NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Virginia Peninsula amateur soccer team, Lionsbridge FC, is turning heads in the 757 after clinching the Chesapeake Division Championship on Saturday night against Patuxent Football Academy. Furthermore, they’re a group of history makers. With a record of 14-0-2, it was the programs first division title since its inception five years ago.
“When we started in year one it was almost a bit of a dream,” said Head Coach Chris Whalley, reflecting on the growth of the program. “We didn’t have a team prior to that and we were kind of selling something to all the new players that had never been there before.”
Whalley is the first and only coach of Lionsbridge FC, which competes in the USL League Two, the top pre- professional men’s soccer league in North America, where players come from different universities all over the nation to work on their game during the summer. After just two months of playing together, it seems as though this team found chemistry quickly, remaining undefeated since game one.
“We started the first few games not really knowing each other’s names,” said Joe Core, a defenseman playing for Lionsbridge from William & Mary. “It's come a long way from there.”
Folks all across the 757 are also enjoying the success. At a match earlier this month, a record setting 3,546 fans attended, the largest crowd in the 5 year history of the team and the largest turnout for a USL League Two game this season. This pattern continued Saturday night as over 1,000 fans gathered at Townebank Stadium to watch Lionsbridge take the crown despite rainy and windy conditions.
“We wanted to make sure we won the game at home. We wanted to win the championship at home in front of our fans,” Whalley said.
Sam Hall, a utility player for Lionsbridge had two of the eight goals in the big victory but knows they need to remain focused.
“It was amazing, you know,” said Hall. “It was a bit half and half because we’re celebrating but at the same time we know that a couple days later we have to go again.”
Saturday’s trophy marks Coach Whalley’s first championship at the USL level and the team's second playoff appearance. Lionsbridge will get home field advantage hosting rounds one and two of the USL League Two playoffs at Townebank Stadium later this month.