Team Press Releases

After advancing to the Second Round of the US Open Cup before falling on penalties, Asheville City Soccer Club has been awarded the John Motta Trophy: The award given to the highest-performing open division team competing in the tournament. Despite Vermont Green also falling on penalty kicks in the 2nd Round, the Blues clinched the trophy on goal differential, which was the 4th of 5 tiebreakers. ACSC is the first USL2/PDL team to be the last non-professional team standing since 2018.

“Earning the John Motta Trophy as the best amateur club competing in the nation’s oldest soccer tournament is a statement of intent for the club,” said Chief Brand Officer Tim Blekicki. “We’ll only settle for being the best and achieving the top prizes in every competition we compete in. We know what we’ve been building and what we’re capable of–and everyone else knows now too.”

The Blues knocked off USL League One side Greenville Triumph in the 1st Round at Greenwood Field by a scoreline of 3-1. Evan Southern scored early before two late goals from Ashton Bilow and Ben Assane Fall, whose goal, coming from the last kick of the game, ended up being the determining factor in the John Motta Trophy race.

The Blues then returned home to take on reigning USL League One champions One Knoxville SC. Despite a Simon Carlson penalty to knot things up at 1 in the 2nd half, the Blues were unable to find the go-ahead goal as their USOC campaign ended on penalties in an extraordinary match that saw 3 red cards given.

This was the Blues’ third straight Open Cup appearance after they qualified for the 2024 edition due to their performance in the 2023 USL League Two season. They fell 2-0 to Knoxville in 2024, and in 2025 lost to the Triumph on penalties after a scoreless 120 minutes. Head Coach Scott Wells, who has been the leader of the Blues since 2022, has helped push the Blues towards a steady progression in both the league and Open Cup each year of his tenure.

“Another incredible two weeks in this community. There is something so special about this club that when a player puts on the jersey, they run through a brick wall for us,” said Wells. “We showed that if and when given the chance, we can hang in the USL1 no problem! Thank you to the supporters for breaking the attendance record and showing the city of Asheville what sport comes first! Belong. Believe. Be Blue.”

“This has been a five-year journey with Scott Wells at the helm, and his ability to not only bring in top-level players but to foster an incredible culture that leads to them playing better than the sum of their parts has led us to this point,” said Club President Jimmy Wheeler. “These players putting their trust into Scott and this club, and believing in what we have built here, is what won us this trophy. I’m so proud of what we have built here in Asheville.”

Due to winning the John Motta trophy, the Blues have already clinched qualification for the 2027 edition of the US Open Cup.

The Blues return home to Greenwood Field on May 16th as part of a doubleheader with the Men’s and Women’s squads. The Men host Hickory FC at 3:30 PM while the Women are slated to kick off at 6:30 PM against Southern Soccer Academy. You can buy your tickets here.

Asheville City Soccer Club put up a valiant effort against USL League One side One Knoxville, but fell on penalties after both teams finished extra time tied at one.

A few smaller chances came and went without much danger until the 21st minute, when Ryan Flood cut in from the left flank and unleashed a wicked shot with his right foot that flew narrowly wide of the far post as the match remained tied.

Knoxville found the opener in the 33rd minute, when some nifty passing led to Braudilio Rodrigues being alone in the box as he tucked a tidy finish into the bottom right corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

The first dangerous chance in the 2nd half came in the 50th minute when One Knoxville sprang Denis Krioutchenkov through on goal with a one-on-one opportunity. Andrew Pannenberg got enough on the ball to slow it down before Ryan Holmes cleared it off the goal line to keep the Blues within one. 

Immediately after, an altercation in front of the bench led to a red card for Knoxville’s Stavros Zarokostas. From this moment forward, the Blues dominated possession and created the majority of the dangerous chances. 

In the 61st minute, Evan Southern nudged a Knoxville defender off the ball on the edge of the box before firing a shot that was saved by Jonathan Burke but bounced away from him. Kameron Lacey ran onto the ball and blasted one from point-blank range but Burke was able to recover and keep the Blues off of the scoresheet.

