The Flint City Bucks are readying their return to the nation’s oldest tournament, hosting professional club Forward Madison FC (USL League One) in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. this Thursday, March 19 at Don Batchelor Field in Grand Blanc. Note: No bag policy at Don Batchelor Stadium – blankets are welcome.
Single-game tickets are available through the Bucks’ website (flintcitybucks.com), or by clicking here: tickets.uslleaguetwo.com/events/flint-city-bucks-us-open-cup-1
5 familiar faces leading Flint City
As previously announced, key players Wes Carnevale, Tweneboa “Bingo” Kodua, and Jack Roman will return to the Bucks for USL League Two action this summer. That trio will be joined exclusively for Open Cup action by fellow Flint alumni Matt Dreas and Daire “Daz” O’Riordan.
Carnevale made his Bucks debut in 2023, among the club’s youngest players. He returned well-seasoned last summer, tallying three goals and three assists in 1,000-plus minutes as Flint City reclaimed the USL2 Central Conference title. In the fall, the Pittsburgh midfielder was on the Ivy League first team, collecting six goals and three assists during his senior campaign at Cornell University.
Kodua started 14 league matches for the Bucks in 2025 en route to the conference title, then followed that with 17 starts for Oral Roberts University as a sophomore. The midfielder from Accra, Ghana, was a Summit League honorable mention after his freshman season in fall 2024.
Roman appeared in 13 matches for Flint City last year — playing in both winger spots and as an attacking midfielder, plus taking key set pieces. He exploded in the fall for surprise NCAA Tournament quarterfinalists Akron University, starting all 21 matches as a sophomore. Hailing from Canfield, Ohio, he finished third on the Zips with six goals and second with six assists.
Dreas also starred for Akron in the fall, starting all 21 matches as a junior defensive midfielder. The man from Covington, Kentucky, earned Big East second team and United Soccer Coaches East regional team honors. He was a key player for the Bucks during the 2025 campaign.
O’Riordan hails from Cork, Ireland, and graduated in 2021 after five seasons with Davenport University. The midfielder was team captain for four years. He played for the Bucks during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Daz also coaches at Liverpool FC International Academy Michigan.
New stars to watch all summer at Atwood
Isaiah Goldson | GK | Oakville, Ontario | Junior | University of Michigan
Goldson has backstopped Michigan for 51 games through three seasons. As a junior, he collected nine clean sheets and made 56 saves. He was on the Big Ten freshman team in fall 2023 and was previously the starting keeper for the Toronto FC (Major League Soccer) U-19 side.
Drew Pierson | D | Plymouth, Michigan | Junior | University of Detroit Mercy
Pierson has captained Detroit Mercy for the past two seasons. The marauding right back accelerated his profile with a SportsCenter No. 1 play in the fall, scoring from 50-plus yards. It was one of his five goals as a redshirt junior to go with three assists. He was named to the Horizon League first team. Pierson has played 26 games in two years with Great Lakes Division rival AFC Ann Arbor.
Luke Spadafora | M | Northville, Michigan | Freshman | Michigan State University
Spadafora started all 16 matches for the Spartans during his debut campaign in the fall. Named to the Big Ten all-freshman team, he finished fifth on the team in minutes, collecting two goals and two assists. His resume includes Michigan Wolves, Austin FC II, and Oakland County FC.
Ezra Horlings | GK | South Lyon, Michigan | Commit (2026) | Michigan State University
Horlings, with a career between the posts in East Lansing already lined up, is ranked third among in-state recruits for the 2026 class by PrepSoccer.com. He has previously played with the 2007-born Michigan Jaguars in MLS Next, as well as Detroit Catholic Central High School.
Sean Albritton | F | Pflugerville, Texas | Freshman | Fairfield University
Albritton made a massive impact in his first Fairfield foray, leading the side with nine goals — including four game-winners – despite playing only 738 minutes. The striker was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference second team and Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI. A Costa Rican multinational, he scored two for the U-17 side at the 2023 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.
Amara Kamara | D | Monrovia, Liberia | Senior | Northern Illinois University
Kamara was named to the Missouri Valley Conference first team for his center-back play as a senior at Northern Illinois, where he started all 17 matches. Previously at Tiffin University, Kamara was twice named Defensive Player of the Year for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Jordy Lopez | F | Bogotá, Colombia | Redshirt Senior | Madonna University
Lopez led Madonna with 22 goals and three assists as a redshirt senior in fall 2025. Eight of his goals were match-winners, helping the Crusaders reach the WHAC Championship final and make a second consecutive appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.
Ollie Moller-Jensen | F | Atlanta, Georgia| Junior | Florida Atlantic University
Moller-Jensen led the American Conference with six assists and tallied six goals of his own as a junior. He was named to the conference second team and tournament team as Florida Atlantic claimed the title. The Denmark native has played 22 matches with BK Frem of the Danish third division.
Ryko Bodurov | M | Columbus, Ohio | Sophomore | Bowling Green State University
Bodurov secured a starting role at BGSU toward the end of his sophomore year, leading the side with three assists despite playing under 1,000 minutes. He was named to the Missouri Valley Conference scholar-athlete team and previously played with Columbus Crew academy in MLS Next.
Cup reinforcements — including Great Lakes ties
Zach Townsend | D | Oxford, Michigan | Redshirt Senior | Oakland University
Townsend was named to the Horizon League first team and all-academic team in 2024. The center back also helped Oxford High School win a league championship in 2019.
Marco Mazzei | M | Dearborn, Michigan | Senior | Oakland University
Mazzei has played four years for the Golden Grizzlies. In the fall, the midfielder started 17 matches, tallying three goals and three assists en route to the Horizon League third team. He started every match in summer 2025 for Great Lakes Division opponent Oakland County FC.
