with a powerful right-footed shot to cap off the hat trick! See the goal here

From there, the game was all but over. The 20+ minutes of the match played out without much fanfare & at the final whistle, Delaware Rising got their 1st three points of the season. The defense didn’t face many threats on the evening all told, but they stood up to the few challenges they did see & worked hard to get the first clean sheet of the season.

Superlative for the night: Zach Hunt earned Player of the Match honors, contributing 3 goals to the winning effort.

Match facts:

• Delaware improves to 3-0-1 all time against Greater Columbus FC. The 6-0 result is the 2nd clean sheet Delaware has had against GCFC, the first coming in their first ever matchup, a 1-0 win in 2021. That win came on a stoppage time goal from Colin McComb after one of the best defensive performances in Delaware Rising history.

• The 6-0 result is 2nd largest margin of victory in Delaware Rising history, the largest being a 9-0 win in 2021 against Stark County United

Final thoughts on the evening: the Rising looked for a result that would send a message to the rest of NOSL that they are title contenders & a 6-0 drubbing of the 2x reigning league champs sends that message loud and clear! There was lots of internal buzz about the new signings in the lead-up to the season & getting 4 goals & 2 assists from guys making their DRFC debuts shows that the group is gelling well already.

The road ahead doesn’t get easier, with Delaware on the road for the next two matches: Saturday, May 18th against NOSL mainstay & 2021 league champions, Ambassadors FC. That game kicks off at 1pm from Malone University. After that, the men travel to Mansfield on Wednesday, May 22nd to face Liederkranz in their first match in the Stimulus Cup, that game will kick off at 7pm.

Following the 6-0 win, the team huddles up for a post-game meeting

Panthers FC Spoil the Women’s Championship Celebration

Delaware Rising looked to build upon the 2023 championship with a win in front of the home support to start the season on the front foot, but unfortunately the day was not in their favor.

The Rising conceded an early penalty which put them into a 1-0 hole within the first 20 minutes of the match. The Panthers goal scorer lined up and placed a low shot to the left side of the goal. Delaware had a few chances to even the game up before the half, the best being a threatening cross from Lindsey Whitmore that traveled across the mouth of the open goal. The shot nearly found the trailing support, but went wide of net. The score would remain 1-0 in favor of the visitors going into the half.

The Rising looked to regroup at the half and come out ready to even things up. The 1-0 deficit would remain until the final 20 minutes, where Panthers would double their lead on a highlight reel goal coming from a corner kick. The corner was taken short and uncontested & the Panthers goal scorer carried the ball into the box before turning and firing a perfectly placed shot that found Delaware down 2-0.

Delaware would respond moments later on a Grade-A goal of their own. After a short midfield pass from Molly Ennis, Sydney Thomas sped past the chasing defenders and fired a shot from just inside the box. The shot sailed past the outstretched arms of the Panthers keeper, cutting the score in half. See the goal here

Unfortunately, that would be the only tally on the evening for the Rising. Despite a handful of chances, including a long-distance shot from league MVP Rachel Austin that forced a save, Delaware would be unable to convert again. Panthers added one final goal in the dying moments of the match, a shot from the top of the box that came in the midst of a quick counter attack that Delaware was unable to shut down. At the final whistle, Delaware fell short by a score of 3-1.

Superlative for the night: Reese Hinkle earned Player of the Match honors, contributing to Delaware’s defensive effort with a plethora of ball-winning opportunities throughout the evening.

Match facts:

• Delaware falls to 2-1-1 all time against Panthers, with Sunday marking the Rising’s first loss since July 1st of last year, a 0-3 forfeit at the hands of City of Ohio

• Reese Hinkle’s player of the match honor marks the 2nd time that a defender earned the award, joining Lexie Syroka who (coincidentally) earned the award in the 2023 season opener.

Final thoughts on the evening: the Rising hoped for a result that would show they hadn’t lost a beat since winning it all last season, but there was a bit of rust. Some missed passes & midfield turnovers are things that can be improved with more playing time & more chances. There are lofty expectations for the season & the excitement about the handful of new signings as well as the return of key pieces in each facet of the squad means that Delaware has the chance to turn it around & they can do it quickly. On to the next one.

The champs will look to bounce back as they face another major test this upcoming weekend, back at home on Sunday, May 19th against City of Ohio SC, in a rematch of the 2023 final. That game kicks off at 7pm from Buckeye Valley High School.

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