However, four minutes after that, the Blues broke through. A handball in the box by One Knox meant a penalty kick for Asheville. Simon Carlson blasted his attempt past Burke to knot things up at 1 in the 67th minute.

Knoxville hit the Blues on the counter a mere three minutes later but Pannenberg was able to stand strong and keep things deadlocked.

The visitors fell to 9 men in the 90th minute, when Teddy Baker was given his marching orders after being given his second yellow for a dangerous challenge.

The Blues mustered two more chances in stoppage time. Izaiah Vignali and Jonny Fenwick both fired low-driven shots towards the bottom right corner that Burke was able to get in front of both times. The last kick of regulation came when the ball bounced out to Carlson on the edge of the box, who unleashed a volley that went just over the bar as the match headed to extra time.

The Blues dominated the first half of extra time with three major chances. Ryan Flood whipped in a beautiful cross to Evan Southern that forced a save out of Burke in the 92nd minute. Four minutes after a free kick from a tight angle found Ryan Holmes at the back post. Holmes redirected the ball back into the mixer, but Knoxville was the first to get a foot to it to clear it out. Holmes nearly scored three minutes later, but his shot from the right side of the box rolled inches wide of the far post.

Asheville struggled slightly more to break down Knoxville in the second half of extra time, but Flood had the best two chances of the period. In near identical moves mere minutes apart from each other, Flood cut in from the right flank and rocketed shots that both seemed earmarked for the far upper corner. Both times Burke was quick to react and knocked both shots over the crossbar.

The match headed to penalties. After a scoreless first frame due to a Burke save and a beautiful kick save from Pannenberg, Knoxville was more clinical as they put 3 penalties away compared to Asheville’s 2, as the visitors moved on to the 3rd Round of the US Open Cup.

The Blues return home to Greenwood Field on May 16th, when the Men’s and Women’s squads take part in a doubleheader. Men’s kickoff is set for 3:30, and Women’s is scheduled for 6:30. You can buy your season tickets here.

The nature of a USL League 2 club building a roster for the US Open Cup is incredibly different from that of pro teams. Since it is “out of season” for USL League 2 clubs, a roster has to be recruited match by match. Clubs scour the list of free agents available to try to build a roster capable of taking down a professional team despite limited time to gel. Because of this, there is naturally roster turnover in between rounds. 

A new player the Blues have recruited for the upcoming match against One Knoxville SC is midfielder Angelo Kelly-Rosales, who captured the USL League 1 title with One Knox just last season. 

Kelly-Rosales’ professional career started back in 2018 with the Charleston Battery in the USL Championship. While in the Palmetto state, he racked up 97 appearances and 7 assists at the pro level, including playing 290 minutes over 3 appearances in the US Open Cup. He then moved to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for a season, logging 27 appearances, including 2 in the Open Cup.

In 2023, he made a move to none other than One Knoxville SC. He found a lot of success in Knoxville, registering 7 goals and 8 assists in 96 matches and capturing the Players’ Shield and USL League 1 championship last season. Now, he will suit up for Asheville City on Tuesday night against his former club, looking to help the Blues pull off a cupset twice in a row. Read the Q&A we did with Angelo below to learn more about him before cheering him on in the USOC.

Q: What do you bring to the squad as a player?

A: I bring experience, professionalism, and a winning mentality. I try to lead by example every day in training and in games.

Q: You played for One Knoxville before and won the 2025 USL League 1 Title there. How will that experience help you in a big match like this?

A: Winning a championship teaches you how to handle big moments and pressure situations. I understand what it takes mentally and physically to perform in important games. Experiences like that help me stay calm, focused, and ready to compete when the stakes are high.

Q: What convinced you to suit up for ACSC for this round?

