The 2023 NISA season is the fifth season of the National Independent Soccer Association's third-division soccer competition. Michigan Stars are the defending champions, after winning the 2022 season.
Teams Of the eight teams that finished the 2022 season, five return for 2023, two (Flower City Union and Syracuse Pulse) merge to form a new team branded City Union, and one, California United Strikers, is on hiatus, with the aim to return in 2024.
The six teams are joined by three expansion clubs: Club de Lyon, Gold Star FC and Savannah Clovers FC.
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Albion San Diego San Diego, CA Canyon Crest Academy Stadium 5,000 Chattanooga FC Chattanooga, TN Finley Stadium 20,668 City UnionRochester, NYAuburn, NYMarina Auto StadiumFalcon Park 13,7682,800 Club de Lyon Daytona Beach, FL Daytona Stadium9,601 Gold Star FC Livonia, MI Gold Star Stadium5,000 Los Angeles Force Irvine, CA Championship Stadium5,000 Maryland Bobcats Boyds, MD Maryland SoccerPlex 4,000 Michigan Stars Washington, MI Romeo High School 4,000 Savannah Clovers Savannah, GA Memorial Stadium 5,000
Personnel and sponsorship Note: The league has signed a deal with Hummel to be the official kit manufacturer, but it still allows clubs to find their own provider. Team Head coach Captain(s) Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Albion San Diego Capelli DarkHorse Chattanooga FC Hummel Volkswagen City Union Hummel — Club de Lyon Adidas — Gold Star FC Adidas — Los Angeles Force Xara — Maryland Bobcats Hummel Holiday Inn College Park Michigan Stars Hummel HTC Savannah Clovers Umbro Castro Wood Floors
Coaching changes +TeamOutgoing coachManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming coachDate of appointmentAlbion San Diego Signed by Chattanooga Red Wolves SCDecember 14, 2022Preseason Diego GómezFebruary 23, 2023City Union Colton Bly (interim)End of interim periodFebruary 10, 2023 Jordan Sullivan February 10, 2023Maryland Bobcats Sylvain RastelloResigned February 21, 2023 Alex KaoMarch 1, 2023Los Angeles Force Jesus Ochoa (interim)End of interim periodApril 23, 20235th Matt MorseApril 23, 2023
Regular season The season started on March 31, with the nine teams playing an unbalanced schedule weighted on regional play.
Standings
Results
Playoffs The playoffs will keep the same format from last year, and feature the top six teams from the regular season. The top two teams receive a bye into the semifinals. Teams finishing third through sixth play in the quarterfinals, with the winners being re-seeded before playing in the next round.
Bracket
Schedule Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
NISA Championship Final
Player statistics
Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Markus NaglestadChattanooga FC152 Leon MaricMichigan Stars143 Darwin EspinalMaryland Bobcats114 Francis AvoceLos Angeles Force7 Alioune DiakhateFlower City Union Ignacio Ten LópezClub de Lyon7 Alex McGrathChattanooga FC6 Hunter OlsonMichigan Stars Aldo QuintanillaLos Angeles Force Cyrus TranMichigan Stars
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Jean AntoineChattanooga FC152 Benjamin RoachAlbion San Diego123 Tatenda MkuruvaMichigan Stars104 Brandon GomezLos Angeles Force85 Alexander SuttonMaryland Bobcats76 Michael MejiaCity Union57 Brandon BarnesGold Star FC3 Jack CrichtonSavannah Clovers9 Nick NelsonClub de Lyon210 Josue MazonClub de Lyon1 Dylan RamosGold Star FC Joel SerranoLos Angeles Force Sylvanus ThompsonMaryland Bobcats
Top assists Rank Player Club Assists1 Andrés ChalbaudMichigan Stars7 Andrew WivellMaryland Bobcats3 Leon MaricMichigan Stars6 Edwin RivasLos Angeles Force5 Daniel BedoyaAlbion San Diego5 Darwin EspinalMaryland Bobcats Luke FerreiraFlower City Union Jimmy FilermanMaryland Bobcats Vladimir JokicGold Star FC10 Alex McGrathChattanooga FC4 Matias PourrainClub de Lyon Victor RojasClub de Lyon Junior RoseroGold Star FC
Awards Individual awards AwardWinnerTeamReasonGolden Boot Markus NaglestadChattanooga FC15 goals in 23 gamesGolden Glove Jean AntoineChattanooga FC15 shutouts in 23 matches; 9 goals againstCoach of the Year Diego GomezAlbion San Diego11-8-5 record in his debut seasonGolden Ball (Most Valuable Player) Darwin EspinalMaryland Bobcats11 goals, 5 assists in 22 matches
NISA Best XI Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Jean Antoine (CHA) Aydan Bowers (CHA) Richard Dixon (CHA) Jimmy Filerman (MAR) Anatolie Prepeliță (CHA) Daniel Bedoya (ALB) Tyler Gabarra (ALB) Alex McGrath (CHA) Darwin Espinal (MAR) Leon Maric (MIC) Markus Naglestad (CHA)
Player of the Month MonthWinnerTeamReasonApril Jean AntoineChattanooga FC4 clean sheetsMay Ignacio Ten LópezClub de Lyon4 goals scoredJune Edwin RivasLos Angeles Force3 assists in 136 minutesJuly Ben RoachAlbion San Diego3 clean sheetsAugust Aldo QuintanillaLos Angeles ForceTeam went 4-0-0, scored hat-trickSeptember Daniel BedoyaAlbion San Diego3 goals scored
Coach of the Month MonthWinnerTeamReasonApril Alex KaoMaryland Bobcats FC2-0-0 in league play; win in US Open CupMay Diego GómezAlbion San Diego3-1-0 in league playJune Rod UnderwoodChattanooga FCUndefeated in JuneJuly Rod UnderwoodChattanooga FC3-1-0 in league playAugust Matt MorseLos Angeles Force2-2-0 in league playSeptember Alex KaoMaryland Bobcats FC2-1-0 in league play
See also National Independent Soccer Association
Notes
References
External links NISA official website