What you need to know about the 2017 Dayton Dynamo:
Home sweet home
After spending their inaugural season at Welcome Stadium, Dayton Dynamo FC will now call Chaminade Julienne’s Roger Glass Stadium home. Located in downtown Dayton, recently constructed Roger Glass Stadium will provide a more intimate setting and better sight lines.
The new home field also brings new fan-friendly additions like concessions by W.G. Grinders and beer sales — including two new Dynamo-inspired brews from the Dayton Beer Company. Pregame festivities for fans of all ages will add to the fun.
Tickets are $5, $10 or $15. The premium $15 tickets include food and beverage service at your seat.
New competition
Dayton will again compete in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) but the Dynamo have moved from the Great Lakes West Conference to the East Conference in the NPSL Midwest Region. This will provide the team with a chance to compete against clubs from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio, including AFC Cleveland. The Dynamo will play 10 home matches, six against Midwest East Conference foes.
Dayton also will face off against the Cincinnati Dutch Lions, FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew SC U23s in exhibitions.
Back at the helm
Dan Griest returns for his first full season as Dynamo coach after assuming the position during the 2016 season. The Springfield native played club soccer for the Centerville Galaxies and played at Butler and Wright State. The former coach of Springfield Northwestern also coaches youth teams with Ohio Galaxies FC.
Familiar faces
The Dynamo return several players to the roster this season including Eric Hutton, Tristan Lyle, Michael Deyhle and Baye Kébé. Hutton, a midfielder, and Lyle, a striker, play for Wright State. Deyhle, a defender from Cincinnati, is a former Dayton Flyer. Kébé, a defensive midfielder who made his Dynamo debut midway through the 2016 season, has international experience as a former member of the Senegal National Team and Spartak Moscow.
Young talent
Among the new faces is Matt Kinkopf, from Hamilton, who was a four-year starter at forward for Ohio Northern University, amassing 57 goals and 33 assists. Springfield native Tate Robinson, a midfielder from Bowling Green State University, and Xenia native Austin Kinley, a Wright State defender, also joined the Dynamo.
International talent will include Brazilian goalkeeper Paulo Pinto, who plays for Cedarville, and midfielder Kristian Moore-Cowell from Essex, England.
For more information on the Dynamo, visit www.daytondynamo.com/ or follow the team on Facebook or Twitter.
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