A: It honestly came together pretty quickly. McKeever reached out to see if I was available and interested, and he connected me with Head Coach Scott. After we spoke, it was an easy yes for me because I just love competing and being on the field. Having played against Asheville before, I’ve seen how much they’ve grown under Scott. He’s built a strong, organized squad over the years, and it definitely shows. I’m excited to be part of it for this match. 

Q: You played against ACSC back in the 2024 edition of the USOC. What do you remember about the fans and atmosphere that day?

A: I remember the energy. The fans were loud, passionate, and really behind their team. You could feel it from warmups all the way through the match. Those are the types of environments you enjoy playing in as a professional.

Q: What does the USOC mean to you?

A: It’s a special competition because every year you see lower division teams compete with and even upset professional teams. It really shows the quality that exists at every level of the game. It also gives players a platform, exposure, and an opportunity to prove themselves against higher competition. I’m grateful to be part of a tournament like this and excited for the opportunity to compete.

Q: What are you most excited about for this experience?

A: I’m very grateful to everyone who helped make this opportunity possible and allowed me to get back on the grass to compete. I’m excited to help ACSC continue building its history and to be part of this moment with the group. I’m also really looking forward to playing in front of the ACSC fans; They’re the heartbeat of the club, and I’m excited to experience that energy and be part of it.

You can buy your tickets to watch Angelo and the Blues take on One Knoxville SC at Greenwood in the Second Round of the USOC here. Kickoff is at 7:00 PM on March 31st. If you cannot make it to the game, it will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.

After upsetting professional side Greenville Triumph in the 1st Round of the US Open Cup for the first USOC win in club history, the Blues were rewarded with another hosting opportunity for the 2nd Round against One Knoxville SC, last season’s USL League 1 champion, on March 31st at 7:00 PM at Greenwood Field. 

It is a renewal of the Smoky Mountain Series, which started back in 2022 with an Asheville City win in Knoxville. The last meeting came back in the 2024 edition of the USOC, which saw One Knox emerge victorious at Greenwood Field with a 2-0 victory. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network. 

How We Got Here

The Blues drew the Greenville Triumph in the 1st Round, a rematch of the 1st Round from 2025 in which Greenville advanced on penalty kicks after a scoreless 120 minutes. The Blues struck first–Rai Pinto shuttled the ball from the midfield into the attacking third, where he played a nifty one-two with Ben Assane Fall to free himself in the box. His cross found Evan Southern in the center, who deflected the ball inside of the far post for the 1st USOC goal in ACSC history. Greenville responded five minutes later, when Devin Boyce put a freekick from the edge of the box into the upper corner to knot the match at 1. That scoreline carried into the break.

A few dangerous chances passed by without anyone being able to put one away to pull ahead. Then, in the 82nd minute, the moment the crowd was waiting for came. Assane found himself in space on the right flank and drove into the box, drawing the Greenville defenders’ attention. He sent a ball through the air toward the back post toward Ashton Bilow, who, while off-balance, tapped the ball home in acrobatic fashion to give the Blues a 2-1 lead. Assane then drove the dagger through Triumph hearts in the 90th minute when he forced a mistake from the Greenville backline before slotting a tidy finish home with the last kick of the game for a 3-1 Asheville victory.

What’s at Stake

The winner of the second round moves into the Final 32 of the tournament and will be matched up against a MLS (Major League Soccer) side in the next round. The US Open Cup is the longest ongoing soccer competition in the United States. Teams ranging from amateur to the first tier (MLS) compete in an 80-team tournament to crown the champion of the US Soccer landscape. The last USL League Two team to make the Round of 32 was FC Golden State Force in 2018 when the league was still branded as the Premier Development League. FC Golden State defeated a league qualifier in the opening round before defeating two USL teams (Orange County and Las Vegas) before falling to MLS outfit LA Galaxy in the Final 32.

