Hickory FC
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| Full name | Hickory Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Trees | ||
| Founded | 2023 | ||
| Stadium | |||
| Coach | Carlos Rubio | ||
| League | USL League Two | ||
| 2026 |
| ||
| Website | hickoryfc.com | ||
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Hickory FC is a semi-professional men's soccer club based in Hickory, North Carolina. Led by an ownership group consisting of five families, the club was founded in 2023. It competes in USL League Two, an amateur league in the United States league system, and previously played in the National Premier Soccer League. It plays its home games at Moretz Stadium.
History
Serious discussions about bringing a semi-professional soccer club to Hickory began in late 2022, with the club being officially announced as an expansion club of the NPSL in late 2023.
In their inaugural season, Hickory FC finished the regular season second in the NPSL's Southeast Conference. In the playoffs, they won the Southeast Conference championship before falling in the South Region semifinals. In their second season, Hickory FC finished the regular season first in the NPSL's Southeast Conference. In the conference playoff final, Hickory FC beat Appalachian FC 1-0 after extra time, in front of a then record crowd of 5,758 fans, to win the Southeast Conference championship for the second straight season. Hickory FC would go on to win two more home matches in the 2025 NPSL playoffs, defeating Lubbock Matadors SC 1-0 in the South region final and Ristozi FC 3-2 in the National semifinals. The home win over Ristozi FC set a new home attendance record of 6,247 fans. In the NPSL National final played in San Francisco, Hickory FC beat the defending NPSL champions El Farolito SC 3-2 to win the club's first NPSL national championship.
Club culture
Colors and crest
The club colors are red and black. The crest draws from the foundations of Hickory as a city with the Hickory tree and the railroad track that played a prominent role.
Supporters
Hickory FC's supporters group is the 28601. The group consists of fans that play different instruments including drums and trumpets, and they put up tifos across the stadium.
Rivalries
Hickory FC's main rivalry is with Appalachian FC. The clubs' cities, Hickory and Boone, are separated by just 45 miles. Coincidently, both cities are also home to a campus of Appalachian State University. Hickory FC also has secondary rivalries with Asheville City SC and Statesville FC. Hickory FC, Appalachian FC, and Asheville City SC play in a three-way derby series known as the Old North Cup, given that all three clubs are located in cities considered to be in Western North Carolina (coincidently, Asheville, Hickory, and Boone are the first, second, and third most populous cities, respectively, in the region as well). Hickory FC and Statesville FC compete in the I-40 Derby, named for Interstate 40 that passes through both Statesville and Hickory.
The club also had a rivalry with Charlottestowne Hops FC in the NPSL along with Appalachian FC in the Moonshine Cup.
Year-by-year
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Conference/Division | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Conf./Div. | Overall | |||
| 2024 | NPSL | Southeast | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 14 | +12 | 22 | 2nd of 8 | 18th of 92 | Region Semifinals | DNQ |
| 2025 | NPSL | Southeast | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 7 | +24 | 28 | 1st of 8 | 3rd of 75 | National Champions | DNQ |
| 2026 | USL2 | South Atlantic | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 28 | 4th of 11 | 36th of 158 | DNQ | DNQ |
| Total | 34 | 25 | 3 | 6 | 85 | 36 | +49 | 78 | ||||||
Honors
Club
- NPSL
- Southeast Conference Regular Season Winners (1): 2025
- Southeast Conference Champions (2): 2024, 2025
- South Region Champions (1): 2025
- National Champions (1): 2025
- Hank Steinbrecher Cup
- Participants (1): 2026
Personnel
| Year | Personnel | Country | Position | Honor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Antonio Pineda |  USA |
Midfield | NPSL Southeast Conference MVP |
| 2025 | Antonio Pineda | USA |
Midfield | NPSL Golden Ball |
| 2025 | Carlos Rubio |  SPA |
Manager | NPSL Coach of the Season |
| 2025 | Tomas Pollacchi |  ARG |
Midfield | NPSL National Final Man of the Match |
References
- ↑ "Hickory FC", Hickory FC
- ↑ "Hickory getting professional soccer team for 2024". Queen City News. October 12, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Hickory FC defeats Mint Hill FC 6-1 in friendly". NPSL. May 5, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Hickory FC Wins Southeast Conference Championship with 1-0 Extra Time Win Over Appalachian FC in Front of 5,758 Fans and Supporters". NPSL. July 14, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ↑ "Crowd of 6,247 Sees Hickory FC Advance to the NPSL National Championship with 3-2 Win Over Ristozi FC". NPSL. July 27, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Hickory FC Topples El Farolito 3-2 to Win 2025 NPSL National Championship". NPSL. July 27, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Our Logo", Hickory FC
