LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington Sporting Club is set to face off against NC Hailstorm FC in the club’s season and home opener this Saturday. The match is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and will take place at Toyota Stadium in Georgetown, Ky.
Lexington SC (0-0-0, 0 points) is coming off its inaugural season that saw it earn points in 18 matches. With a revamped roster and a new coaching staff, the ambitions are clear for the returning squad and the new additions: bring silverware to Lexington.
NC Hailstorm FC (0-0-0, 0 points) will enter the match after finishing the 2023 season as the No. 3 seed in the USL League One playoffs, winning 18 games during the regular season. Hailstorm would go down against eventual champions North Carolina FC in the semi-finals. With many of the biggest names from the season leaving in the offseason, plenty of question marks remain for the Colorado outfit ahead of the new season.
TUNE IN:
- The match will be streaming live on ESPN+.
- For in-game content, follow Lexington SC on Twitter and Instagram.
- For in-game stats, head to the Match Center.
GAME NOTES
Lexington SC will be facing off with NC Hailstorm FC for the first time this season. Last season the pair met in three contests, with Lexington SC holding a 1-1-1 record, including a 4-3 win in Windsor for the club’s first ever road win after an Ates Diouf hat trick.
Lexington SC has a new man in charge for the 2024 season with Darren Powell taking the reins for the club from interim head coach Nacho Novo. Sam Stockley, the club’s first gaffer, remains in his sporting director role, overseeing all men’s and boy’s soccer with the club.
Ates Diouf, the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, returns to Lexington after a stellar first year that saw him earn his way onto the USL League One All-League Team. This year, however, he’s been bolstered with other thrilling forwards such as superstar Cameron Lancaster.
Billy King is the man to watch for Hailstorm FC. While Trevor Amann was a lethal scorer in 2023, notching 25 scores, he departed for Sacramento Republic FC in the offseason. Billy King, however, returned to Colorado after finishing the 2023 season with eight goals, making him the second leading scorer last year. Proficient in creating chances, the left-footed Scotsman will likely look to take up a much larger role in Windsor this season.
About Lexington Sporting Club
Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer third division men’s professional soccer), and in USL Super League (women’s professional soccer launching in 2024). The two professional teams are the pinnacle of the soccer ecosystem in Lexington that features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems. Lexington SC in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.