The two sides will also compete for the Golden Boot trophy, a staple in the Smoky Mountain Series since its inception in 2022 when One Knox was a member of USL League 2. Asheville won the first leg of the series for the trophy after defeating One Knox in their inaugural match back in 2022 but Knoxville won the reverse fixture and the trophy that year. They then successfully defended it with their victory in the 2024 Open Cup 1st Round after they moved to the professional ranks in 2023. Last season, Knoxville won their first USL League 1 championship. 

Tickets/Parking

Tickets are available at this link on the Asheville City website. 

Come out and cheer on Asheville City Soccer Club as they battle One Knoxville SC in the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup at Greenwood Field on the UNC-Asheville campus – gates open at 6:00 p.m. and kickoff is at 7:00 p.m! UNC Asheville opens all non-residential parking lots to the public at no charge after 5:00 p.m. Fans attending the 7:00 p.m. match, with gates opening at 6:00 p.m., will have access to Faculty/Staff, All Permits, and Visitor lots throughout campus. The lots nearest to Greenwood Field are located in the athletic complex near Kimmel Arena. Additional parking is available in non-residential lots across the broader campus. Residential lots, identified by an “R” designation on lot signage, remain restricted to students at all times and should be avoided. A full campus parking map is available at go.unca.edu/campus-map.

Where to Watch if you are Unable to Attend

The game has been selected by the tournament for national broadcasting on CBS Sports Network.

In a rematch of last year’s first round matchup that saw Greenville emerge victorious on penalty kicks, the Blues scored two late goals to get revenge and upset the Triumph 3-1 for the club’s first ever US Open Cup victory. 

On a chilly night in Asheville, the Blues started off hot–producing multiple half-chances, including a Ben Assane Fall shot from a tight angle on the right side of the box in the 12th minute that Greenville keeper Seth Torman caught cleanly.

However, a minute later the Blues finally broke through for their first US Open Cup goal in club history. Rai Pinto shuttled the ball from the midfield area into the attacking third on the right flank before playing a nifty one-two with Assane that set Pinto up with time and space inside the box. Pinto squared it to Evan Southern who carefully tucked his first time finish inside the far post to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes later, a Blues foul just outside of the box on the left side handed the Triumph a free kick opportunity from a dangerous position. Devon Boyce stepped up to take the kick and struck a rocket that flew into the upper right corner to bring Greenville back to level terms.

In the 33rd minute, the Blues threatened once again. Assane received a feed on the right flank and darted toward the endline before his cross attempt was deflected out for a corner kick. The ensuing corner found Johnny Fenwick’s head at the back post but his attempt popped just over the crossbar. A couple of smaller chances went both ways in the remainder of the first half but the match entered the break all squared at one.

After the Triumph defense thwarted a breakaway chance by Southern less than a minute after the restart, the Blues manufactured their best chance since the opener just two minutes later. Southern carried the ball into the box and sent a through ball toward the back post that was just a tick too fast for a sliding Tresor Mbuyu to get a foot to as the ball rolled out for a Greenville goal kick.

Most of the half rolled by with no immense danger at either end as the game looked earmarked for penalties once again. Then, in the 82nd minute, Assane found himself in space on the right flank and sent a beautiful ball over to substitute Ashton Bilow at the back post who directed the ball into the back of the net to put the Blues back in front.

The Blues defended hard throughout the remainder of the match before Assane dealt the Triumph a knockout blow with the last kick of the game in the 9th minute of stoppage time. Greenville took a quick goal kick to their centerback while Assane was still on the ground after a physical challenge. While he rose to his feet, the Triumph player took too heavy of a touch that Assane pounced on before calmly placing his finish past Torman to put an exclamation point on a 3-1 Blues victory.

Ben Assane Fall was awarded the Wicked Pie Player of the Match award for his efforts on the night.

The Blues will now await the draw to reveal their opponent for the second round of the USOC. The second round matches will take place from March 31st to April 1st.

The Blues kick off their USL League Two campaign on the road against league newcomer Appalachian FC on May 13th. They return home to Greenwood Field with the Women’s team on May 16th as part of a doubleheader with the first match kicking off at 3:30. You can buy season tickets here.

