Buffalo Stallions (NPSL)
| Founded | January 16, 2025 | ||
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| Ground | North Tonawanda High School North Tonawanda, New York | ||
| Capacity | 2,000 | ||
| Coordinates | 43°03′03″N 78°52′15″W / 43.050764°N 78.870764°W | ||
| President | William Van Slyke | ||
| Head coach | Mark Spacone | ||
| League | National Premier Soccer League | ||
| Website | buffalostallions.org | ||
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Buffalo Stallions are an American soccer team based in Buffalo, New York. Founded in 2025, it is the only nonprofit soccer franchise and youth academy in the Buffalo region.
The team competes in National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as part of their Great Lakes Conference, the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. Home games are played at North Tonawanda High School.
History
Franchise acquisition, 2025
On January 16, 2025, National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) awarded an expansion franchise to Buffalo, New York.[1] It is the fourth NPSL franchise in Buffalo's history, after Queen City FC (2007–2008), Buffalo City FC (2009), and FC Buffalo (2010–2022).[2]
The franchise adopted the name and logo of the defunct indoor soccer team.[1]
William Van Slyke operates the club as a nonprofit, along with a youth academy of the same name.[3][4][5] The team has pledged to donate any profit the organization earns to funding scholarships for their academy players.[6]
Inaugural season, 2025–present
Mark Spacone was named as the team's first head coach in January 2025.[7] Spacone previously coached the Daemen Wildcats in NCAA Division II.[8] He also co-founded Sam's Army while playing full-back for the Buffalo State Bengals.[9]
Rudy Pompert was named the club's assistant coach and technical director.[3] Pompert previously served as head coach of the Buffalo FFillies of W-League and Buffalo State Bengals of NCAA Division III.[10]
The team plays at North Tonawanda High School, where Stallions director of operations Jeff Hoerner was a longtime soccer coach.[11][12] Sportsplex in North Tonawanda is the team's indoor practice facility, and it was previously used by both the Buffalo Stallions and Buffalo Blizzard.[13][14][15]
The club lost its inaugural game at home to Cleveland SC by a score of 3–0 on May 10, 2025.[16] Stanislav Koval led Cleveland in scoring with two goals.[16]
Players
Current squad
- As of July 5, 2025[17]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable alumni
Academy
Includes players trained under the academy's former incarnations as Buffalo United Soccer Club and the Buffalo branch of Empire United Soccer Academy.
Personnel
Current technical staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Mark Spacone |
| Assistant coach | Rudy Pompert |
| Goalkeeping coach | Sebastian Perez-Arteaga |
- Last updated: 10 May 2025
- Source:[20]
Seasons
| Year | Division | League | Regular season | W-L-D | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Top goalscorer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | NPSL | 6th, Great Lakes | 3-7-0 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Luke Szablewski (5) |
Sponsorships
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (back) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–present | Adidas | Austin Air Systems | Antonio's Banquet & Conference Center |
Media
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Stallions home game broadcasts |
All Buffalo Stallions home games are streamed live on the club's YouTube channel.[21]
The club's broadcast team consists of Tony Occhiuto of WEBR on play-by-play, and Andy Cash of WEBR on color commentary.
References
- ^ a b "Buffalo Stallions Soccer Club Joins the NPSL". National Premier Soccer League. January 16, 2025. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (January 17, 2025). "LEGACY TEAM: Buffalo Stallions join NPSL". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ a b "About". Buffalo Stallions. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "Buffalo Stallions". Cause IQ. December 1, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "North American Soccer Association Ltd, Full Filing". ProPublica. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "BELOVED SOCCER TEAM MAKES A RETURN to BUFFALO". Cheektowaga Bee. January 30, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ Nussbaumer, Newell (January 16, 2025). "The Buffalo Stallions: Semi-Pro Soccer Kicks Off in Buffalo". Buffalo Rising. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "Meet our Staff". RNYFC Youth. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ Jackson, Devon (October 30, 1995). "WE CAN PLAY, BUT CAN WE ROOT? SAM'S ARMY WANTS TO TRAIN AMERICAN SPECTATORS TO BE WORLD-CLASS FANS". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ "Rudy Pompert, Head Men's Soccer Coach". Buffalo State University Athletics. December 13, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ "North Tonawanda High School". NPSL Tickets. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "Former NT boys soccer coach Jeff Hoerner part of leadership group as director of soccer operations for the NEW Buffalo Stallions". The Public NT Facebook Page. January 16, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "Empire Buffalo Stallions". Sportsplex, Inc. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ "Tonawanda Sports Center (Sportsplex) · North Tonawanda History". Collections · North Tonawanda History. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ Michelmore, Bill (November 16, 2001). "IDA APPROVES TAX BREAKS FOR SOCCER FACILITY". Buffalo News. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ a b "Cleveland SC Tops Buffalo Stallions in Front of 1,231 Fans at NPSL Opener". National Premier Soccer League. May 11, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ "Buffalo Stallions on Instagram: "Team Roster 2025!". Instagram. April 25, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ Crane, Andrew (November 9, 2020). "From street soccer to Syracuse, Abdi Salim paves his path to SU's backline". The Daily Orange. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ Tsujimoto, Ben (April 18, 2017). "Know your premier club: Empire United Buffalo, DA". Buffalo News. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ "Sat, May 10, 2025 Buffalo Stallions 0:3 Cleveland SC". Squadi. May 10, 2025. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ "Buffalo Stallions TV". YouTube. March 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2025.