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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington Sporting Clubs heads to Cary, N.C., seeking its first points of the United Soccer League (USL) League One season, taking on North Carolina FC Saturday at 7 p.m.

The match, which marks the second of the USL League One season for both teams, will see both clubs searching for their first points of the season as NCFC also suffered a defeat in its opener.

Lexington SC was defeated 2-1 at Regal Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., against league rival One Knox SC in the opening match. Don Smart, who will miss this weekend’s match, scored the first goal in club history with a penalty kick in the 28th minute.

North Carolina FC fell to reigning USL League One champions South Georgia Tormenta FC 1-0 in its opener. Despite the loss, North Carolina FC was in control of the match against Tormenta, having 63.2% possession, 12 shots and 0.91 xG (Expected Goals) compared to Tormenta’s three shots and 0.57 xG.

TUNE IN

• The match will be streaming on ESPN+
• For in-game content, follow Lexington SC on Twitter and Instagram
• For in-game stats, head to the Match Center

MATCH NOTES

Lexington goalkeeper Amal Knight was recently called into action to compete for Jamaica in its 2023 CONCACAF Nations League fixture against Mexico. The “Reggae Boyz” ended up with a 2-2 draw.

Kaelon Fox earned Lexington’s first weekly award by being placed on the Team of the Week Bench for his efforts against One Knox.

Defender Daniel Navarro is a NCFC player to watch, as the team captain was a finalist for the 2022 USL League One Defender of the Year with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.

Offensively, NCFC was led in 2022 by Garrett McLaughlin, who scored 14 of the team’s 35 goals in the season. He was followed by Oalex Anderson, who scored seven. Both McLaughlin and Anderson returned to North Carolina for the new season.

North Carolina FC finished 11th in the USL League One last season, its second in the league, with a record of 8-6-16 (30 points). The club was defeated by Rio Grande Valley FC of the USL Championship in its first match of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

About Lexington Sporting Club

Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Goalkeeper Amal Knight of Lexington SC has been called up to the Jamaican national team for the upcoming FIFA international window, it was announced today.

Knight, 29, was selected to the 23-man roster set to compete against Mexico Sunday, March 26, in a CONCACAF Nations League group stage match.

A native of St. Andrew, Jamaica, Knight made his international debut in 2018 and has since played in 11 FIFA matches for the “Reggae Boyz.”

Sunday’s match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET from Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

FINAL STATS

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – History took place Saturday evening as Lexington Sporting Club hit the pitch for the first time as a professional side in United Soccer League (USL) League One, albeit in a 2-1 defeat against host One Knoxville SC.

The match had been in the making since October 2021, when the city was officially awarded a USL League One expansion franchise, but needed an extra 30 minutes due to a lighting issue at Regal Soccer Stadium.

Once the match got underway, the fans were treated to a spirited contest between two newly appointed rivals within League One.

One Knoxville came out on the front foot and got on the board first in the 17th minute, as Jimmie Villalobos converted on a penalty kick.

Lexington settled into the match and earned a penalty on the other end of the pitch in the 28th minute when Khalid Balogun was brought down in the box. Veteran Don Smart stepped up and slotted the ball home for Lexington SC’s first ever professional goal.

Jake Keegan brought momentum back to the home squad with a goal off a rebounded effort in the 40th minute, just moments after a dramatic save from Amal Knight.

That proved to be the difference in the match, as neither side scored in an action packed second half that included six yellow cards and one red, issued to Smart in the 71st minute. Despite being down to 10 men, Lexington SC had a couple late scoring chances before the final whistle.

“Obviously, we’re very disappointed with the result,” said head coach Sam Stockley. “You know, to lose one away from home for our first game of the season is disappointing with all the work that we’ve done. I thought we had a good response that came out in the second half. I felt at times we had the ball and we dominated the ball. The boys worked very hard and moved it, and never gave up. They always keep responding. And we’ll get back to work on Tuesday.

Lexington SC is off next weekend, and returns to USL League One action Saturday, April 1, on the road at North Carolina FC. Kick off from WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., is scheduled for 7 p.m.

About Lexington Sporting Club

Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington Sporting travels to Regal Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., for its inaugural United Soccer League (USL) League One matchup against One Knoxville SC on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The match, which is part of the opening weekend for the USL League One, marks the historic professional debut for both clubs. One Knox SC moved up from the pre-professional USL League Two.

The two sides announced an official rivalry earlier this week. The winner of the aggregate total of the three games between the clubs will take with them bragging rights, a full-size whiskey barrel, and a bottle of bourbon from a distiller located in the losing Club’s locale. After Saturday, the two will meet May 27 (in Lexington) and August 18 (in Knoxville).

Head Coach Sam Stockley’s Lexington SC squad features a mix of veterans and players on their first professional contracts. The recently appointed “leadership group” of Will Baynham, Kaelon Fox, Amal Knight, Charlie Machell and Don Smart figures to set the tone for the upcoming season.