Asheville City Soccer Club will host the Greenville Triumph in the First Round of the US Open Cup on March 18th at 6:30 PM. This matchup falls exactly a year from the two opponents first meeting in the USOC, which saw the Blues push the professional side to the brink in a scoreless affair before the Triumph would end up victorious in penalty kicks.

Asheville City Soccer Club will host the Greenville Triumph in the First Round of the US Open Cup on March 18th at 6:30 PM. This matchup falls exactly a year from the two opponents first meeting in the USOC, which saw the Blues push the professional side to the brink in a scoreless affair before the Triumph would end up victorious in penalty kicks.

This will be the third straight year that ACSC has qualified for the US Open Cup, as the Blues made their debut in the prestigious tournament in the 2024 edition. That match saw the Blues fall to former USL2 rival One Knoxville by a score of 2-0. 

WHAT TO KNOW

The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (USOC) is the biggest soccer knockout tournament in the United States. 80 teams are competing in the tournament in the 2025 edition, with 9 leagues being represented: MLS, USL Championship, USL1, USL2, MLS Next Pro, NPSL, UPSL, USSSA, and USASA. Nashville SC were last edition’s champions as they claimed their 1st title in club history, defeating Austin FC in the Final.

HISTORY

The USOC was founded for the 1913-1914 season, to try and promote American soccer. It was originally named the National Challenge Cup, which stuck until 1989 when it was then renamed the US Open Cup. In 1999, it was renamed again, this time to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This was to honor Hunt, an American businessman, who worked hard to promote soccer in this country. 

Brooklyn Field Club was the first team to ever win the tournament in that 1914 season. Since then, Bethlehem Steel FC and Maccabee Los Angeles led the way with 5 Open Cup titles. Unfortunately, those two teams have dissolved, leaving the Chicago Fire, Seattle Sounders, Sporting Kansas City (MLS) and Greek American AA (EPSL) as the active championship leaders with 4 each. 

MLS teams first entered the competition in 1996, and have dominated the winner’s podium since their introduction to the tournament. The last lower division team to win the USOC was the Rochester Raging Rhinos (now named Rochester New York FC) in 1999. Only three lower divisions teams have made the USOC Final since then, the Rhinos in 1996, the Charleston Battery in 2008 and most recently Sacramento Republic FC, who fell to Orlando City by a score of 3-0 in the 2022 edition. 

This year is the fifth year back for the tournament after the COVID-19 pandemic caused cancellations to the 2020 and 2021 editions. Before that, the tournament had been played for 106 straight years. It is considered the nation’s oldest ongoing national soccer competition.

The state of North Carolina has never had a team qualify for the finals of the tournament. North Carolina will have 5 teams competing in the tournament looking to buck this trend, with the other 4 besides ACSC, being Charlotte FC from MLS, USL1’s Charlotte Independence, MLS Next Pro’s Carolina Core FC and the USL2 newcomer Hickory FC. The last lower-division team from North Carolina to make the quarterfinals of the tournament was the NASL’s Carolina Railhawks, now known as North Carolina Football Club, who defeated MLS’ Chivas USA and LA Galaxy before eventually falling to FC Dallas 5-2 back in 2014. The furthest a North Carolina team has made it since the introduction of MLS teams in 1996 was also the Railhawks, when back in 2007 they defeated MLS’ Chicago Fire en route to the final four where they fell in extra time to the New England Revolution, 2-1.

Asheville City SC is 1 of 10 (11 if you count newcomer Hickory, who qualified by winning the NPSL championship) USL2 teams to qualify for the tournament. Only 2 of the 9 USL2 teams made the 2nd round last year and no clubs qualified for the 3rd round. However, USL2 clubs have experienced some levels of recent success, with the last USL2 team to qualify for the round of 32 being FC Golden State Force in 2018, who defeated two USL Championship teams in Orange County SC and Las Vegas Lights FC on their way to that round, before falling to Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy 3-1. The furthest a USL2 team has advanced since the league’s inception was when the Richmond Kickers won the 1995 Open Cup, in their only season in USL2, which back then was named USISL Premier League, on penalty kicks against the El Paso Patriots.

