2025 was a year of firsts for the Capital City Islanders.  

First tryout, first practice.  Then, first match: a 1-0 win against Philly Lone Star.  First division title: Division 1, less than a year ago.  First cup trophy: Northeast American Regional Cup in August 2025.  First hattrick: Klovis Kabre in a 5-2 win away against Ukrainian Sitch SC. First Premier division title: 2-1 win over Ironbound SCP.

2026 is here.  Questions abound, and expectations are high.  Can the Islanders avoid a sophomore slump?  Or can they repeat as UPSL Northeast American (South) Premier Division Champions?

That journey starts now.

No team can stand still. If we want to retain the division title and push on to the National tournament, we’ll need quality in depth at every position.

The Islanders tickets are live!  We have such a lovely venue on City Island with cool breezes as the spring turns to summer. The view of the city from the Island is pretty cool at night.

There are few pleasures in life better than a family outing on a pleasant day. Islanders soccer under the lights is something to be experienced!

The Islanders battled to a 1-1 with Onondaga FC from Syracuse, New York.  The full breakdown of the game is on our website, so I won’t rehash that here.

The core players from last year generally acquitted themselves well:

Jake Altimore and Josh Bender formed a solid and confident defensive duo at the base of the Islanders' formation.  Bender scored in the 89th minute to pull the Islanders level. He seemed especially eager to dribble out of defense and get into the box on set pieces, which I’d love to see even more of.  Jeremiah Craig did well in his cameo before making way for a series of trialists.

In midfield, the Ramirez brothers— Ethan, Derek and Josiah—worked well together, “keeping the trains on time” and progressing the ball fairly well.  On the wing, Drew Morris ran into a bit of bother early with a couple fouls and got a bit heated, and was pulled by Head Coach Johnny Morris.  He later re-entered and was more level-headed and did well.

The lone trialist who stood out to me (and this is very subjective, and I’m not in any position to make decisions about who makes the team or not) was a midfielder: William Kim.

After a couple of early nerves and misplays, he did quite well.  He had a high motor and was pretty fearless in the defensive challenges despite not being a big guy.  He made some smart passes, but nothing super flashy… understandable, since he was playing primarily as a defensive midfielder.  He’ll be my player to watch next week.

There are still questions around the park: the goalkeeper situation and backups across the whole lineup to help with the depth challenge the starters.  All of the Islanders' games are a week apart, except for late in the season when the lads will have 3 games in a week.  This could strain the squad, so Head Coach Johnny Morris is likely building resilience into the squad: for injuries, for exhaustion, for illness… the team needs quality backups.

I’m looking for more from the trialists, and I’m certain Head Coach Johnny Morris is looking for the veterans to raise their level as well. Onward!

The Islanders Store is up and running with a good variety of swag, so you can show your team pride!

I’ve heard that the Islanders are getting a new jersey design for 2026, so scoop up the 2025 vintage wear before it’s gone. There are discounts at the merch stand on game day as well.

Remember, every purchase helps support the Islanders!

The Islanders have 4 theme nights this season!  

April 18th is Heroes Night, where fans celebrate the hero in their life or dress up as their favorite superhero.

On May 2nd, we welcome the New York Cosmos “B” team to Rocco Ortenzio Stadium for our Hersheypark pass night.  The first 1500 youth ages 12 and under will receive a free ticket to Hersheypark.  Everyone in attendance will have access to a discount code for Hersheypark tickets.  So parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles: bring the kids out to an Islanders game!

On May 23rd, we honor our service members with Military Appreciation Night.  We will be auctioning off themed jerseys for this match!

May 30th is our final home game of the regular season.  It’s time to represent your country as we prepare for the 2026 World Cup.  The Capital City Islanders are partnering with Michelob Ultra to bring you our International and World Cup Night!  World Cup tickets will be given away at the match against Philadelphia Lone Star thanks to Michelob Ultra and Fox43.

I don’t have the exact details on the World Cup ticket giveaway, but the cheapest World Cup tickets for a group stage match in Philadelphia via a reseller were $900 per ticket.  It’s not quite a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but the last time the USA hosted the World Cup was 32 years ago, in 1994.