AFC Ohio enters second NPSL season in the Great Lakes Conference after inaugural-year playoff run and 3-1 opening victory over defending conference champion Flower City Union
CANTON, Ohio — Ambassadors FC Ohio has officially launched its 2026 National Premier Soccer League season, beginning its second campaign in the NPSL Great Lakes Conference with a powerful road statement: a 3-1 victory over defending conference champion Flower City Union on Saturday, May 9, at the Rochester Community Sports Complex.
The win marked the first time AFC Ohio has defeated Flower City Union in NPSL play and served as a strong opening chapter for a club looking to build on a remarkable inaugural NPSL season in 2025. Last year, Ambassadors FC Ohio finished second in the Great Lakes Conference, earned the right to host a conference semifinal, captured its first NPSL playoff victory, and advanced to the Great Lakes Conference Final.
Now, the only pre-professional soccer club in the Stark County/Canton region competing on a true national platform returns to Canton with renewed belief, a growing competitive identity, and a clear commitment to representing Northeast Ohio with excellence on and off the field.
“Last season was an important step forward for our men’s program, but it was only a beginning,” said Bob Dean, Director of Men’s Football Operations for Ambassadors FC Ohio. “To enter the NPSL, compete immediately in one of the strongest regions in the country, host a playoff match, and reach a conference final was a tremendous accomplishment. But our players, coaches, staff, partners, and supporters understand that the standard continues to rise. The 2026 season is about growth, maturity, and continuing to build something that reflects the mission and values of Ambassadors Football.”
Ambassadors FC Ohio competes in the NPSL’s Great Lakes Conference alongside regional opponents including Flower City Union, Rochester NY FC Academy, Cleveland SC, Erie Commodores FC, Buffalo Stallions, and Niagara 1812. The conference has quickly become one of the most competitive environments in the league, featuring clubs with deep player pools, strong local followings, and postseason ambitions.
AFC Ohio’s 2026 opener reflected that competitive landscape. On a physical night in Rochester, the visitors absorbed pressure, created decisive attacking moments, and showed the resilience that became a defining characteristic of the club during its first NPSL season.
Forward Amir Spratt (Kent, Ohio-Univ. of Mount Union), the 2025 Great Lakes Conference MVP, opened his 2026 account with two goals in the first half, while Diego Pinto (Akron, Ohio-Lakeland CC) added a second half penalty in his first match back after suffering a broken foot against Flower City during the 2025 season. First-year goalkeeper Nick Bertolini (Doylestown, Ohio-Walsh Univ.) delivered an outstanding debut performance, producing several key saves to help AFC Ohio secure all three points.
Head Coach and Technical Director Ryan Dean, a 2025 finalist for NPSL National Coach of the Year, said the opener was an important result but only one step in a demanding season.
“It was a match of moments, and our players were brave in those moments,” Ryan Dean said. “Winning away from home against the defending conference champion is meaningful, especially after the way last season ended. But this league does not allow you to live off one result. The challenge now is to keep improving, keep competing, and keep becoming the team we believe we can be.”
AFC Ohio’s home opener is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 5:00 p.m. against Rochester NY FC Academy at Dr. David & Winnie King Field at Pioneer Park on the campus of Malone University in Canton, Ohio. The match features a meeting of last season’s Great Lakes Conference semifinalists and begins a home slate that will bring some of the region’s top pre-professional clubs to Canton throughout May and June.
The 2026 home schedule also includes a highly anticipated rematch with Flower City Union on Saturday, May 30, at 5:00 p.m., a Great Lakes Conference matchup with Buffalo Stallions on Wednesday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m., a regional clash against Erie Commodores FC on Wednesday, June 24, at 7:00 p.m., and the regular-season home finale against Niagara 1812 on Saturday, June 27, at 7:00 p.m. at King Field.
Ambassadors FC Ohio continues to call Malone University home through its valued facilities and media partnership. King Field provides the club with a first-class matchday environment, including the SportsGrass XP playing surface by ForeverLawn NEO, AFC Ohio’s Foundation Title Partner. Malone’s Christ-centered mission and commitment to developing servant leaders align closely with the broader mission of Ambassadors Football.
“Our home matches are about more than soccer,” Bob Dean said. “They are about gathering families, supporters, mission partners, youth players, and community partners around a shared experience. We want people to see high-level football, but we also want them to feel welcomed, encouraged, and connected to something bigger than the game.”
Ambassadors Football is a worldwide football mission headquartered in Twinsburg, Ohio with mission plants in 35 countries globally that was founded in 1990. Locally, Ambassadors Football operates the Ambassadors Football Club, a 500-member youth club with boys and girls teams from under 10 to men’s and women’s senior pre-professional teams.
