Tulsa Athletic is an American soccer team and are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The 2023 NPSL National Champion, 2013 was their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), which is a national league at the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. They compete in the NPSL's Heartland Conference. The team maintains amateur status under NPSL rules, allowing college players to participate without losing their collegiate eligibility. The club currently plays at Athletic Community Field at Hicks Park since the 2022 season, having previously played at Veterans Park (2018–21), LaFortune Stadium (2017) and Drillers Stadium (2013–16), the former home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team.[1][2][3]
 | ||||
| Full name | Tulsa Athletic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The A's | |||
| Founded | 2013 | |||
| Stadium | Athletic Community Field at Hicks Park | |||
| Owners | Sonny Dalesandro Thomas J. Kern | |||
| Head coach | Jason Rogers | |||
| League | National Premier Soccer League The League for Clubs (from 2025) | |||
| 2023 | NPSL National Champions | |||
| Website | http://www.tulsaathletic.com | |||
|
| ||||
On May 20, 2024, Tulsa Athletic were suspended from the NPSL, meaning that they wouldn't defend their title.[4] On July 31st they announced that they would leave the NPSL in order to start their own amateur league entitled "The League for Clubs", with Athletic being founding members alongside Atlantic City FC, FC Davis, Kingston Stockade FC and Napa Valley 1839 FC.
Crest and colors
editThe green that Athletic wears is symbolic of "green country", the moniker given to the area of Oklahoma where Tulsa sits. The gold in the pinstripes that appear on the home kit (and are the dominant color of the away kit) represents trophies, championships, and victory. The crest is a pink shield featuring a unicorn facing a lion surrounding a soccer ball, symbolizing both strength and magic. The pink color of the crest is designed to illustrate the heart. The badge's location over the heart on the jersey signifies that all who wear the crest (players and fans alike) share the same heart.[citation needed]
Support
editA supporters group associated with Tulsa Athletic are the Athletics Armory, who congregate behind the north goal at home matches.[citation needed]
Fans have given the team several unofficial nicknames, including "the A's" and "The Foxes", named after 'Lester', a lone fox who resides in the team's stadium.[citation needed]
Rivalries
editIn 2014 Oklahoma City FC left PDL to join the NPSL, which created an in-state rivalry. The two clubs separated by just 100 miles played in the OK Derby.[citation needed]
The inaugural Red River Cup was contested in May 2014.[citation needed] Four clubs (Fort Worth Vaqueros, Liverpool Warriors, Oklahoma City FC) met in a two-day tournament hosted by Tulsa, who won the title over Oklahoma City FC.[5][better source needed]
Oklahoma City 1889 FC joined the NPSL in 2021 which resulted in another in-state rivalry, with supporters choosing the name “The War for I-44.”[citation needed]
A crosstown derby against FC Tulsa was established in 2022 through the U.S. Open Cup nicknamed the Tulsa Derby.
Tulsa Derby
edit| Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Date | Competition | Winner | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 5, 2023 | U.S. Open Cup | Tulsa Athletic |
1–0 |
Hicks Park |
| April 5, 2022 | U.S. Open Cup | FC Tulsa |
1–2 |
ONEOK Field |
War for I-44
edit| Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 11 |
| Date | Competition | Winner | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 12, 2024 | Friendly | Tulsa Athletic |
2-1 |
Tulsa, OK |
| July 15, 2023 | NPSL Playoffs | Tulsa Athletic |
2–1 |
Claremore, OK |
| June 17, 2023 | NPSL | Tulsa Athletic |
2–1 |
Claremore, OK |
| May 24, 2023 | NPSL | OKC 1889 |
0-1 |
Oklahoma City, OK |
| July 16, 2022 | NPSL Playoffs | Tulsa Athletic |
5–1 |
Tulsa, OK |
| July 16, 2022 | NPSL | Tulsa Athletic |
5–1 |
Tulsa, OK |
| May 25, 2022 | NPSL | Tulsa Athletic |
3–0 |
Oklahoma City, OK |
| July 14, 2021 | NPSL Playoffs | Tulsa Athletic |
2–2 (5–4 in PKs) |
Tulsa, OK |
| June 27, 2021 | NPSL | Tulsa Athletic |