FORMAT

There are seven rounds to the USOC, the first of which happens from March 17th-19th. The first round consists of 32 amateur teams matched up against 32 professional. These matchups are typically regional games with teams usually matched up against other teams in their surrounding area. The 32 winners of these matches will then be pitted up against each other in the second round which happens from March 31st-April 1st. The 16 winners then move on to the third round, where they are joined by the 16 participating teams from MLS. These matches take place from April 14th-15th. 

This is where the tournament becomes more straightforward, as all participating teams that have not been eliminated yet are now in the field of play. It becomes like a typical 16-team knockout tournament from this point on (think March Madness if it started from the Sweet 16) with the amount of teams left halving with each round. That means it will drop to 16 (April 28th-29th), then to 8 in the quarterfinal round (May 19th-20th), down to 4 in the semifinals (September 15th-16th), and finally down to the final two teams where the champion will be crowned on October 21st. 80 teams from all across the country will be dwindled to 1 over a period of about 7 months, with there usually being a fair amount of (C)upsets sprinkled in along the way. Cupsets occur when a lower-division team upsets a team in a tier above them, which helps make the USOC one of the most magical exciting sports tournaments to take place in America every year.

Asheville City Soccer Club is proud to announce that Women’s Head Coach Maxi Viera has signed a two-year extension to remain in that role.

“We could not be more thrilled to have Maxi signing a contract extension to continue as the Blues USLW Head Coach,” said Mathes Mennell, COO, Sporting and Club Operations. “Under his leadership we took a huge step forward last season, and we look forward to building on that momentum.”

In his first and only season, Viera guided the Blues to an undefeated 11-1-0 record with a +21 goal differential to clinch the Blues first ever Women’s South Central Division title. The team defeated the Tallahassee Reckoning by a score of 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs before knocking off Lonestar SC in a 2-1 extra time thriller to clinch the team’s first ever Southern Conference title. Viera looks to build off of that success in the upcoming season with a number of players returning from last year’s National Semifinalist squad.

Do not miss out on another historic year for the Women in Blue! Get your tickets here.

Another college soccer season has come and gone, and a number of the 2025 Blues have added individual accolades to their resumes. Between the two squads, 15 Blues were handed individual postseason honors; 11 for the men and 4 for the women. The list includes four players earning All-American honors, three conference player of the year awards and six players earning spots on their All-Conference 1st teams. Scroll below to see the list of players honored.

Men’s Team:

Michael Rempel – NAIA All-American 2nd Team, Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Year, All Mid-South 1st Team

Mao Wong – All Mid-South 1st Team

Joao Silva – DII All-American 1st Team, All-Mountain East 1st Team

Kimo Lemke – All-South Atlantic Conference 2nd Team

Dylan Kropp – All-ACC 2nd Team

Agustin Resch – DI All-American 1st Team, Big East Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big East 1st Team

Sergi Solans – DI All-American 2nd Team, All-Big Ten 1st Team

Edouard Nys – MVC Player of the Year, MVC Forward of the Year, All-MVC 1st Team

Issah Haruna – All-SOCON 2nd Team

Kimito Fritz – All-SOCON 2nd Team

Nathan Rodrigues – All-WCC Honorable Mention

Women’s Team:

Rebecca Carr – All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference 2nd Team

Naroa Domenech – All-AAC 3rd Team

Gry Boe Thrysoe – All-Sun Belt 2nd Team

Yuliia Khrystiuk – All-Sun Belt 3rd Team 

Come watch the next generation of collegiate stars at Greenwood Field this Summer! Buy your season tickets here.

A whopping six former Asheville City SC stars were selected in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday, December 18th.