The men’s pre-pro side began operations in 2021 in the 6th tier Northern Ohio Soccer League (NOSL) and won the league title in that inaugural season. Beginning in 2022, the men’s side added an Under 23 program for graduating high school-aged players entering college and current collegiate players. The U23 team maintained a presence in the NOSL through 2024, winning the NOSL League Cup in 2024, while the 1st team competed in the 5th tier Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) from 2022 through 2024. Last year was the first year for the 1st team competing in the NPSL, while the U23s moved up to the OVPL. The U23s this year will compete in the newly-affiliate NPSL – RL (Regional League) in the Midwest Region.
That mission-driven identity remains central to Ambassadors FC Ohio’s work. The club is part of the larger Ambassadors Football ministry, which uses the platform of soccer to serve communities, develop leaders, and share the love of Christ locally and globally. As Canton and Stark County’s first NPSL club, AFC Ohio continues to bring a unique combination of competitive ambition and missional purpose to the region. When the club joined the NPSL in 2025, the league noted that Ambassadors FC Ohio became the first club in league history to call Canton and Stark County home.
The club’s 2026 season is supported by a strong family of community and mission partners, including SportsGrass by ForeverLawn NEO, Malone University, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Rothenbuhler Cheesemakers, University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute, Pioneer Trails, Stimulus Athletic, Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, The MNK Legacy Project, Don Polo Mexican Food, State Farm agents Jennifer Corwin and Nykole Morgenroth, Robertson Heating Supply/Rheem, FNA Wealth Management, Boyce Machine, Zavarelli Property & Development, and The Schooner J. & E. Riggin.
New for 2026, Don Polo Mexican Food joins AFC Ohio as the club’s Official Food Truck Vendor, adding local flavor and hospitality to the matchday experience. The Canton-area food truck will serve fans and families during home matches throughout the season.
“We are incredibly grateful for the partners who make this platform possible,” Bob Dean said. “Their investment allows us to operate with professionalism, care for our players, welcome our supporters, and serve our community. Each partner brings something meaningful to the AFC Ohio family, and we do not take that for granted.”
Ambassadors FC Ohio will also continue its mission partnership with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, supporting the Foodbank’s work to address food insecurity across the region. The Foodbank serves hunger-relief partners across eight counties, including Stark and Summit, through food pantries, meal sites, shelters, children’s programs, senior programs, and other hunger-relief efforts.
“As a club and ministry, we believe the platform we have been given through football is meant to serve others,” Bob Dean said. “The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is doing essential work in our region, and we are honored to continue supporting that mission.”
On the field, AFC Ohio returns a strong core of players from the 2025 postseason run while also welcoming new talent into the group. The club’s roster blends experienced college standouts, returning veterans, emerging young players, and international talent, giving the technical staff a competitive squad built for the demanding pace of the NPSL summer season.
The 2026 version of AFC Ohio returns many familiar faces and adds significant new faces to the roster. Club captain Omar Najjar (Bath, OH) returns for his sixth season wearing the armband at center back. The veteran leader and member of the Cleveland Crunch championship indoor side provides a foundation in the back. Joining Najjar through the spine of the team is 2nd-year player Yonatan Sorokin (Jerusalem, Israel), a finalist for the MAC-Herman Trophy while at the Univ. of Central Florida and UCLA, along with returning veteran from Baldwin Wallace University Ben McCauley (Tallmadge, OH). 2nd year veteran Max Brown (Aurora, OH), a recent Cedarville University grad, will help anchor the backline as well.
AFC Ohio will also feature newcomer to the program Jared “Jax” Pena of Walsh University. Pena is the captain of the Philippines U23 National Team and will be the first “fully capped” international to wear the Blue, Black, and White for Ambassadors.
For Ryan Dean, the focus remains on daily standards and a greater purpose.
“We want to compete for results, absolutely,” Ryan Dean said. “But we also want to build men, build leaders, and build a culture that reflects who we are. If we can do that while continuing to improve every week, then this season has the potential to be very meaningful.”
Following the opening victory in Rochester, Ambassadors FC Ohio returns to Canton with early momentum and a clear opportunity to continue building its place in the NPSL landscape. The club’s 2026 campaign will test its depth, discipline, and maturity, but the mission remains consistent: compete with excellence, serve with humility, and represent Northeast Ohio with purpose.
“Ambassadors FC Ohio exists to be more than football,” Bob Dean said. “We want to develop players, leaders, relationships, and opportunities for service. We want to compete at the highest level available to us while remaining rooted in who we are. That is the purpose of our program and our focus for the season.”