2–0 |
Edmond, OK |
| May 16, 2021 | NPSL | OKC 1889 |
1–3 |
Tulsa, OK |
Current squad
edit- As of April 2023
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Year-by-year
edit| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | W-D-L (GF-GA) |
Playoffs | W-D-L (GF-GA) |
U.S. Open Cup | W-D-L (GF-GA) |
National Amateur Cup | W-D-L (GF-GA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, South Central | 10–2–0 (44–9) |
South Region Semifinal | 0–0–1 (0–0[A]) |
did not qualify | did not play | ||
| 2014 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, South Central | 9–0–1 (46–13) |
South Region Final | 3–0–1 (14–6) |
2nd Round | 0–0–1 (0–2) |
did not play | |
| 2015 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, South Central | 7–3–4 (52–33) |
did not qualify | 1st Round | 0–0–1 (1–3) |
did not play | ||
| 2016 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, South Central | 11–0–1 (38–9) |
South Central Conference Final | 1–0–1 (5–3) |
did not qualify | did not play | ||
| 2017 | 4 | NPSL | 2nd, Heartland | 5–1–4 (25–16) |
Heartland Conference Final | 1–0–1 (2–5) |
1st Round | 0–0–1 (1–1[A]) |
did not play | |
| 2018 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Heartland | 6–0–4 (26–17) |
Heartland Conference Semifinal | 0–0–1 (0–1) |
did not qualify | did not play | ||
| 2019 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Heartland | 7–3–0 (24–8) |
South Region Final | 3–0–1 (12–7) |
did not qualify | did not play | ||
| 2020 | 4 | UPSL | 1st, Central-North | 13–0–1 (60–11) |
Central Region Semifinal | 1–0–1 (4–4) |
not held | did not play | ||
| 2021 | 4 | NPSL | 2nd, Heartland | 6–3–1 (32–9) |
NPSL National Championship Runner Up | 4–0–1 (8–9) |
not held | did not play | ||
| 2022 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Heartland | 9–2–1 (36–10) |
NPSL National Semifinal | 4–0–1 (8–3) |
2nd Round | 1–0–1 (4–2) |
did not play | |
| 2023 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Heartland | 7-2-1 (23-8) |
NPSL National Champions | 6-0-0 (15-6) |
3rd Round | 2–0–1 (2–3) |
Region III Final | 2-1-2 (10-14) |
| 2024 | 4 | –[a] | –[6] | 3-2-0 (11-3) |
American Champions Cup Winners[7] | 1-0-0 (2-1) |
1st Round | 0–0–1 (1-4) |
did not play |
All time Table
edit| Match Type | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 129 | 93 | 18 | 18 | 417 | 146 | +271 | 72.09 |
| Playoffs | 33 | 24 | 0 | 9 | 70 | 44 | +26 | 72.73 |
| U.S. Open Cup | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 15 | −6 | 33.33 |
| National Amateur Cup | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 14 | −4 | 40.00 |
| Total | 176 | 122 | 19 | 35 | 506 | 220 | +286 | 69.32 |
- Updated as of July 2, 2024
Head coaches
edit- Includes all competitive matches: regular season, playoffs, and open cup.
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Draw | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Ryan |  United States
|
2013 | 2019 | 95 | 63 | 9 | 23 | 290 | 133 | +157 | 66.32 |
| Levi Coleman | United States
|
2020 | 2023 | 50 | 38 | 5 | 7 | 152 | 48 | +104 | 76.00 |
| Jason Rogers | United States
|
2023 | Present | 24 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 50 | 31 | +19 | 70.83 |
Honors
editClub
edit- USASA
- American Champions Cup Champions (1): 2024
- NPSL
- National Champions (1): 2023
- National Runners-Up (1): 2021
- NPSL Midwest Region
- Champions (1): 2023
- NPSL South Region
- Champions (2): 2021, 2022
- Runners-Up (2): 2014, 2019
- Champions (2): 2021, 2022
- NPSL South-Central Conference
- Champions (2): 2013, 2014
- NPSL Heartland Conference
- Champions (4): 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Regular Season Shield (3): 2019, 2022, 2023
- Red River Cup
- Champions (1): 2014
- UPSL Central Conference-North Division
- Champions (1): 2020
| Year | Honor |
|---|---|
| 2013 | South-Central Conference Champions |
| 2014 | South-Central Conference Champions |
| 2014 | South Region Runners-Up |
| 2014 | Red River Cup Champions |
| 2019 | Heartland Conference Shield |
| 2019 | Heartland Conference Champions |
| 2019 | South Region Runners-Up |
| 2020 | Central Conference-North Division Champions |
| 2021 | Heartland Conference Champions |
| 2021 | South Region Champions |