In the first round of the draft, UNC Greensboro midfielder Issah Haruna went to Orlando City SC with the 20th overall pick, and UNC defender Dylan Kropp was selected by Real Salt Lake at 25th overall. Three Blues went in the second round, starting with UIC midfielder Edouard Nys heading to FC Dallas at pick 40. Two Blues were selected in back-to-back picks at #49 and #50, respectively, when UCLA midfielder Tarun Karumanchi became a member of the Columbus Crew, which was followed up by Kentucky defender Max Miller being taken by Nashville SC. The Houston Dynamo made Seton Hall defender Agustin Resch the 69th selection in the third round, bringing the total number of Blues selected on the day to six, eclipsing Asheville City’s previous record mark of five, which was set back in the 2023 edition (Ryan Bilichuk, Bachir Ndiaye, Tyler Clegg, Kameron Lacey, and Makel Rasheed). The six selections is also tied for the most alumni taken from any USL2 club in 2026.

The Blues have now had fourteen players taken in the past four SuperDrafts dating back to the 2023 edition. No Blues were selected in 2024, but 2025 saw three Blues being taken in Ryan Baer, Charlie Harper and Nico Cavallo.

The next wave of future soccer stars will take the pitch at Greenwood Field this Summer for the Blues. Don’t miss out on any of the action! Buy your season tickets here.

Asheville City Soccer Club is proud to acknowledge the four recipients of donations through the Next Eleven Fund, which was created to help revitalize and grow youth sports in Western North Carolina following the destruction of Hurricane Helene. The four organizations that received donations were Asheville Parks and Recreation, Madison County Parks and Recreation, Town of Fletcher Parks and Recreation, and the Charles D. Owen Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball Leagues.

“After Helene, when so much of life was on pause, one of the first signs of hope was seeing kids back outside, playing in the same streets and fields that had been underwater days before,” said Tim Blekicki, Chief Brand Officer of ACSC. “That kind of resilience reminded us who we are. Western North Carolina is strongest when we heal together and show our youth what community means. We’re proud to support the people who worked tirelessly to get our kids back into leagues and games, and proud to keep that spirit alive through these donations.” 

The Next Eleven Fund was established by ACSC in November of last year after the destruction that Hurricane Helene caused to youth sports fields and equipment across the region. Eleven percent of all sponsorship dollars and eleven dollars from every season ticket purchased for the 2025 season fueled the fund, which was aimed to help revitalize youth sports by helping replace lost and ruined equipment and to rebuild fields and parks. Places where kids can connect, learn, and grow and be offered an escape are being rejuvenated to serve as a safe space for the youth once again. Asheville City is proud to be able to help enrich the lives of the region’s future generations of athletes.

Across Western North Carolina, the effects of Helene were felt most deeply in the spaces where children gather to play. From the flooded athletic fields at Asheville’s Carrier Park to the damaged diamonds at Veterans Park in Black Mountain, youth programs were left scrambling to recover lost ground. In Madison County, Parks and Recreation faced the challenge of maintaining growing youth leagues while managing storm recovery. In Fletcher, community fields that host countless local sports events required repairs and equipment replacement to return to play.

Each organization supported by the Next Eleven Fund represents a vital part of its community’s recovery. For Asheville Parks and Recreation, the donation contributes to restoring facilities citywide and reopening programs that connect thousands of young athletes. In Madison County, it supports affordable, expanding leagues that continue to bring families together despite the costs of recovery. In Fletcher, the investment helps rebuild a key community hub that serves youth across multiple sports, and in Black Mountain, it helps the Owen Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball League cover costs once sustained by concessions and press box operations lost to flood damage.

Together, these four donations demonstrate the purpose and power of the Next Eleven Fund: To ensure that even after a devastating storm, every child in Western North Carolina can return to a field, court, or park that feels like home.

The Asheville City Soccer Club men’s team returns to the pitch in March 2026 in the first round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup before both the men and women begin their league seasons in May.