Nighthawks eyeing more expansion

By BRIAN DZENIS

bdzenis@vindy.com

Whether it’s chasing dreams of professional soccer or just staying engaged with the sport of their youth, soccer players of all stripes have a place with the Youngstown Nighthawks.

The semi-professional indoor soccer team is expanding its reach in its fourth year of existence. What started as a men’s only soccer club has expanded to include a women’s team this year. The Nighthawks also are looking to start a United Soccer League Championship side next year.

For players who have been with the Nighthawks since the beginning, the transformation has been night and day. The Nighthawks were winless with one draw in their first year.

“We were not a team four years ago. [Coach and co-owner Roy Schmidt and principal owner Josh Auden] have done a great job in the past few years organizing it and getting better players and teaching us the arena game itself,” said Tyler Martini, a four-year player and Maplewood graduate. “We missed out on nationals last year by a goal. We were tied with the first-place team, but they had one more goal than us.

“This year, that’s our main goal. We’re trying to make sure our goal differential is so big that we get in this year.”

The Nighthawks (3-1-1) play in the Professional Arena Soccer League. The players are not paid, but the team does not operate in a pay-to-play system. Arena soccer is five players per side plus a goalie. There is no offsides and fouls — which are signaled by blue cards — lead to one-man advantages like power-plays in hockey. Substitutions work in a similar fashion to hockey.

“The five players on the field aren’t necessarily positional. When you’re on offense, positions constantly rotate. Defensively, you lock in and just need to cover,” said Schmidt, who also coaches boys and girls soccer at Ursuline. “The game is educational when you watch because you’ll notice ‘hey, that guy on the right is now on the left.’ What happens is when you move the ball, you need to interchange people to make the defense move.”

Ages of the players for both the teams may vary. Some could be high school seniors or college students and while Schmidt said he has a 51-year-old on the men’s side.

“It’s more so the younger group [that’s looking to go pro],” said women’s player Mandie LaNeve, an Ursuline grad who balances soccer with law school. “I’d like to have my hat in the ring, but we are supposed to go to nationals and the older group of us is going to have a better idea of what reality looks like as far as getting a professional card or not.”

Schmidt, who also coaches the women’s side, said so far it’s the men who have taken pursuing the pro game more serious. He’s seen a player leave the team to move to Texas to try and catch on with one of three USL teams in the state.

“There’s guys like myself who want to play [in the Major Arena Soccer League] or the USL professionally to take that next step,” Martini said. “This team sets up good development for the USL.”

On the USL front, the Nighthawks need a home that seats a minimum of 2,500. The team is currently looking at Warren Harding’s Mollenkopf Stadium as an ideal local site. Other sites in Akron, Columbus and Hudson are being considered.

“We want to stay home. If we’re going to have a team that’s based here, let’s play here. Let our fans see us, let’s get involved here and that’s the whole deal,” Schmidt said. “I’ve lived in Youngstown since I was in sixth grade. It’s important that we take our area and build it.”

Both teams will be in action at their home at Farmer Jim’s in Bazetta tonight in the team’s Black and Grey exhibition. The women start at 7 p.m. and the men follow immediately after. Think of it as the team putting on a show for the fans that helped the team grow.

“As players, we thank all the fans that have showed up and supported us over the past few years,” Martini said. “Without the kids coming to our games and camps, this stuff wouldn’t be happening.”