The Fort Wayne Football Club offense erupted in the second half – including back-to-back goals from Lilian Ricol – and the Autumn Gold & Black got their first ever victory at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium on Wednesday night.
Capped by a Taig Healy goal, Fort Wayne FC emerged with a 3-0 victory over the Portland Hearts of Pine, in front of a crowd of 2,389.
Fort Wayne FC (2-2-2), the youngest team in USL League One, is unbeaten in its last three league matches, including a 1-0 victory at the Chattanooga Red Wolves on April 11 and a 2-2 draw with the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night – when a crowd of 4,000 attended the first ever game at 6411 Bass Road.
Wednesday was the first time Fort Wayne FC scored three goals in a match since ascending to the professional ranks this season.
“We played really well,” Fort Wayne FC’s head coach, Mike Avery, said. “Even in the first half, even though we weren’t creating enough chances, we controlled the game. I think that was really nice for us, to see our ability to control from kickoff right until the end.”
And goaltender Bernd Schipmann had four saves for his second clean sheet of the season. He also assisted on Ricol’s second goal, in the 64th minute, booting the ball high and above the entirety of the Portland defense for Ricol to flick a left-footed shot from just outside the penalty area that slipped inside the far post.
Healy made it 3-0 in the 70th minute, stealing the ball from the Portland backline just outside the box, navigating through traffic, and propelling a shot that slipped underneath the crossbar.
Ricol’s first goal, which opened the scoring in the 54th minute, came on a high, arcing shot following a give-and-go with Jayden Smith.
Portland (2-2-3) got two saves from goalkeeper Kashope Oladapo.
Fort Wayne FC is back at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. match against Westchester SC (2-4-1).
“This is starting to feel more and more like home,” Avery said.
Tickets are on sale now. Parking, which is prepay only, is also available for purchase. The parking lot will open at 5:15 p.m. and the Ruoff Mortgage Stadium gates at 6 p.m. Patrons are advised to leave early to help ease the flow of traffic as the finishing touches are put on the largest outdoor venue in Northeast Indiana.
Match photos
Video recap
Coach Mike Avery interview
Box score
FORT WAYNE FC 0-3-3
PORTLAND HEARTS OF PINE 0-0-0
May 6, 2026
At Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attendance: 2,389
GOALS: FW—Lilian Ricol 2, Taig Healy; POR— None.
ASSISTS: FW—Jayden Smith, Bernd Schipmann ; POR– None.
SAVES: FW—Bernd Schipmann, 4; POR— Kash Oladapo, 3
POSSESSION: FW— 44.9%; POR— 55.1%
YELLOW CARDS: FW— Jayden Smith, Tiago Dias, Michael Rempel, Ian Abbey; POR— Emiliano Terzaghi, Ollie Wright, Mikey Lopez, Joshua Drack.
RED CARDS: FW—None; POR—None.
REFEREE: Izlen Peksenar
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 plays home matches at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, which opened May 2, 2026, and is a soccer-specific venue. 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.