Lexington’s own Kimball Jackson (Lafayette High School) and Diallo Irakoze (Bryan Station High School) will each make their professional debuts. Fox, a Louisville native, played at the University of Kentucky from 2013-16 and enters his fifth season as a pro.

TUNE IN

• The match will be streaming on ESPN+
• For in-game updates and other content, follow Lexington SC on Twitter and Instagram

MATCH NOTES

Both sides made their first professional signings in the leadup to the season, with Kaelon Fox being announced as Lexington’s first player while Ilija Ilic, who will also act as an assistant coach, was One Knox SC’s first signing.

Lexington SC boasts eight players who previously played for clubs that will partake in the 2023 USL League One and USL Championship seasons. That group includes Cesar Murillo Jr., who has been part of two USL League One title winners, and Owen Green, who recently won the league with South Georgia Tormenta FC in 2022. One, Don Smart, has been part of two other inaugural seasons, first at Indy Eleven (2014) and again with Forward Madison FC (2019).

In its five preseason friendly matches, Lexington SC had five different players score goals with two players, Nico Brown and Will Baynham, scoring two. Drew Patterson, Erick Ceja Gonzalez and Kaelon Fox each tallied one goal.

About Lexington Sporting Club

Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.

LEXINGTON, Ky., and KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – When One Knoxville SC and Lexington SC kick off their respective inaugural professional seasons in a head-to-head matchup on March 18th, there will be more than just wins and losses on the line – there will be a barrel and a bottle up for grabs, too.

The winner of the aggregate total of the three games between the clubs will take with them bragging rights, a full-size whiskey barrel, and a bottle of bourbon from a distiller located in the losing Club’s locale.

“There are already decades of history between our cities and states across the sporting landscape,” said Steven Short, Chief Operating Officer of Lexington SC. “As expansion clubs in USL League One, launching in the same season, we are thrilled to add our own traditions to those colorful rivalries while providing fans on both sides of the state line the opportunity to travel to the entire series. We are excited to launch this competition in Knoxville Saturday and expect this to be one of many additions to our trophy cabinet.”

“Knoxville and Lexington have a long – mostly friendly – history as sporting rivals. To be starting our professional club history against our friends up north is a treat,” said Drew McKenna, Partner at One Knox. “We’re looking forward to a great inaugural game on Saturday and to hoisting the whiskey barrel after winning the season series later in the summer. Finally, thanks to Company Distilling for their partnership and support. Win or lose, we’ll send Lexington home with a bottle of Company. Like most things, bourbon is better in Tennessee.”

Other information:

● The barrel and bottle will go to the victor of the season series aggregate. After all three games have been played, whichever club leads on aggregate score will earn the trophy. Should the aggregate be tied, the first tiebreaker will be goals scored and second tie breaker will be away goals scored.

● Lexington SC and One Knox will execute a fan-lead naming campaign for the rivalry over the course of the season. Follow the Clubs’ social channels for more information.

About Lexington Sporting Club

Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington Sporting Club released its away kit Monday for the inaugural 2023 United Soccer League (USL) League One season.

UK HealthCare Sports Medicine, a primary partner of Lexington SC, adorns the front of the kit, alongside a jockey silk-inspired diamond pattern. The shirts are the latest Nike Dri-FIT ADV Vapor IV jerseys, worn by all Nike-sponsored countries during the 2022 World Cup.

Kits are available for purchase only through Lexington SC’s online store linked here. Current offerings include men’s, women’s and youth sizes.

Lexington SC will be wearing these kits for the first time in the season opener March 18 at One Knox SC. Fans can purchase tickets to that match by following this link.

The club will unveil its home kit in the coming weeks. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington Sporting Club continues to grow its technical staff, adding Ian Kossick as the Head of Performance for the United Soccer League (USL) League One squad.

A native of Lexington, Kossick will be responsible for leading all aspects of athletic performance assessment and monitoring, including managing and directing all strength and conditioning protocols to ensure fitness standards are met.

“I’m excited to get started in my role as Head of Performance,” Kossick said. “Lexington Sporting Club’s vision of focusing on the holistic development on their athletes matches my mission of meeting an athlete where they are and setting them up for success. I look forward to the opportunity to create something truly special for this community.”

Kossick brings a variety of experience to Lexington SC, recently serving as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at D1 Training in Asheville, N.C.

He was also the Head Performance Coach for the Chinese Rowing Association, helping secure the country’s first bronze medal for the Women’s 8 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Other experience includes working as a Training Director at Proof Fitness, and owning and operating his own private fitness company. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s of Education with a concentration in Kinesiology-Exercise Science.

“Ian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Head of Performance role,” said Sam Stockley, Lexington’s head coach. “From day one he’s connected with the team and built great relationships. He’ll be a huge asset for Lexington SC, not only for the first team, but also for the USL W League, USL Academy and down through the youth club. We’re delighted to have him on board.”

