FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – After making big strides from year one to year two Fort Wayne FC is hoping to make a similar jump this season as the club approaches year three with the home opener set for this Saturday.

One big change this season for the club is their change of venue. Instead of playing at Bishop Dwenger’s Shields Fields – as they have the past two years – Fort Wayne FC’s home games will now be played at D’Arcy Stadium on the University of Saint Francis campus.

The 2023 home opener is set for this Saturday at 7 p.m. against Kings Hammer FC. Before the match Fort Wayne FC will honor co-owner DaMarcus Beasley, as the Summit City native was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 6 in Frisco, Texas.

After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, head coach Mike Avery returns for his third season leading the club. Returning players include Alex “Frenchy” Frank, Tom Abrahamsson, Reid Sproat, Adam McAleenan, Riku Moriyasu, Nkosi Graham and Geni Kanyane.

Fort Wayne finished 9-3-2 in USL League 2 play last year, good enough for third place in the Valley Division. They finished 1-8-5 in 2021, the club’s first year of existence.