League One Power Rankings

League One Power Rankings - Week 15

By ETHAN TRIEBSCH - ethan.triebsch@uslsoccer.com, 06/28/23, 3:00PM EDT

Top four positions remain unchanged following busy Week 15

Northern Colorado remain on top of the Power Rankings for the second consecutive week after an Ice and Fire Cup victory in Week 15, while Richmond, Lexington and South Georgia are the only sides to drop positions.

Can Omaha continue its ascent? Will Charlotte or North Carolina come out victorious in Week 16's high-stakes Dogwood Derby finale? Tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on Twitter at @USLLeagueOne.

Biggest Movers

2 OMA

1 RIC, LEX, TRM

Rank	Team	Change	Summary
1	Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (6-1-4) Week 16: --	Last Week: 1	The Hailstorm have extended their club-record unbeaten streak to seven with their victory over Ice and Fire Cup rivals Central Valley last week. While Northern Colorado will sit out Week 16, the second-year side will likely be within striking distance of the top of the table for the first time at the conclusion of next week.
2	Charlotte Independence (6-3-5) Week 16: @ NC	Last Week: 2	The Jacks are a win or draw away from recording an unbeaten regular-season series against its Dogwood Derby rivals NCFC for the first time since 2020. With both Charlotte and North Carolina coming off disappointing 2-2 draws to a pair of struggling sides, Charlotte need to come out swinging on Saturday.
3	North Carolina FC (7-4-2) Week 16: v. CLT	Last Week: 3	Despite winning just once across its last four matches, North Carolina FC has maintained its first-place position since it rose to the top of the table all the way back in Week 6. A win or draw against Dogwood Derby rival Charlotte would ensure NCFC remains above the Independence in the table, but all five teams above the playoff line are within three points of surpassing John Bradford’s side.
4	Forward Madison FC (6-3-4) Week 16: @ TRM, @ GVL	Last Week: 4	A win at South Georgia on Wednesday evening would confirm Madison’s longest win streak in club history at four and push the League One original to the top of the table for the first time in its five-year history. A positive result against a Greenville side on the rise on Saturday would also help cement FMFC’s position near - or at - the top of the table by the conclusion of Week 16.
5	One Knoxville SC (5-4-6) Week 16: --	1 Last Week: 6	Knoxville is in the midst of a four-match unbeaten streak, but the first-year side is still underperforming. Even with one of the easiest early-season schedules, OKSC is the only club above the playoff line to win fewer points than expected. With just one win in its last six, three points could be hard to come by over the next month as Knoxville face North Carolina, Northern Colorado, Greenville and Omaha.
6	Richmond Kickers (5-4-6) Week 16: v. CHA	1 Last Week: 5	I’m still high on the Kickers, especially with Emiliano Terzaghi heating up. Statistically, the Kickers are one of the most promising sides thus far, but it is a bit concerning that their five wins have all come against clubs below the playoff line; Richmond are 0-4-3 against clubs currently in a postseason position.
7	Greenville Triumph SC (5-5-4) Week 16: v. MAD	Last Week: 7	Starting to look like the Greenville we’re all used to seeing, Triumph SC and Lyam MacKinnon embarrassed the Red Wolves last week with a 5-1 bludgeoning. Greenville’s five-match unbeaten streak is its longest since finishing the 2022 regular season with five undefeated matches. Upcoming contests against Madison, Knoxville and Charlotte will prove challenging, but John Harkes’ side is buzzing at the moment.
8	Union Omaha (3-3-7) Week 16: @ CV	2 Last Week: 10	Certainly the biggest underachiever thus far in my eyes, the Owls took a step in the right direction by putting together its first undefeated multi-match week since Week 23 of the 2022 season. Omaha need to grab all three points out west against Fuego FC before facing a three-match mid-July gauntlet consisting of Richmond, Northern Colorado and Knoxville.
9	Lexington SC (3-6-5) Week 16: v. TRM	1 Last Week: 8	With positive results against four of the top five teams in the league, Lexington is currently 10th in the league table which is honestly rather impressive for the expansion side. If Sam Stockley’s boys can figure out how to put together their strong individual performances, it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see the first-year side continue to surprise some teams.
10	South Georgia Tormenta FC (4-6-3) Week 16: v. MAD, @ LEX	1 Last Week: 9	A loss or draw against a rising Madison team on Wednesday evening would match the second-longest winless streak in Tormenta FC history. After that, the Ibises are set for their final regular season trip to Lexington before they prepare for the first 2022 League One Final rematch at Tormenta Stadium. Already the worst start to a season by a defending champion in league history, South Georgia has work to do.
11	Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (3-8-3) Week 16: @ RIC	Last Week: 11	It’s been a tough run for Chattanooga early, especially after that Lyam MacKinnon performance for Greenville against the Red Wolves. Still, an incredible rally to force a draw against Charlotte last weekend was an incredibly promising result for a nine-man squad. What’s more, the Red Wolves are the only team below the playoff line to earn more points than expected at this point of the season, according to American Soccer Analysis.
12	Central Valley Fuego FC (3-9-1) Week 16: v. OMA	Last Week: 12	The return of Ofek Antman in goal should provide a much-needed boost for a struggling Fuego FC side. With five of its last seven losses coming by one-goal margins, Central Valley must do something different on the offensive side of the ball if it hopes to make a push up the table.