Kalamazoo FC Earns Road Draw in Detroit

After four straight losses in National Premier Soccer League play, with three of them being shutouts, Kalamazoo FC looked to get back on the track before the 2018 season comes to a close. With one contest this week, KzFC had an opportunity to get back to full strength before a road trip to Motown to take on Detroit City FC. Here's a look at how the Teals fared in this pivotal NPSL match.

Saturday - Kalamazoo FC 1, Detroit City FC 1
KzFC would strike first in a scrum in front of the cage off a corner kick in the second minute. In an attempt to clear the zone, the ball was booted in by Kalamazoo defender Jordan Veillette (Kalamazoo College) for his second tally of the season. The Teals couldn't muster much offense beyond that point, managing just three shots on goal.

DCFC put Kalamazoo's defense on their heels for the rest of the contest, finally emerging with their lone goal in the 84th minute. In extra time, Le Rogue put another shot off the crossbar that would bounce down just outside of the net and was eventually kicked away.

The draw was only the third of the season for KzFC, putting their overall record at 5-3-5 (win-draw-loss). The Teals are now 2-2-5 on year in the NPSL, with a 1-1-4 record in the month of June.

The Week Ahead
Kalamazoo will have three matches this week, but will be home for two of them. The Teals play a rare Tuesday night contest with AFC Ann Arbor as part of the Michigan Milk Cup semifinals. It's the third meeting between the two, with KzFC going 0-1-1 so far. In their May 25th contest at Mayors Riverfront Park, the two teams played to a scoreless draw. The draw was one of just two on the season for the Mighty Oaks, who have not struggled much this season (13-2-1). The other contest June 15th in Ann Arbor saw a 4-0 loss. AFC leads the NPSL's Great Lakes Conference with 23 points and lead Grand Rapids FC by a single point after falling to them Friday 2-0.

The other side of the bracket will see fellow NPSL foe GRFC at former NPSL rival Lansing United. KzFC will need to win to advance to the Cup finals at Hope College on July 4th. Kick-off Tuesday is at 7pm.

Kalamazoo's lone road match is Friday and the only game in NPSL play, as they travel to Lafayette, Indiana, to battle FC Indiana. KzFC hammered the Lions May 11th at home 5-0, one of just two league wins for the Teals. FC Indy is 0-0-8 in the NPSL's Great Lakes Conference, outscored 48-2 in those contests. The battle takes place at 7pm in the Hoosier State.

KzFC will have a quick turnaround for their final game of the week Saturday as they host Livonia City FC out of the Michigan Premier Soccer League in a friendly. The game will take place at Kalamazoo College's MacKenzie Field beginning at 6:30pm.

Tickets for both home games against AFC Ann Arbor and Livonia City FC are available. For a complete look at news and the upcoming schedule, visit Kalamazoo FC's website.