Something Fort Wayne FC has already shown this season is an ability to finish matches strong.
The latest evidence came in Friday’s 1-1 draw on the road against Lexington SC, when Aboubacar Traore’s goal in the 56th minute was the equalizer that ensured Fort Wayne FC got an important point in the standings.
Goalkeeper Aurie Briscoe, one of USL League Two’s all-time greats, had no doubt his club would rally after it allowed a first-half goal to Max Haberman.
“I didn’t have any fear,” said Briscoe, who’s in his third season with Fort Wayne FC. “This group has come together really well since the beginning, and I had confidence we’d get another goal and come back. Everybody’s head didn’t drop and say, ‘Oh, we’re done.’ We just came back harder.”
Fort Wayne FC is back on the pitch 7 p.m. Wednesday at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium, on the University of Saint Francis campus, to face Kings Hammer FC Columbus. It’ll be Report Card Night – kids with an ‘A’ or equivalent grade on their report card will get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket.
Kings Hammer FC Columbus (0-1-0) hasn’t played since a 2-1 home loss to Lexington SC on May 17, and those clubs are part of what’s shaping up to be an especially challenging six-team Valley Division. Fort Wayne FC won the division each of the last two seasons and is off to a 1-0-1 start – good enough for second place behind Lexington SC (2-0-1).
“Just looking at the scores, everybody’s (playing to results of) 2-0, 2-1, and I think it’s good for us because it’s going to push us to be the best that we can be,” said Briscoe, who in 2023 won the USL League Two Golden Glove Award for having the lowest goals-against average in the league, and who helped Fort Wayne FC go 9-3-2 last season.
“If you want to be a good player, you want to have good competition and that’s what this league is providing.”
In Fort Wayne FC’s opening match of the USL League Two season, a 2-0 victory at the Dayton Dutch Lions on May 17, FWFC also finished strong – getting a goal in the 69th minute from Caio Oliveira to support Mamadou Diarra’s first-half tally.
“We know we can play till the end and we can keep battling,” coach Mike Avery said. “We talk about it all the time: No matter what happens early in the game, we’ve just got to keep battling and trust that we’re doing to get on the right side of things.”
After Wednesday’s match, Fort Wayne FC hosts Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati (1-0-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium. It’ll be Mental Health Awareness & Healthcare Workers Night – Mental Health and Healthcare Professionals, who have proper identification or credentials, can take advantage of a Buy One, Get One Free ticket offer on the day of the match.
About Fort Wayne FC
Fort Wayne FC, founded in 2019, is currently a pre-professional club in USL League Two’s Valley Division in the Central Conference. The club won Valley Division championships in 2023 and 2024. Fort Wayne FC is moving to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026 at a new state-of-the-art stadium. www.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.
