Second-year USL W League side Flint City AFC has its first postseason berth in sight after a decisive comeback win Sunday evening at Kettering University’s iconic Atwood Stadium.

Flint City (6-0-3) fell behind 2-0 early to second-place Kalamazoo FC but stormed back to win 4-2, stay unbeaten, and further assert dominance in the race for the Great Lakes division title.

With three regular-season matches left, just one more Flint City victory would eliminate four division competitors. The last, Midwest United FC, would need to win five consecutive games.

In the 40th minute Sunday, an industrious Sammi Woods chased down an apparently harmless ball to shock a Kalamazoo center back. She touched the ball around the charging goalkeeper, who pulled her down to concede a penalty kick. Woods buried the kick to put Flint City on the board.  Less than 90 seconds later, pressure from Gabby Mueller forced another Kalamazoo turnover. She fed the ball across the area to Woods, who blasted it home for her second goal of the match.

Momentum carried through the halftime break. In the 52nd minute, Reese Slater received the ball from Olivia Rush and placed a left-footed beauty off the far post and in from 18 yards out.  Jenna Blackburn (Grand Blanc) iced things with an 84th-minute rocket, owing to another Mueller assist.

Up next: Flint City AFC travels this Saturday for a third game vs. Detroit City FC. The previous two matches ended in 0-0 and 2-2 draws. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck.

Bucks top Iraqi Lions, reach Gerhard Mengel State Cup semis

The Flint City Bucks hosted Iraqi Lions FC on Saturday evening in the quarterfinal round of the Gerhard Mengel State Cup, a single-elimination tournament with semi-pro teams across Michigan.

It resulted in the Bucks’ second 8-0 victory in two tournament matches.  Xavier University graduate Cade Thomson opened the scoring with an 18-yard strike in the 8th minute, punishing a turnover that followed a cutting run by Michigan grad Francis Atuahene.  

Saginaw Valley State attacker Jonny Monney looked to score a minute later but was called for offside. Still, he tallied in the 19th minute by beating the keeper with a near-post blast.  Atuahene made it 3-0 with a deflected blast in the 26th minute. He later added an assist.

Swedish midfielder Lukas Hackaa, rising senior for IUPUI, scored the highlight marker of the night in the 38th minute, blasting a curler from 23 yards out into the top-right corner.  Center back Brock Pickett headed in a corner to make it 5-0 before halftime.  Hackaa earned his brace in the 63rd minute. He also had two assists on the night.

In the late-going, Olivet Nazarene’s Max Jasper got on the scoresheet in the 77th minute, slicing through two defenders before firing home to make it 7-0. SVSU defender Ben Adamson finished the scoring with an 84th-minute tap-in. Akron’s Malik Henry had the final assist.

Up next: The Flint City Bucks return to USL League Two action on the road Saturday night, visiting second-place AFC Ann Arbor. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Pioneer High School.

About the Gerhard Mengel State Cup

The Gerhard Mengel State Cup is hosted by Michigan Soccer Association (MSA). The tournament is named for Gerhard Mengel, a Flint soccer pioneer. Mengel founded the Flint Yankee Soccer Club in 1964. In the 1970s, he co-founded pivotal organizations for growing the game in the area — including an amateur adult league, a youth summer league, and a local referee association. The longtime player, coach, and referee is now widely revered for his leadership across the state’s soccer scene. He was inducted into the Michigan Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1975, the Michigan Soccer Hall of Fame in 1985, and the Michigan State Youth Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002. He has received the United States Soccer Federarion’s Werner Fricker Builder Award, considered the highest honor bestowed upon individuals in U.S. soccer, as well as USSF Life Member distinction.

Next Home Weekend at Atwood Stadium - June 23 & 24

Flint City AFC and the Bucks return to Atwood Stadium on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 respectively.  AFC plays host to Cleveland and the Bucks will welcome Oakland County FC on Saturday night.  Both games kickoff at 7 PM.  

June 24th is the Bucks annual First Responders Night presented by Premier Security Solutions.  All First Responders and their immediate family members are invited to attend this match courtesy of Premier Security and the Flint City Bucks.  If you are or know a first responder, please click or share this link for complimentary tickets:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/650304768067

To keep up with the four-time USL League Two national champion Bucks, visit flintcitybucks.com. Or, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Second-year USL W League side Flint City AFC can be found at flintcityafc.com. Additionally, you can follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.