Month: May 2022

Lansing Common FC’s home opener and first league match of the season against Tulip City United SC ended in a 1-1 draw, due to a late goal from the visitors.

Ramzi Shaheen scored his first goal as a Robin, cashing in on an assist from Ty Usiak at the front of the net. Shaheen’s tally would be the only goal of the night for Lansing Common. 

Lansing goalkeeper Ethan Brandt was awarded man of the match after a stellar performance in net. 

“Ethan’s a top goaltender,” said Head Coach Josh Oakley. “He may be the best goaltender this club has seen.”

Despite Brandt’s heroics, Tulip City found the equalizer in the 76th minute. Both sides had quality opportunities to take the lead in the waning minutes, but ultimately, impressive goalkeeping ensured a draw. 

“We just didn’t finish on chances,” said Oakley. “When you do that, you leave the door open for a 1-1 share of the points, and we’re disappointed in that”. 

Like last weekend, Lansing Common started a bit slow, with the opponent controlling possession and dictating play. The Robins picked up steam after the 20th minute, pushing play back into Tulip City’s half. Capitalizing on that change in momentum, Lansing Common broke the nil-nil tie at the 38th minute thanks to Shaheen’s goal. 

The Robins took that momentum into the start of the second half, creating multiple goal-scoring opportunities and putting pressure on Tulip City. However, Lansing could not finish on those opportunities, and City’s goal in the 76th minute was the final tally for either side. 

“We had a good couple of chances at the beginning of the second half that we could’ve put away,” said Brandt. “I’m a little bit disappointed with this one.”

Up next for the Robins

Lansing Common’s next match is on the road against West Michigan Bearings SC on Friday, June 3. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be live-streamed on Facebook

The Robins next home game is on Saturday, June 12 at 5 p.m. against Michigan Jaguars FC. Tickets are just $5, available online and at the gate. For those who can’t make it to gameday, the match will be streamed live on YouTube. 

In less than 24 hours, Lansing Common FC will play its 2022 Midwest Premier League Eastern Conference home opener against the newly-introduced Tulip City United SC. The Holland-based club already has one league win under its belt after defeating Detroit Union FC 5-0 on May 14. 

Meanwhile, the Robins suffered a 2-1 loss against BiH Grand Rapids last weekend in the Grand River Open Cup. Forward Ty Usiak was the lone goalscorer for the Robins in their first game of the 2022 season. 

Goalkeeper Ethan Brandt and midfielder Mark Wischmeyer were among the many club debutants in the game against BiH Grand Rapids. 

With only a little more than two weeks of practice, Lansing head coach Josh Oakley believes his team is prepared for its first home match.

“They just want to play,” Oakley said. “We approached the last game as a tune-up and being in front of the supporters this weekend, I know the guys want to get after it.” 

This week, training sessions were focused on speed of play and playmaking in the final third. 

“We have quick players at different positions and we’ll use that to our advantage,” Oakley said.

The home opener this Saturday will be the first of 10 league matches this summer and, having finished last season as runners-up in the standings, Lansing’s returning players know how much focus will be needed to win games.

“A lot of the guys, new and returning, are willing to learn and come together as a unit,” midfielder Julian Birge said. “As a collective, we have a very good work rate.” 

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Eastern Stadium on Saturday, May 21. Tickets are just $5 and can be purchased online or at the gate.

Lansing Common FC dropped its season-opener on the road against BiH Grand Rapids in Kentwood Saturday night, losing 2-1. 

Ty Usiak scored Lansing’s lone goal, knocking in a header thanks to an impressive curling long-ball assist from Ramzi Shaheen. 

The match was Lansing Common’s first in the inaugural Grand River Ope!n Cup. The results in the competition will not affect Midwest Premier League standings. 

For the opening 35 minutes of the match, possession belonged mostly to Grand Rapids. Content to play out of their back line, BiH let their fullbacks and goalkeeper do most of the distributing. Grand Rapids had a pair of golden opportunities to open the scoring, with a bounce off the crossbar in the tenth minute and a goal disallowed in the 26th minute due to an offsides call.

From the 35th minute on, the Robins kicked it up a notch, playing with more intensity and retaining more possession. Lansing eventually found the back of the net with Usiak’s header in the 40th minute. 

Despite the early pressure from Grand Rapids, the Robins kept a clean sheet through the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the locker room. 

Lansing Common continued to look strong coming out of the half, earning a couple of free kicks and corners within the first 10 minutes. However, the Robins could not convert those opportunities into goals, leaving the door open for a BiH comeback. 

Grand Rapids finally found an equalizer in the 52nd minute. BiH would take hold of the match’s momentum from that point forward, shifting the action to Lansing Common’s end. The home team scored the game winner in the 77th minute, cashing in on a cross. 

The Robins made a few last-ditch efforts in search of an equalizer, but ultimately came up short. 

Up next for the Robins

Lansing Common’s long-awaited home opener finally arrives this Saturday, May 21 at 6 p.m. The Robins welcome Midwest Premier League newcomers Tulip City United SC to open league play at Eastern Stadium. Tickets are just $5, available online and at the gate. For those who can’t make it to gameday, the match will be streamed live on YouTube. 

This Saturday, Lansing Common FC opens the 2022 season with a road game against BiH Grand Rapids at 7 p.m. The match is a part of the inaugural Grand River Ope!n Cup. Tickets are only $5 and available online or at the gate. 