Braxton Arpachinda | D | Sterling Heights, Michigan | Junior | Western Michigan University
Arpachinda started 21 games for Western Michigan in the fall, earning United Soccer Coaches regional second-team honors, on top of being named to the Missouri Valley Conference second and scholar-athlete teams. As a left back, he has seven goals and six assists over the past two seasons.
Matthew Paiva | D | Toronto, Ontario | Junior | University of Akron
Paiva started 16 matches for Akron in the fall, shoring things up for the Zips during their surprise run to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The highly touted Canadian center back was the No. 3 overall pick by Halifax Wanderers FC in the Canadian Premier League 2025 draft.
Bucks alum Shannon among Madison pros
Jaylen Shannon | D | St. Joseph, Michigan
Shannon was among Flint City’s most consistent starters in 2023, appearing in 14 matches en route to a USL League Two Central Conference championship. Soon after, he joined Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire FC on an MLS Next Pro contract. After 24 matches with Chicago Fire FC II, the center back from St. Joseph, Michigan, joined Kalamazoo FC (USL2) last summer. Now he’s back in the pros and ready to show what made him a 77-game player for Western Michigan University.
Derek Gebhard | F | Blue Hill, Maine
Gebhard is returning for his sixth season with Forward Madison. The striker holds club records with 29 all-time goals, as well as 11 in a single season (2025). He was named to the USL1 all-league second team last year, adding an assist and captaining over half his club’s matches. He brings 89 games’ experience between the higher-tier USL Championship and North American Soccer League.
Mark Segbers | M | St. Louis, Missouri
Segbers, a 29-year-old midfielder, joins Madison from Charleston Battery of the USL Championship. He has over 150 appearances in that second-division league. Segbers’ professional career began when he was drafted No. 9 overall in the MLS 2018 SuperDraft by New England Revolution.
Mbongeni “Geni” Kanyane | D | Johannesburg, South Africa
Kanyane has represented South African U-20 national team, winning the COSAFA Cup championship in 2018. His college career at Dayton University saw him total 4,292 minutes while racking up four goals and seven assists. He was drafted No. 63 in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft by Chicago Fire.
Enrique Machasen | M | Provincia de Colón, Panama
Machasen is with Madison on loan from C.D. Universitario in the Liga Panameña (Panama). The versatile midfielder made his pro debut at age 19 in 2023 and has already racked up 37 starts.
Matchday Timeline
4–6 p.m.: Pre-match tailgate at Irene’s Craft Kitchen & Biergarten
5:30 p.m.: Stadium gates open at Don Batchelor Field
6 p.m.: Supporters march from Irene’s to Don Batchelor Field
6:30 p.m.: Match kickoff at Don Batchelor Field
8:30 p.m.–late: Post-match afterpart at Irene’s
Where to Go in Downtown Grand Blanc
Irene’s Craft Kitchen & Biergarten: 210 Reid Road, Grand Blanc, MI 48439
Don Batchelor Field (Grand Blanc High School): 11920 S. Saginaw Street, Grand Blanc, MI 48439
About the Flint City Bucks
The Flint City Bucks have reached the USL League Two postseason in six consecutive seasons—every year calling Atwood Stadium home. In club history, the Bucks have 26 playoff appearances in 29 chances, four league national titles (including 2019), 12 conference championships (2025), and 17 division crowns (2025). Since their founding in 1996, the Bucks have never had a losing season.
Bucks in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Flint City Bucks will return to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026 after accepting qualification for the first time since rehoming to Flint. The Open Cup—U.S. Soccer’s oldest competition, dating to 1914—is a single-elimination tournament featuring clubs from all levels across the country.
Now entering its 111th edition, the Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is open to all professional and amateur or semi-professional teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The 2025 winner earned a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and had its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy—one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports. The tournament featured a total purse worth $1 million.
The Bucks stand among the most decorated giant-killers in Open Cup history. In 15 tournament appearances since 1997, we have a record 10 wins over professional opponents—including landmark upsets of MLS sides New England Revolution in 2000 and Chicago Fire in 2012.
2026 season tickets: On sale now!
One ticket, two teams, all summer long. Season-ticket holders for 2026 will receive admission to every single home match for both the Flint City Bucks (men) and Flint City AFC (women). You’ll be set for any friendlies (international and otherwise) and tournament games (including U.S. Open Cup and league playoffs). Packages start at just $125 for adults and $75 for youth ages 17 and younger.
Use this form to order or renew your season tickets today!
Flint City matchday: What to expect
Flint City matches are fun, affordable, and family-friendly—showcasing some of the best semi-professional soccer talent in the country. Flint, Michigan, is widely recognized as a destination for top NCAA players looking to join MLS, NWSL, and professional leagues worldwide. The Bucks attract top prospects from almost every continent, with more than a dozen countries represented on a typical roster.
Kettering University’s Atwood Stadium is a historic gem of a stadium—worth the price of admission on its own. Game nights feature an energized, outdoor, under-the-lights soccer experience alongside a festival-like environment for all to enjoy. Kids are always welcome to have fun on the pitch at halftime and meet and greet the players post-game for autographs and pictures. Join us today and don’t miss out on elite men’s and women’s semi-professional matches right here in beautiful downtown Flint.
Key dates: A summer to remember in 2026
Another exciting summer of men’s and women’s semi-professional soccer is coming to Atwood Stadium. Flint City AFC will open its home schedule Saturday, May 16, followed by Flint City Bucks opening night Saturday, May 30. We are hosting the Open Cup first round Thursday, March 18, at Don Batchelor Stadium in downtown Grand Blanc. Our seventh annual School Day Game will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 20. Stay tuned over the coming weeks as full league schedules are announced.
