Goshen City FC makes statement in home opener

GOSHEN — Saturday was more than a soccer game for Goshen City FC.

As team founder Henrique Eichenberger put it, “It was a statement.”

In its first ever home game, FC dismantled Panathinaikos Chicago, 8-0, in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Goshen College Soccer Complex.

“It was a big statement from our part, from the crowd and soccer in general here in Goshen,” Eichenberger continued. “People want to see soccer here. We have talent. We have a bright future ahead of us.”

It was almost too perfect of a night for GC FC.

Just about the only thing that went wrong was a travel delay from Panathinaikos, as they were caught in traffic due to a car accident. In a game that was originally supposed to start at 7 p.m., Panathinaikos didn’t arrive to Goshen College until 7:10 p.m., with kickoff then coming shortly after 7:45 p.m.

The delay didn’t deter anyone from their seats.

Less than 10 minutes into the contest, FC had its first home goal in club history.

It was poetic who scored it, too.

Lucas Bontreger was a standout at Goshen High School before becoming one of Goshen College’s all-time leading goal scorers. His collegiate playing career wrapped up in the fall, making Saturday his first time playing a competitive match on the GC field since then.

With one of the best stars to come out of both the GHS and GC programs now representing his hometown at the semi-professional level, Bontreger buried a right-footed shot to give FC the lead, sending the crowd into an uproar.

“It means a lot,” said Bontreger of scoring the first home goal. “I grew up in Goshen, played soccer in Goshen my whole life. I came to Goshen College, and now playing for this team — I mean, you saw how many people were here. It was amazing, man. I wasn’t expecting this many people. It was a great experience for everybody.”

Bontreger finished with three goals. He only played the first half, as FC led by a 6-0 margin through the first 45 minutes of play. Other goal scorers then for Goshen were two from Andres Gonzalez Maza and one each from Tebello Ntene, Eli Simones and Wendo Kisila. The latter two both came on penalty kicks in the second half.

It’s a huge win for FC, as it keeps them in the UPSL-Midwest Central Division playoff hunt at the midway point of the season. Their record is 2-3 overall with five more matches remaining. The top six teams in the division will reach the postseason.

Now, about that crowd.

Virtually every seat was filled in the bleachers at Goshen College. There were then droves of people standing along the fence on either side of the bleachers. While the official number was probably close to 500 fans, it felt like the entire Goshen community was out to see what the newest team in town had to offer.

“I had anticipated there would be a big crowd, but then you look up and you see the stands completely full, and you look down one side and the other and it’s completely full – it’s great to have that kind of support because it allows the guys to play for something bigger than themselves and their team,” Goshen City FC coach Tyler Born said. “They’re playing for a bunch of people that support them, and I think it was very important we put in this kind of performance.”

Born had a similar path to Saturday night at Bontreger, just separated by four years. A native of Goshen, Born won a 2014 boys soccer state championship at Goshen High School before playing collegiately at Goshen College.

It’s not lost on him what Saturday meant not only for him, but the city of Goshen as a whole.

“This is amazing,” Born said. “I’ve played in front of a bunch of people and have had a crazy amount of support coming through high school and college, and to continue to progress in my own coaching career and have this group, Henrique, all these people as support — it just shows how important this sport is for this city and for all the kids that decided to come to watch.

“There’s nothing but good things I can say about (Saturday), the team and this night.”

And then there’s the man who’s spearheaded this whole operation.

Before the game, Eichenberger could be seen running around everywhere, almost like a chicken with its head cut off. He was going from the concession stand, to the merchandise table, to the field, and anywhere else he needed to be to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible.

Then he got to be the assistant coach, watching the team he created put on a dazzling show in front of a large contingent of fans.

“It was a dream come true, right?” Eichenberger said. “I’ve been making this project for a whole year, and this was the day we finally had our first home game. We had more than 300 people in the stands, and we won 8-0 — can it get any better than that? I don’t think so.”

Soccer has been a growing sport both in Goshen and Elkhart County for decades now. Saturday’s masterpiece of a night felt like the culmination of the sport’s growth to this point — and also the launching pad for the next wave of popularity for it.