| 2021 | National Championship Runners-Up |
| 2022 | Heartland Conference Shield |
| 2022 | Heartland Conference Champions |
| 2022 | South Region Champions |
| 2023 | Heartland Conference Shield |
| 2023 | Heartland Conference Champions |
| 2023 | Midwest Region Champions |
| 2023[8] | NPSL National Champions |
| 2024 | American Champions Cup Winners |
Individual
edit| Year | Player | Position | Honor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dave Leung | Forward | Supporters' XI – First Team |
| 2016 | Terence Smith | Defender | Supporters' XI – Second Team |
| 2017 | Joe Garcia | Midfielder | South Region Best XI |
| 2018 | Damieon Thomas | Forward | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2018 | Declan Fitzpatrick | Midfielder | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2019 | Aboubakr Diallo | Forward | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2019 | Joseph Ruiz | Midfielder | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2019 | Gustavo Vargas | Defender | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2019 | Joey Ryan | Manager | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2019 | Joseph Ruiz | Midfielder | South Region XI |
| 2019 | Gustavo Vargas | Defender | South Region XI |
| 2020 | Santiago Riveros | Midfielder | UPSL Central Best XI |
| 2020 | Hunter Harrison | Goalkeeper | UPSL Central Best XI |
| 2021 | Aboubakr Diallo | Forward | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2021 | Joseph Garcia | Midfielder | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2021 | Joseph Ruiz | Defender | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2021 | Levi Coleman | Manager | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2021 | Levi Coleman | Manager | South Region XI |
| 2021 | Levi Coleman | Manager | National XI |
| 2021 | Levi Coleman | Manager | NPSL Coach of the Season |
| 2022 | Reed Berry | Forward | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2022 | Vinicius De Oliveira | Midfielder | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2022 | Joseph Ruiz | Defender | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2021 | Levi Coleman | Manager | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2022 | Joseph Ruiz | Defender | South Region XI |
| 2023 | Aboubakr Diallo | Forward | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2023 | Rio Mello | Midfielder | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2023 | Vitor Turnes | Defender | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2023 | Bryson Reed | Goalkeeper | Heartland Conference XI |
| 2023 | Aboubakr Diallo | Forward | Midwest Region XI |
| 2023 | Vitor Turnes | Midfield | Midwest Region XI |
| 2023 | Bryson Reed | Goalkeeper | Midwest Region XI |
| 2023 | Aboubakr Diallo | Forward | National XI |
Records
edit- Biggest win: 13–0 vs BCS Clash, May 11, 2014
- First win: vs Liverpool Warriors, May 18, 2013
- 50th win: vs Demize NPSL, May 19, 2018
- 100th win: vs Laredo Heat, July 20, 2022
- First goal: Omar Mata vs Liverpool Warriors, May 18, 2013
- 100th goal: Damieon Thomas vs Corinthians FC of San Antonio, July 13, 2014
- 250th goal: Gustavo Vargas vs Demize NPSL, June 24, 2018
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Ferguson, John D. (April 5, 2013). "Tulsa's new pro soccer team to play at Drillers Stadium". Tulsa World.
- ^ Bewley, Dan (April 4, 2013). "National Premiere League Soccer Coming To Tulsa's Old Drillers Stadium". KOTV-DT.
- ^ "Soccer: Tulsa Athletic release schedule". Tulsa World. Tulsa, OK: World Publishing Company. February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
- ^ a b Tulsa Athletic (2024-05-20). "NPSL SUSPENDS TULSA ATHLETIC FOR 2024 SEASON". Tulsa Athletic.
- ^ "Athletics Win the First Annual Red River Cup". Tulsa Athletics. 5 May 2014.
- ^ Tulsa Athletic (2024-06-03). "TULSA ATHLETIC ANNOUNCES 2024 SUMMER SCHEDULE". Tulsa Athletic.
- ^ Tulsa Athletic (2024-06-30). "TULSA ATHLETIC CAPTURES 2024 AMERICAN CHAMPIONS CUP WITH 2-1 WIN OVER HOUSTON REGALS". Tulsa Athletic.
- ^ "TULSA ATHLETIC CROWNED 2023 NPSL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS". www.NPSL.com. National Premier Soccer League. August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
External links
edit