Oakwood Soccer Club teams got back on the field for MLS NEXT competition on Sunday, but it turned out to be an unexpected road trip.
Oakwood’s U-15 and U-17 teams were originally supposed to host New York City FC, but its fields were hardened with snow and ice that proved too difficult to remove, which forced a road trip to NYCFC. On a positive note, the U-15s walked away with a hard-earned 2-2 tie.
It was par for the course for the Glastonbury, Conn.-based Oakwood program that is taking on challenges and tempering expectations in 2022, with the spring MLS NEXT season set to crank up in the coming months.
"We’re in a building process with the teams," said Oakwood co-founder and technical director Rick Derella, who also coaches the U-15 squad.