LEXINGTON, Ky. - Not since the Lexington Bluegrass Bandits' 1995 USISL season has Lexington, Ky. had a professional soccer team to call its own. Nearly 30 years later, Lexington SC will change that as the expansion side opens its inaugural season in Knoxville on March 18. LSC will be led by Sporting Director and Head Coach Sam Stockley whose playing career has seen him suit up with Colchester United FC, Wycombe Wanderers FC, Ferencvárosi TC and North Carolina FC, among others. LSC will rely largely on a promising yet untested group of youngsters eager to prove themselves in their first season – mirroring the aspirations of the club as a whole.

Lexington is young; more than half of its roster announced thus far is made up of players entering either their first or second seasons as professionals. LSC will be hoping it bagged a hidden gem capable of a breakout first-professional season much like Greenville experienced with Jacob Labovitz or Omaha saw with Joe Brito and Noe Meza a season ago. That’s certainly possible, and with young players like talented South African Philakahle Dlamini, 2022 League One champion Owen Green, FC Dallas Academy standout Jalen James and 2018 USL League Two Best XI member Tate Robertson, nothing is out of the question.

Stockley’s side will rely on the leadership of its handful of veterans, namely NASL and USL League One veteran midfielder Don Smart, Jamaican international goalkeeper Amal Knight, and the former FC Tucson tandem of Kaelon Fox and Charlie Machell. With a youthful and diverse squad composed of players from North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania, it will be interesting to see who steps up this season to etch their name into Lexington soccer history.

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