Hartford Athletic travel to Lexington, Kentucky to welcome newcomers Lexington SC to the USL Championship. The inaugural league match for the Greens comes after a transfer from USL One. Hartford looks to set the tone of the season early while on the road in the Western Conference.
FIRST TIME OUT
Entering their seventh season, Hartford is 3-3 all-time in opening day matches. The Green & Blue looks to set a favorable opening day record, replicating their early-season success from last year. Hartford won their opening day match in 2024, besting Western Conference foe El Paso Locomotive 1-0 on the road.
DUDE! WE’RE GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
Hartford returns 11 players to their roster this year, a substantial increase from the four players who returned from 2023 to 2024. The returnees include at least one member of each position group, consisting of one goalkeeper, two defenders, three midfielders, and five forwards. Returning players account for 29 of the 39 goals scored by Hartford in 2024.
Notable returners include defensive anchors Joe Farrell and captain Jordan Scarlett, who ranked first and second on the squad in clearances (225 combined) and blocks (62 combined). Additionally, they contributed a combined 51 interceptions and 60 tackles.
Also back for a second season is a forceful group of forwards, including 2024 Hartford Athletic Fans Choice Offensive Player of the Year Michee Ngalina and Fans Choice Most Valuable Player Mamadou Dieng. Ngalina led the team in assists (5) and minutes played (2,623) by a margin of more than 200, and finished second on the squad with eight goals and 27 shots on target. Dieng led the team with 11 goals and 30 shots on target, setting the franchise record for goals scored in a season.
The Green & Blue returns two players for a third season, forward Kyle Edwards and midfielder Beverly Makangila. Combined, the duo has competed in 87 matches across 2023 and 2024, accumulating 4,711 total minutes.
NEW THREADS
Hartford Athletic will debut two of their freshly unveiled kits on Saturday night. The State-inspired “Connecti-Kit” warm up makes its first appearance on-field, with a nod to the history and culture of Connecticut-based soccer.
Hartford Athletic goalkeepers will don the modern and impactful “Kick Out Cancer Kit”, released as part of a meaningful partnership with the American Cancer Society, through their movement, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. As the nation’s largest and most impactful breast cancer movement, it has made strides in fundraising efforts that have benefitted millions of Americans. Hartford Athletic joins the fundraising efforts with Kit for a Cause by donating a portion of proceeds from each Kick Out Cancer Kit sold throughout the season. The new kit will serve as the primary goalkeeper kit for home matches in 2025, as well as select away matches throughout the season. More information about the initiative and partnership can be found here.
NEWTON’S FIRST LAW
Hartford looks to continue their positive momentum from the end of the 2024 season, earning points in 13 of their last 16 games. In that stretch, the squad orchestrated a record of 7-6-3, outscoring opponents 23-19. Five of their seven wins came against opponents who made the playoffs, including regular season champions Louisville City FC (2-1, Aug 24), and playoff semi finalists Las Vegas Lights (2-1, Aug 17). The hot streak included an unbeaten streak of seven games from August 17th through October 5th, winning four games and drawing three. The Green & Blue finished the season winning four of their last seven matches, leaving them just four points out of a playoff position.
REUNION TOUR
Hartford will see some familiar faces in the opposition, as two players from the 2024 squad have joined Lexington SC. Goalkeeper Brooks Thompson signed with Hartford in January of 2024, and trained with the squad until he was loaned to Spokane Velocity FC (USL1) in May. He did not compete in any matches for Hartford. He was transferred to Lexington in January of 2025.
Winger Marcus Epps signed with Lexington in the offseason, after a strong 2024 season on Hartford’s front line. He led the squad by appearing in 34 games for the Green & Blue, starting 28 of them. The next-closest player competed in 30 matches for Hartford. Across 2,360 minutes, Epps contributed three goals (T-3rd on the team), two assists, and 28 shots (13 on target). He was one of two players on the team to score a goal both right-footed (1) and left-footed (2).
MATCHUP HISTORY
This is the first matchup between the two sides, which will be the case for most Lexington contests this season. The only familiar faces that the Greens will see are North Carolina FC from both clubs’ USL One days, as well as a rematch from their 2023 US Open Cup pairing with Louisville City FC.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Lexington SC was founded in October of 2021 as a USL League One expansion team, but did not compete in a USL1 match until March of 2023. Lexington is the second team to transition from USL1 to USLC, joining North Carolina FC in that category. NCFC followed a different trajectory, joining the USLC in 2018, transitioning to USL1 in 2021, and then transitioning back to the USLC for the 2024 season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hartford Athletic: Mamadou Dieng, FW #9
Mamadou Dieng is poised for an exciting second season in Hartford, coming off a record-setting 2024 campaign. The 21-year-old Senegalese striker broke into the USL Championship last year with a statement, delivering a franchise-record 11 goals while leading the team in shots on target (30). His tall figure tormented defenses across the league, as four of his goals came from headers. Across 30 appearances and 19 starts, Dieng’s performance earned himself recognition as the 2024 Hartford Athletic Fans Choice Most Valuable Player. Fans should look to see improved strength and agility, following an offseason spent training back home in Senegal. The hype continues to grow for Dieng, as he was recognized by the USL as one of the 15 Young Players to Know and was a consistent mention in the 2025 Eastern Conference Season Preview. He’ll be a crucial part of the Athletic’s effort Saturday night, as the club looks to start the season on the right foot.
Lexington: Cameron Lancaster, FW #17
Lancaster is one of a few handful of players returning to Lexington from the 2024 squad. The 32-year old signed with the Greens in January, 2024, from Louisville City FC. Lancaster left Louisville as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 75 goals and ranks third in USL Championship history with 80 regular-season goals. He wasted no time settling into his new Kentucky club, scoring 13 goals across nearly 2,000 minutes in 2024. The USL noted Lancaster as Lexington’s Key Returnee in their 2025 Western Conference Season Preview, noting his knack for finding the back of the net.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
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