With just a few practices under their belt, no in-game experience and a tough road environment ahead, the club faces a difficult test in Grand Rapids. Further complicating the situation is the absence of roughly ten players due to injury and prior commitments (these players are expected to join the team in the next several weeks). 

However, the Robins are approaching Saturday’s match without apprehension. 

“There’s no nervousness from us. We’re treating this as a tune up game,” said Head Coach Josh Oakley. “It’s a time to look at some fresh faces and move some things around early in the season.”

While Lansing Common’s players have not had much time together yet, BiH Grand Rapids has been training since early Spring. The club also played two games in April, participating in Region II of the USASA National Amatuer Cup. 

BiH finished fourth in the MWPL East Division last season and appears primed for another run at the top of the table. 

“I see quality players with a flair to them,” said Oakley. “They have a way they play, they have a style – it’s hard, it’s in your face. They’re a good side, and we know that from last year.”

The Grand River Ope!n Cup

The Grand River Ope!n Cup, named for the river that connects each club’s community, features five teams from the Midwest Premier League and Midwest United FC from USL2. 

The six teams were drawn into two groups of three. Each club will play a single game against the other teams in their group. The winner of each group will advance to the final, which will be held in July. 

Lansing Common’s next match in the competition will be a home game against Tulip City United SC on Friday, July 1. 

Club News and Upcoming Community Engagement Opportunities

Lansing Common FC’s opening weekend didn’t go as originally planned, but the club and its supporters made the most of the schedule shakeup.

In place of a cancelled matchup against Ann Arbor FC, Lansing Common hosted a Community Soccer Kickoff night, welcoming fans to Eastern Stadium for a few different events. 

Giving back to the community

Collecting donations from fans throughout the night, Lansing Common FC raised $1,477 for the Mikey23 Foundation, a Lansing-based charity. 

“We improve the lives of young people through innovative education and training in the area of skilled trades,” is part of the foundation’s mission statement. Mikey23 was started to honor the memory of Michael McKissic II, who was shot and killed in 2015. 

“Our motto is very simple: instead of picking up a gun to commit gun violence in your community, pick up a hammer and build up your community,” said Mikey23 founder Michael McKissic.

More information about Mikey23 can be found on its website, where you can also donate. 

The night’s events

The night started with an open training session, followed by a team scrimmage. 

“It was massive for us to get some type of a day together, ” said Head Coach Josh Oakley. “To have an event like this that doesn’t necessarily put the stress on the mental side of things, it was great. … (it) worked out better than I could have ever thought.”

After the 11v11 scrimmage, folks from all over Lansing participated in a celebrity soccer scrimmage. Highlights included goals scored by Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, the Lansing State Journal’s Phil Friend and WLNS Reporter Ian Kress. 

The event concluded with a meet-and-greet with this year’s players. 

Up next for the Robins

With the matchup against Ann Arbor FC canceled, the Robins’ home opener will now be on May 21. LCFC will welcome Midwest Premier League newcomers Tulip City United SC to Eastern Stadium at 6 p.m. But first, the season officially kicks off with a road game this Saturday, May 14, when Lansing Common FC travels to Pat Patterson Stadium in East Kentwood to take on BiH Grand Rapids as part of the inaugural Grand River Ope!n Cup. Tickets are only $5 and available for sale online or at the gate.  

To our fans,

Nine months is a long time. It’s been nine long months since over 500 of you joined us for our final game of the 2021 season. In just 5 days we’ll welcome you back to Eastern Stadium for the first game of our 2022 season and WE. CAN’T. WAIT. 

Nine months is a long time without all of you at our home stadium and seeing some of the best young soccer talent this great city has to offer. We’ve been missing it, but we’ve also been busy. 

Here are some of the things we’ve been up to since last season ended:

• Last October, the board, along with some members, worked on a long-term strategic plan, identifying goals that will drive the future growth of this club
• In November we held elections for our new board term, saying goodbye to Cameron Tanner and thanking him for his great work, while welcoming Erika Weadock and Dean Jong to the board. 
• We prepared meal packages so local students wouldn’t go hungry over the weekend, partnering with Blessings in a Backpack.
• Last fall we donated soccer goals and balls to Pattengill Elementary to help them transform a vacant field into a soccer field for their students. 
• We donated nearly $3,000 to the Refugee Development Center, St Vincent’s Refugee Resettlement Programs, Greater Lansing Food Bank, and One Love Global, to support the incredible efforts these organizations contribute to our community.
• We’ve continued our commitment to encouraging volunteerism, organizing multiple park cleanups throughout the City, including a volunteer event yesterday with members of our team at Potter Park Zoo. 
• We continued our work to break down barriers to soccer for all, donating over $2,000 to help 43 kids participate in Lansing Parks and Rec soccer this spring at no cost to their families. No kid should be excluded from playing just because they can’t afford a registration fee. 

None of this would be possible without the support of our members and fans. Whether you support these efforts by volunteering your time, being a member, or coming to games and buying our merchandise, your support helps us make a difference in our community. 

We can’t wait to welcome you back to Eastern Stadium this Saturday and we’re looking forward to even more of you joining us this summer and throughout the year as we keep working to make Lansing a stronger community for all of us. 

This community is a special place to so many of us. We’re excited to celebrate Lansing by putting a team full of players from the Lansing area to represent this community. We hope you’ll join us, on Saturday at our home opener, and year-round as you help us celebrate our community both on and off the field by giving back. 

See you soon,

The Board