Erie Commodores FC

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Erie Commodores FC
Erie Commodores.png
Full nameErie Commodores Football Club
Nickname(s)Erie Commodores, Commodores, ECFC
Founded2009;15 years ago (2009)
Stadium Saxon Stadium
Erie, Pennsylvania
OwnerJohn Melody
Head CoachAshley Phillips
League National Premier Soccer League

United Women's Soccer

Ohio Valley Premier League
Website Club website
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

Erie Commodores FC is an American soccer team based in Erie, Pennsylvania which competes in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a nationwide amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team plays its home matches at Saxon Stadium on the campus of Mercyhurst University. In 2021, the Commodores added a pro-am women's team to play in United Women's Soccer. [1] They also added men's and women's teams to the Ohio Valley Premier League for the 2022 season. [2]

Contents

The "Commodores" name alludes to Oliver Hazard Perry, a United States Navy commodore who based his operations at Erie's Presque Isle Bay during the Battle of Lake Erie, a flashpoint in the War of 1812. The "Don't Give up the Ship" motto on the crest also derives from Commodore Perry.

History

Pedro Argaez, a local soccer coach, formed Erie Admirals SC in 2009, developing the club from an established youth soccer program by the same name. John Melody, an alumnus of Mercyhurst University in Erie, served Argaez as head coach, later acquiring full ownership while continuing to lead the team. On April 24, 2015, Melody officially re-branded his club as Erie Commodores FC. [3] He also hired fellow Mercyhurst graduate, Micky Blythe, as head coach for one season. Subsequently, Neil Brown, who received an internationally prestigious "A" license from UEFA, helped lead Commodores FC in their 2015 NPSL campaign. [4]

Several players who once played for Commodores FC moved on to the professional soccer ranks: Adam Clement with Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer (MLS); Jeremy Deighton, Greg Blum, and Neil Shaffer with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC of the United Soccer League; Dan Howell in Iceland; Billy Colton in New Zealand, Sam Dorf in Ireland and Israel, and, most recently, Danny Deakin, who was drafted by Orlando City SC of MLS. [5]

Erie Commodores FC has a rivalry with fellow Rust Belt conference NPSL club Cleveland SC (Cleveland, Ohio). They had a rivalry with Detroit City FC (Detroit, Michigan) until Detroit left the NPSL for the National Independent Soccer Association. The club participated in the Erie County Derby against FC Buffalo, a regional NPSL rivalry pitting Erie County, Pennsylvania and Erie County, New York until Buffalo joined USL League Two in 2023.

In 2020, the Commodores competed in the NPSL Members Cup along with Cleveland SC, FC Buffalo, and the Pittsburgh Hotspurs.

Current roster

As of May 17, 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Chris Ralph
2 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Antonio De La Torre
3 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Faheem Khan
4 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Chad Eldridge
5 DF Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG Bautista Corti
6 DF Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  WAL Sam Richards
7 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Danny Stevens
8 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Tom Barry
9 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Max Wilkins
10 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Dylan Sumner
11 MF Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Renan Diniz
12 MF Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Gabriel Peres
14 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Tinashe Katsande
15 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Ryan Beckinsale
16 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Thomas Binkowski
No.Pos.NationPlayer
17 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Owen Jowett
19 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Steve Yeonas
20 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ryan Lieser
21 FW Flag of Australia (converted).svg  AUS Joe Knox
22 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Andy Bennett
23 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Gavin Morgan
24 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Toby Gower
25 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jack Foht
26 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Shawn Rapal
27 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Peter Wagner
28 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jonathan Gomes
29 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Mitchell Wolff
30 MF Flag of Morocco.svg  MAR Anass Hadran
31 GK Flag of Germany.svg  GER Friedrich Petrelli

Year-by-year

Year Tier LeagueRegular SeasonRecordPlayoffs
2009 4NPSL1st of 6, Eastern Keystone9 wins, 0 losses, 1 tieNational Final
2010 4NPSL2nd of 7, Northeast-Keystone10 wins, 2 losses, 0 ties did not qualify
2011 4NPSL1st of 8, Northeast-Keystone10 wins, 1 loss, 1 tieNational Semifinals
2012 4NPSL1st of 5, Midwest-Great Lakes6 wins, 1 loss, 5 tiesDivision Final
2013 4NPSL3rd of 6, Midwest-Great Lakes6 wins, 3 losses, 3 tiesNational Semifinals
2014 4NPSL2nd of 4, Midwest-Great Lakes East6 wins, 6 losses, 2 tiesdid not qualify
2015 4NPSL7th of 13, Midwest5 wins, 7 losses, 0 tiesdid not qualify
2016 4NPSL5th of 6, Midwest-Great Lakes East2 wins, 4 losses, 4 tiesdid not qualify
2017 4NPSL1st of 7, Midwest-East6 wins, 3 losses, 3 tiesRegional first round
2018 4NPSL1st of 7, Midwest-East8 wins, 1 loss, 3 tiesRegional first round
2019 4NPSL3rd of 6, Midwest-East4 wins, 2 losses, 4 tiesdid not qualify
2020 4NPSLCancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic N/ANot played
2021 4NPSL4th of 6, Midwest-Rust Belt1 win, 5 losses, 4 ties did not qualify
2022 4NPSL4th of 5, Midwest-Rust Belt3 wins, 7 losses, 2 ties did not qualify
2023 4NPSL5th of 7, Midwest-Great Lakes5 wins, 6 losses, 1 tie did not qualify

Honors

National:

Region/Historic Equivalent:

Conference/Historic Equivalent:

Rivalry:

Staff

Owner

Head coach

Assistant coach

Stadia

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References

  1. UWS League Two launches Lake Erie Conference
  2. Erie Commodores FC join OVPL2022!
  3. "Erie's NPSL Team Rebrands as Erie Commodores FC". International Soccer Network. Archived from the original on 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2015-09-08.
  4. About the Erie Commodores Football Club
  5. "Orlando City Selects Midfielder Danny Deakin in Third Round of 2017 MLS SuperDraft | Orlando City".
  6. "Melody steps down as Admirals coach". Erie Times-News .