Lexington begins the USL League One season March 18 at One Knox SC, and will welcome Forward Madison FC for the home opener April 8. The full schedule can be found here.

About Lexington Sporting Club

Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. – Lexington Sporting Club is pleased to announce the club has finalized a multi-year partnership with Georgetown College for Toyota Stadium to serve as the professional club’s temporary home venue beginning with the 2023 season while the club builds its own stadium. 

The home opener is April 8 against Forward Madison at 7 p.m..; the full schedule is linked here. 

“It was important for us to find the right home for 2023, and we could not be more pleased with our partnership with Georgetown College,” said Bill Shively, principal owner of Lexington SC. “There are a lot of variables to consider when looking for a home while we pursue our own soccer-specific stadium; we want to provide a fan-friendly atmosphere and need to ensure we supply a professional environment for the team.” 

The 5,000-seat stadium is home to Georgetown College’s football, soccer and lacrosse teams and has served as a hub of community activity for years, featuring state and local soccer championship events. Previously, the stadium served as the longtime home of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Summer Training Camp.  

“By partnering with Lexington SC, Georgetown College is not only able to offer a first-rate athletic experience for our student-athletes but also bring professional sports to Scott County,” said Dr. Rosemary Allen, Georgetown College President. “The economic impact for the local community will be a significant benefit for the region and for youth soccer players since LSC and GC will partner to offer summer soccer camps. We look forward to the many opportunities students, athletes, families and the community will enjoy by having Lexington SC at Georgetown College.” 

In preparation for the club’s first season at Georgetown College, Lexington SC will install multiple facility updates, most notably a new state-of-the-art artificial turf field, which replicates the product installed at the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins training facility. The Matrix Helix turf provides athletes of all ages with a safe surface and relief from the heat, as the field features EcoTherm infill which can reduce the surface temperature of the field by nearly 30 degrees.  

The new field at Georgetown College replicates Lexington SC’s new seven-field complex located on Athens Boonesboro Rd. The $20 million facility will serve as the home for the club, including its 1,400 youth players, as well as a destination for future regional and national sporting events. The first three fields of the complex are scheduled to open within 60 days, with the remainder of the facility to be completed by the end of spring. 

The collaboration extends beyond the field of play as Georgetown College and Lexington SC will integrate the professional club into the college’s Sports Management curriculum, by providing the opportunity to invite club executives into the classroom, students to gain experience through internship opportunities, and more.   

“This partnership sends a signal that Georgetown College is a destination for athletics and the broader community. Throughout this process, Lexington SC has been easy to work with, ensuring that this project would happen by making their leadership team available. This partnership will allow us to install the same playing surface that is located in SoFi and AT&T stadiums in the NFL. I want to also thank the Georgetown College Board of Trustees for their support of this collaboration,” said Brian Evans, GC Vice President for Athletics. 

Lexington SC kicks off its inaugural professional soccer campaign at One Knoxville in Knoxville, Tenn., March 18, followed by a trip to Cary, N.C., to play North Carolina FC April 1. 

Ticketing details for season ticket deposit holders will be sent via email later today, and information for those on the waitlist will follow at a later date.  

Fans may still join the season ticket waitlist prior to tickets going on sale to the public by following this link. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington Sporting Club, in conjunction with the United Soccer League (USL), released the complete 2023 schedule for the upcoming USL W League season.

The 10-match regular season pits Lexington SC against its Valley Division foes: Indy Eleven, Kings Hammer, Racing Louisville FC and St. Charles FC, and features five home and five away matches.

More information about the 2023 playoff structure will be released in the coming weeks.

Lexington opens its historic W League campaign May 10 at home against Kings Hammer.

The W League is the nation’s premier pre-professional women’s platform, with 65 teams across 10 divisions during the league’s sophomore season. Its goal is to grow the women’s game, and to “increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development” for female players while providing playing opportunities, and emphasize career development with “tools and resources to help prepare players for the transition to their post-playing careers.”

Stay tuned for more information regarding home venue, ticketing and roster information.

2023 USL W League Schedule (home matches in bold)

Wednesday, May 10: Lexington SC vs. Kings Hammer

Thursday, May 18: Racing Louisville FC vs. Lexington SC

Sunday, May 21: Lexington SC vs. Indy Eleven

Wednesday, May 24: Lexington SC vs. St. Charles FC

Sunday, June 4: St. Charles FC vs. Lexington SC

Friday, June 9: Indy Eleven vs. Lexington SC

Sunday, June 11: Lexington SC vs. Racing Louisville FC

Tuesday, June 20: Kings Hammer vs. Lexington SC

Thursday, June 22: Lexington SC vs. Indy Eleven

Sunday, June 25: Kings Hammer vs. Lexington SC

About Lexington Sporting Club

Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.