2016 Grand Rapids FC season

Grand Rapids FC
2016 season
Coach George Moni
Stadium Houseman Field
NPSL 1st - Great Lakes West
NPSL Playoffs Regional Final
Top goalscorer League: Scott Doney (4)
All: Scott Doney (6)
Highest home attendance 6,912 (July 22 vs. Indy Eleven NPSL)
Average home league attendance League: 4,784
All: 4,315
Home colors
Away colors
← 2015

The 2016 Grand Rapids FC season was the second season of Grand Rapids Football Club, its first since moving to the National Premier Soccer League.

It competed in the Great Lakes West Conference of the Midwest Region, along with five other Michigan teams and Dayton Dynamo for a total of 12 league games. Friendlies against Ole SC, Oakland County FC, Force FC and Muskegon Risers completed the schedule.

The season started off with Peter Brown scoring after just 48 seconds of GRFC's first NPSL match in Pontiac against Michigan Stars, only for the hosts to equalize before half-time.

The return match a week later was another close affair, Peter Brown again credited with an early goal, although his shot hit the post and went in off a defender's clearance. Noah Fazekas kept the club's first NPSL clean sheet.

Memorial Day saw the club travel to Ann Arbor, where they succumbed to a 3-1 loss, Greg Timmer grabbing a late consolation goal.

That was the first of three consecutive away games. Scott Doney had the visitors ahead early in Lansing, but the hosts equalized just seconds after the break.

Two direct free kicks from Lito Esquivel were the difference between the sides in the trip to Kalamazoo.

Detroit City visited Houseman Field for the homecoming. They grabbed an early lead, which was wiped out by two Scott Doney markers. Tyler Fischer added a third from a Trent Vegter long throw. Detroit pulled one back early in the second, but two goals from Joe Broekhuizen completed an emphatic victory. A club league record 6,122 watched the match, the second largest attendance in NPSL regular season history (the record at the time was 7,140 at Detroit's opener against Ann Arbor on May 20).

The next home match ended in a disappointing 2-2 result against Kalamazoo, the visitors twice took the lead only for GRFC to equalize.

A lone Scott Doney goal in the first half was enough to take three points from Dayton in the sole trip outside Michigan.

At their last away game of the season, a Noah Fazekas penalty save earned GRFC a point in a goalless stalemate against Detroit City.

A single goal from Tyler Fischer completed the double over Dayton, the first 'season sweep' for GRFC in league action. Combined with a defeat by Ann Arbor against Detroit, the result was enough to put GRFC top of the table for the first time in their history, with two games remaining.

In the top of the table match on July 8, AFC Ann Arbor went ahead in the first minute of the second half, but through goals by Jared Timmer, Noble Sullivan and Gabe Mateo the hosts celebrated 1st place in the Great Lakes West and a playoff matchup with Indy Eleven NPSL. The match was watched by a club record 6,854 spectators.

After the regular season was wrapped up with an effective dead rubber against Lansing United, the NPSL Midwest Regional Championship was hosted at Houseman Field.

In front of a further record attendance of 6,912, GRFC edged past Indy Eleven NPSL 1-0 thanks to another Noble Sullivan goal, but were unable to find a goal against AFC Cleveland in the final, losing on penalties 1-3 after 120 minutes of scoreless play.

Great Lakes West champions, and Midwest region runners-up in their first NPSL season.

Club

Roster

[1] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 United States GK Noah Fazekas
2 Ivory Coast MF Tarwo Konbloa
3 United States DF Peter Brown
4 England DF Tony Deakin
5 United States DF Jake VanderLaan
6 United States FW Tyler Fischer
7 Italy DF Mark Barone
8 Mexico MF Lito Esquivel
9 Bosnia and Herzegovina FW Elmedin Zukić
10 Italy FW Domenic Barone
11 New Zealand FW Scott Doney
12 United States MF Greg Timmer
13 Puerto Rico FW Gabe Mateo
14 United States MF Noble Sullivan
16 United States DF Joe Sweet
17 England MF Samuel Barnsley
18 United States MF TJ VanSlooten
19 Sierra Leone FW Ahmad Bah
No. Position Player
20 Italy FW Hunter Barone
21 United States FW Jared Timmer
22 United States MF Kosti Moni
23 United States MF Nick Abdoo
24 United States DF Sean Broekhuizen
25 Jamaica DF Stephen Herdsman
26 Canada MF Isky Van Doorne
27 United States MF Cam Sipple
28 United States MF Nate Hoover
29 United States DF Alex Ruddock
30 United States MF Stephan Hooker
31 United States DF Trent Vegter
32 United States FW Anthony Bowie
33 United States GK Kyle Taalman
34 United States GK Dary DeWalt
35 United States DF Nick Groenewold
77 United States FW Joe Broekhuizen
United States FW Sean Conerty

Team management

Head Coach: Albania George Moni

Competitions

Preseason

National Premier Soccer League

Standings

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Grand Rapids FC (C, Q) 12 7 1 4 21 11 +10 25 2016 NPSL Midwest Region playoffs
2 AFC Ann Arbor (Q) 12 6 3 3 19 16 +3 21
3 Michigan Stars FC 12 5 3 4 17 13 +4 19
4 Lansing United 12 4 4 4 16 14 +2 16
5 Detroit City FC 12 4 4 4 24 21 +3 16
6 Kalamazoo FC 12 4 6 2 12 15 −3 14
7 Dayton Dynamo 12 1 10 1 8 27 −19 4
Updated to match(es) played on July 15, 2016. Source: NPSL standings
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head to head; 3) goal differential in head to head results; 4) wins; 5) total goal differential; 6) fewest losses; 7) coin toss
(C) Champion; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated.

Regular Season

Playoffs

Friendlies

Statistics

Goal Scorers

Rank Player Goals
1 New Zealand Scott Doney 4
2 United States Joe Broekhuizen 3
United States Tyler Fischer
4 Mexico Lito Esquivel 2
United States Peter Brown
United States Greg Timmer
United States Noble Sullivan
7 Italy Mark Barone 1
United States Jared Timmer
Puerto Rico Gabe Mateo
Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Zukić

Updated to June 23 vs Cleveland (complete for the season)

Appearances

Rank Player Apps
1 United States Noah Fazekas 14
United States Tyler Fischer
United States Nick Abdoo
4 United States Greg Timmer 13
Mexico Lito Esquivel
6 England Tony Deakin 12
New Zealand Scott Doney
8 United States Noble Sullivan 11
United States Peter Brown
10 Ivory Coast Tarwo Konbloa 10
United States Nick Groenewold
United States Joe Broekhuizen

Updated to June 23 vs Cleveland (complete for the season)

Note: These are the goal scorers and appearances in competitive matches and does not include friendlies.

References

  1. ↑ http://grandrapidsfc.com/team/grand-rapids-fc/
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