Fort Wayne Football Club bolstered its roster Friday with the addition of forward Trace Terry on the eve of the team’s first professional match – 7 p.m. Saturday against FC Naples in Naples, Florida.
Terry’s contract is pending league and federation approval.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to join Fort Wayne FC,” Terry said. “From the conversations I’ve had with the staff, and what I’ve seen from the club, it’s clear there’s a strong culture and ambition here. I’m grateful for the chance to be part of it and can’t wait to get to work, meet the fans, and help the team compete for a championship this season.”
Terry, 22, who hails from Bellbrook, Ohio, played at Bowling Green State University from 2022 to 2025 and was a teammate of Fort Wayne FC defender Anthony Hernandez. Terry was chosen by Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders in the third round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft before returning to Bowling Green for his senior season.
He finished his college career with 28 goals and 13 assists in 68 matches, and his 11 game-winning goals were tied for second in program history.
“When we began the roster build at the end of last season, we intentionally planned to hold one or two roster spots for players who might become available later in the process. Thankfully we took this approach because we are thrilled to now be able to bring Trace Terry to Fort Wayne,” said the club’s head coach, Mike Avery.
“Trace is a striker we have always had very high on our list. He is a tall and athletic central striker who has a great penalty box presence as a goal creator.”
In 2025, as a team captain, Terry totaled 10 goals and two assists in 17 matches. He was selected First Team All-Conference in the Missouri Valley Conference for the second straight year, and he was named to the United Soccer Coaches’ All-West Region Second Team. He had game-winning goals in four of the Falcons’ five victories and led the MVC in that category.
In 2024, when Terry had 12 goals and five assists in 18 matches, he was named to the United Soccer Coaches’ All-American Second Team and to TopDrawerSoccer’s All-American Third Team.
Terry also played in USL League Two, the pre-professional tier in which Fort Wayne FC played from 2021 to 2025; Terry competed for Toledo Villa FC in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
“What really impressed me from Trace’s college career were the ‘big moment’ goals – when his team needed a goal, it was Trace who often delivered it,” Avery said. “We played against Trace a few times in USL League Two, and we are all excited now to have him on our side.”
The Fort Wayne FC roster is comprised of 20 players.
Fort Wayne Football Club roster
Ian Abbey, forward, 21 years old
Javier Armas, midfielder, 26 years old
Clarence Awoudor, midfielder, 22 years old
Ryan Becher, midfielder, 24 years old
Aurie Briscoe, goalkeeper, 24 years old
Tiago Dias, defender, 24 years old
Jeremy Garay, midfielder, 22 years old
Taig Healy, midfielder, 22 years old
Anthony Hernandez, defender, 22 years old
JP Jordan, midfielder, 23 years old
James Musa, midfielder, 33 years old
Daniel Oyetunde, forward, 19 years old
Michael Rempel, defender, 24 years old
Lilian Ricol, attacker, 23 years old
Bernd Schipmann, goalkeeper, 31 years old
Jayden Smith, defender, 19 years old
Juan Solís, defender, 21 years old
Reid Sproat, defender, 24 years old
Trace Terry, forward, 22 years old
Jack Thomas, midfielder, 21 years old
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.