Hickory FC

Last updated

Hickory FC
Hickory FC Crest.png
Full nameHickory Football Club
Nickname(s)The Trees
Founded2023;2 years ago (2023)
Stadium Moretz Stadium
Hickory, North Carolina
Capacity7,200
Head coachCarlos Rubio
League National Premier Soccer League
2025 1st, Southeast Conference.
Website https://www.hickoryfc.com/
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

Hickory Football Club is an American soccer team based in Hickory, North Carolina, that currently plays in the National Premier Soccer League, on the de facto fourth tier of the United States soccer league system. The team plays its home games at Moretz Stadium.

Contents

History

Serious discussions about bringing a semi-professional soccer club to Hickory began in late 2022, [1] with the club being officially announced as an expansion club of the NPSL in late 2023. [2]

In their inaugural season, Hickory FC finished the regular season second in the NPSL's Southeast Conference. In the playoffs, they won the Southeast Conference championship before falling in the South Region semifinals. [3] In their second season, Hickory FC finished the regular season first in the NPSL's Southeast Conference. In the conference playoff final, Hickory FC beat Appalachian FC 1-0 after extra time, in front of a then record crowd of 5,758 fans, to win the Southeast Conference championship for the second straight season. [4]

Club culture

Colors and crest

The club colors are red and black. The crest draws from the foundations of Hickory as a city with the Hickory tree and the railroad track that played a prominent role. [5]

Supporters

Hickory FC's supporters group is the 28601. The group consists of fans that play different instruments including drums and trumpets, and they put up tifos across the stadium.

Rivalries

Hickory FC's main rivalry is with Appalachian FC. The clubs' cities, Hickory and Boone, are separated by just 45 miles. Hickory FC also has a secondary rivalry with Charlottetowne Hops FC. The rivalries between Hickory FC, Appalachian FC, and Charlottetowne Hops FC make up the three-way derby series known as the Moonshine Cup. [6]

Year-by-year

SeasonLeaguePositionPlayoffs U.S. Open Cup
LeagueConferencePldWDLGFGAGDPtsPPGConf.Overall
2024 NPSL Southeast107122614+12222.202nd18thRegion SemifinalsDNE
2025 NPSL Southeast10910317+24282.801st3rdNational ChampionsDNE
Total2016225721+36502.50

    Honors

    Club

    Personnel

    YearPersonnelCountryPositionHonor
    2025Antonio PinedaFlag of the United States.svg USA MidfieldNPSL Southeast Conference MVP
    2025Antonio PinedaFlag of the United States.svg USA MidfieldNPSL Golden Ball
    2025Carlos RubioFlag of Spain.svg SPA ManagerNPSL Coach of the Season
    2025Tomas PollacchiFlag of Argentina.svg ARG MidfieldNPSL National Final Man of the Match

    References

    1. ↑ "Hickory FC", Hickory FC
    2. ↑ "Hickory getting professional soccer team for 2024". Queen City News. October 12, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
    3. ↑ "Hickory FC defeats Mint Hill FC 6-1 in friendly". NPSL. May 5, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
    4. ↑ "Hickory FC Wins Southeast Conference Championship with 1-0 Extra Time Win Over Appalachian FC in Front of 5,758 Fans and Supporters". NPSL. July 14, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
    5. ↑ "Our Logo", Hickory FC
    6. ↑ "Hickory FC edges App FC in heated Mooneshine Cup opener". Watauga Democrat. May 27, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.