League One Power Rankings

League One Power Rankings - Week 20

By ETHAN TRIEBSCH - ethan.triebsch@uslsoccer.com, 08/03/23, 4:00PM EDT

Hailstorm weather back-to-back losses to remain on top

Despite back-to-back league losses for the first time in nearly a year, Northern Colorado remain on top, while Dogwood Derby rivals North Carolina and Charlotte sneak up the rankings.

Can Greenville extend its recent form? Will Chattanooga become the first League One finalist to fail to make the postseason the year following its participation in the championship match? Tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on Twitter at @USLLeagueOne.

Biggest Movers

1 NC, CLT, KNX

1 MAD, GVL, LEX

Rank	Team	Change	Summary
1	Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (10-3-5) Week 21: v. LEX	Last Week: 1	While their stranglehold on the top of the table did loosen a bit, the Hailstorm are still atop the table. They’ll enjoy a bit of a breather on Wednesday against Lexington before facing four teams above the playoff line across their next five matches.
2	North Carolina FC (10-4-4) Week 21: v. @ TRM	1 Last Week: 3	North Carolina FC is back to winning ways as John Bradford’s side has matched its six-match league unbeaten streak recorded earlier in the season. Massive 2-0 victories over Charlotte and Northern Colorado in recent weeks have positioned the third-year League One side within striking distance of retaking the table’s top position.
3	Forward Madison FC (8-5-6) Week 21: @ RIC	1 Last Week: 2	The ‘Mingos still maintain the most points won above expected (5.36) in the league this season, despite that rather shocking loss to Tormenta FC last Wednesday. A draw against a red-hot Greenville side is a good sign, and Madison is set for eight (!) consecutive matches against opponents below the playoff line before a big clash with the first-place Hailstorm on Sept. 20.
4	Charlotte Independence (9-6-6) Week 21: @ GVL	1 Last Week: 5	On track to shatter the previous league record for most goals conceded below expected with 10.92, the Jacks have been defensively exceptional in 2023 thanks in large part to Austin Pack’s heroics in goal. In his first full season as a starter, Pack has already accumulated the fifth-most saves in league history and is well on his way to surpass Akira Fitzgerald’s record of most saves in a single regular season.
5	Greenville Triumph SC (8-6-5) Week 21: v. CLT	1 Last Week: 4	With just one loss across its last 10 matches, Triumph SC has shot up the table. John Harkes’ side maintain the most goals scored above expected (6.51) and are just one of three teams this season to score more and concede less than expected.
6	Richmond Kickers (6-6-8) Week 21: v. MAD	Last Week: 6	Riding the league’s longest winless streak (4), the Kickers will remain below the playoff line for at least one more week even if they earn a win against Madison on Saturday. Richmond’s recent run of form will see the historic club sit below the playoff line for its longest stretch since Oct. 2021.
7	Union Omaha (8-5-7) Week 21: v. KNX	Last Week: 7	Despite some confusing losses recently, the Owls are right where they need to be as the season starts to wind down. The Owls have picked up the most points in the league across their last four matches (9), and despite their early season struggles, are just a couple of results away from topping the table for the first time since Sept. 2022.
8	South Georgia Tormenta FC (7-9-3) Week 21: v. NC	Last Week: 8	Enjoying the best shooting accuracy in the league (51%) but plagued by the worst save percentage (57%), the defending champs’ up-and-down season has continued with thrilling victories paired with head-scratching results. August could make or break the Ibises as they’ll take on the league’s first, second, third and fifth-place teams over their next five matches.
9	One Knoxville SC (6-8-7) Week 21: @ OMA	1 Last Week: 10	A last-second victory in Fresno helped Knoxville avoid an eighth consecutive winless match, but the first-year League One side has been in a free fall lately, dropping from third place to eighth in less than two months. In what started as one of the most promising seasons for an expansion club in league history, Mark McKeever’s side has work to do in order to salvage its season.
10	Lexington SC (4-10-6) Week 21: @ NCO	1 Last Week: 9	Lexington have earned the most points below expected (9.12), according to American Soccer Analysis, and are last in the league when it comes to scoring less and conceding more than expected. Enjoying stellar individual performances on a near-weekly basis, LSC has struggled to find cohesive success in its debut campaign.
11	Central Valley Fuego FC (5-12-1) Week 21: v. CHA	Last Week: 11	Despite being tied for the most wins across its last three (2) in the league, Fuego FC has sat at the bottom of the table longer than any other club this season. Promising performances from the likes of Alexis Cerritos, Maximus Ekk and Ozzie Ramos haven’t been nearly enough for the second-year side.
12	Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (4-11-4) Week 21: @ CV	2 Last Week: 10	Just over eight months removed from playing in the League One Final, the Red Wolves’ rough 2023 has continued with the 2022 runners-up on track to become the first finalists to be eliminated from postseason contention a year after reaching the final.