Coming off the club’s first season in the National Premier Soccer League, The Mighty Oak will look to build off a very successful inaugural campaign. Head Coach and Sporting Director Eric Rudland will once again lead the charge for AFC Ann Arbor in the Great Lakes Conference of the NPSL’s Midwest Region.
"We are in the process of shaping a team that can build off of our year one success in the NPSL. And I'm happy to be back with The Mighty Oak for a second season,” said Rudland.
Heading into the 2017 season the NPSL has issued regional realignments to balance some of the new expansion franchises in the region. The Great Lakes Conference welcomes newcomers in FC Indiana and Milwaukee Torrent. AFC Ann Arbor along with the other five Michigan based organizations (DCFC, GRFC, KZFC, Lansing United, Michigan Stars) round out the rest of the 8 team conference. Soccer fans in the state of Michigan can all feel relieved as all 6 in-state teams return for another year, keeping some of the biggest rivalries nation-wide in tact.
The regular season will consist of 14 league games consisting of home and home pairings with the other 7 Great Lakes clubs. League play is set to begin in early/mid May with matches ongoing until the second to last weekend in July. Supporters can expect a full schedule release in early February.
The playoff format for the region is set to be released in mid January, but the regional playoff dates have been confirmed for the last weekend in July.
Stay tuned as playoff details and schedule releases will be released in early 2017.
About AFC Ann Arbor
AFC Ann Arbor, also known as The Mighty Oak, is entering it’s third season of competition as Ann Arbor’s very own semi-pro soccer team. After finishing second in their respective conference in 2016, AFC Ann Arbor earned a trip to the Midwest Region semi-finals. Led by Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland, The Mighty Oak have established themselves as one of the most competitive clubs in the league. For more information on securing your 2017 Membership click here.