LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Lilian Ricol scored the first goal in Fort Wayne Football Club’s professional soccer history. Ryan Becher also found the back of the net.
And Fort Wayne FC got its first standings point with a 2-2 draw against the Sarasota Paradise on Saturday night at the Premier Sports Campus.
“Scoring the first goal is really nice,” Ricol said. “I’m happy to score my first professional goal, and to score the first professional goal in Fort Wayne history is an honor for me. It’s the first, and there will be a lot more I hope. I’m happy, too, that I helped the team with an assist.”
Fort Wayne FC (0-1-1) now has a two-week break to prepare for a road match against the New York Cosmos on March 28, when Fort Wayne FC will pursue its first victory in USL League One.
Ricol opened the scoring in the 30th minute by outsprinting the defense and chipping the ball into an open net, after Sarasota goalkeeper Alexander Sutton tripped while coming out to challenge. Becher scored in the 36th minute by redirecting the ball from just outside the right goalpost.
“I think we were so much better than the first match,” Ricol said. “We did a better job of keeping the ball. We conceded a goal just before the end of the first half, and we need to work on that. We are a young team, and if we continue to improve, it’s going to be all right.”
Sarasota’s Sander Røed got the host team on the scoreboard in first half stoppage time, on a free kick from well outside the penalty area, and teammate Jonathan Bolanos tied it at 2 in the 63rd minute with a curving shot from the left side of the box that slipped just inside the left post.
“Overall, I was pleased with the performance tonight,” Fort Wayne FC coach Mike Avery said. “Of course I’d have preferred to get all three points, especially when we held a two-goal lead, but earning points on the road in a competitive league is always a positive.”
Røed’s goal was Sarasota’s first in the professional ranks. Like Fort Wayne FC, the Paradise (0-1-1) moved up from the pre-professional level of USL League Two in the offseason. Sarasota lost its opening game 1-0 to visiting Athletic Club Boise on March 7, when Fort Wayne FC fell 2-0 at FC Naples.
“My two biggest takeaways from the night are this: First, we were much improved from Week 1 in how we played. For long stretches of the first half we looked like a Fort Wayne team,” Avery said. “Second, we played with an even younger team tonight than we did last week. Jack Thomas made his professional debut, Juan Solis got his first start in a 90-plus minute outing, and all of these experiences will make us stronger as the season progresses.
“Not a perfect night, but a good step forward. Lots of lessons available for us, and some positives to build on.”
Fort Wayne FC plays its first five matches on the road before opening Fort Wayne FC Park, at Bass Road and I-69, on May 2 against the Charlotte Independence.
Season tickets are on sale now. Single-match tickets goal on sale this Friday.
Notes: Fort Wayne goalkeeper Bernd Schippman and Sarasota’s Sutton each finished with three saves. … Jack Thomas became the 11th Fort Wayne FC player to make his professional debut in the club’s first two matches. Last season, at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Thomas was the United Soccer Coaches’ NAIA Player of the Year in 2025. … Fort Wayne FC’s Starting XI included Bernd Schipmann, Tiago Dias, JP Jordan, Lilian Ricol, Michael Rempel, Juan Solis, Ryan Becher, Anthony Hernandez, Thomas, James Musa and Javier Armas. Entering the match as substitutes were Trace Terry, Taig Healy, Reid Sproat, Jayden Smith and Jeremy Garay. … Sean Karani, who played for Fort Wayne FC in USL League Two, was a substitute player for Sarasota. … Fort Wayne FC’s Jordan played for Sarasota in USL League Two.
Match photos
Match highlights
Box score
FORT WAYNE FC 2-0—2
SARASOTA 1-1—2
March 14, 2026
At Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch, Fla
Attendance: 1,806
RECORDS: FW 0-1-0; SAR 0-1-0
GOALS: FW—Lilian Ricol, Ryan Becher; SAR—Jonathan Bolanos, Sander Røed
ASSISTS: FW—Javier Armas, Lilian Ricol; SAR–Sander Røed
SAVES: FW—Bernd Schipmann, 3; SAR-Alexander Sutton, 3
POSSESSION: FW—50.1%; SAR—49.9%.
YELLOW CARDS: FW—James Musa, Ryan Becher; SAR—Callum Stretch
RED CARDS: None
REFEREE: Calin Radosav
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.