2015 Grand Rapids FC season
| 2015 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | George Moni | ||
| Stadium | Houseman Field | ||
| GLPL | 2nd | ||
| Top goalscorer |
League: Noble Sullivan (4) All: Domenic Barone (6) |
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| Highest home attendance | 5,117 (July 17 vs. Oakland) 6,651 (July 31 vs. Muskegon) |
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| Average home league attendance | League: 3,945 All: 4,509 |
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The 2015 Grand Rapids FC season was the inaugural season of Grand Rapids Football Club. The team played in the Great Lakes Premier League, a new regional league.
The fledgling club won its first match, a 1-0 victory at NPSL club Lansing United on May 9th 2015, with Domenic Barone scoring the team's first goal.
Its first GLPL match was a 1-2 defeat at Oakland United on May 23rd, with Noble Sullivan scoring the lone goal.
On May 30th, GRFC hosted AFC Ann Arbor for its first home match. Despite unseasonably cold conditions and persistent rain all night, a crowd of 2,409 attended the match, which the hosts won 5-1. A straight hat-trick by Domenic Barone in the first half was the first 3-goal game by a GLPL player, and the only one until Croatian Eagles' Andy Huftalin scored one on July 12th.
The following Friday June 5th, in better weather, 3,843 watched as Croatian Eagles drew 0-0 at Houseman. A week later, a new club record 5,012 watched as Force FC of Bloomfield tied 2-2 in a friendly. Around 600 youth soccer club members gained free entry under a promotion.
A 0-0 draw at Ann Arbor in GLPL play was followed by a 4-1 home win against Lansing United in a friendly which featured B teams from both sides, another 4,121 in attendance.
The club's third home league match against RWB Adria was attended by 4,409. Elmedin Zukic put the visitors behind in a game for the first time, but was then sent off for an apparent elbow on a player challenging him from behind. Goalkeeper Chase Rau had a shutout streak of 354 minutes of league play ended by RWB's equalizer. RWB won 3-1. The return match in Chicago was also won by Adria with a 3-1 scoreline.
GRFC returned to Houseman Field for a new record attendance of 5,117 watching their 3-0 defeat of Oakland United on July 17th.
The final league game of the season was a 3-1 win in Milwaukee against Croatian Eagles, enough to seal second place as AFC Ann Arbor's point against RWB Adria later that day was not enough.
The season wrapped up with a home-and-home series against independent Muskegon Risers. A further club record 6,651 attended a home 1-3 loss, while the following day Risers were again victors by 2-1.
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