Here's a look back at The Mighty Oak's Top 10 Moments of 2016.
One of the most iconic voices in sports was eager to support his local club and help record the voice over for AFC Ann Arbor's 2016 promo video. Tirico lives in Ann Arbor and was unbelievably supportive of the project from the jump. A very special moment for The Mighty Oak to have him support the club.
Bank of Ann Arbor has been the biggest supporter of The Mighty Oak from the get go. In 2016, the company underwent a rebrand which included new kits for AFC Ann Arbor.
At this level of soccer, rosters change from season to season with very few returning players making it challenging for teams to build chemistry. If there was ever a moment that captured how close our guys became so quickly, it was captured in this terribly amazing goal celebration by Jack Smith and Dario Suarez.
Knox Cameron wears more hats than most can even fathom. In the inaugural Saline Showcase, he was not only representing the club as a co-owner and player, but he was also representing his role as Director of Saline FC as many folks came out to support Cameron in the friendly against Northwood University. It was the Cameron's lone goal of the 2016 campaign, but it came in great fashion as he scored the game winner off a header.
After spending the first season in the Great Lakes Premier League (now the Premier League of America), The Mighty Oak joined a much larger, more prominent, national league in the NPSL. The debut match in the league was a success with a home result over Dayton Dynamo.
It didn't take long for Dario Suarez to impress The Mighty Oak supporters but it wasn't until this no-look goal against Grand Rapids FC during the Memorial Day Classic that earned him the nickname "Super Dario."
Rudland was named Sporting Director and Head Coach of The Mighty Oak in late 2015, and hit the ground running during his debut season for AFC Ann Arbor. In just his first year at the helm, he led AFC Ann Arbor to a playoff berth in one of the most competitive divisions in the NPSL.
In a road test at Lansing United, Bruno Oliveira scored a rare, and beautiful olimpico goal as the game winner.
In one of the most exciting moments of the season, Hector Morales and Willie Bayemi helped the team comeback from a late 2-0 deficit to score 3 goals in a matter of minutes to earn the home result.
In just the club's first season in the NPSL, in arguably the most competitive division in the entire country, The Mighty Oak earned a trip to the playoffs by winning their last league match of the year on the road.