Welcome to the Soccer Tavern, where we’re discussing the history, culture, and philosophy of the beautiful game. My name is Dave and in this video, we’re talking about the history of Amish Country United. Pull up a seat and let’s start the discussion.
Amish Country United is located in Berlin, Ohio which is in Holmes County. Berlin is about an hour south of Akron in the northeastern part of the state. Ohio is located in the central, slightly Eastern part of the United States.
The club currently play in the Northern Ohio Soccer League (NOSL). The league is new and is likely the equivalent of a non-league playing level in England. The United States technically has no divisions below the 3 professional divisions, but the NOSL is likely the equivalent of a 6th or 7th division league if US Soccer had a proper pyramid.
Amish Country United’s home ground is Red Rider Stadium in Orrville, Ohio. They’ve played there since 2019 and the stadium holds about 3,500 people.
Origin
Amish Country United, or ACU, was officially founded in 2016, but its roots go back to 2014. In 2014, a group of high school soccer players started an indoor soccer team called Hiland Strikers (named after their high school) to continue playing soccer in the winter.
After two seasons as Hiland Strikers, the name changed to Amish Country United during an impromptu gathering of these friends in club founder, Braden Mast’s basement. They were just hanging out when they began discussing their club.
They wanted to change the club’s name to something more professional and meaningful, so the group decided to base their name off of the area where they lived, which was Holmes County. Holmes County has one of the highest Amish populations in the world, granting its nickname Amish Country.
So, since October 2016, the club has gone by the name Amish Country United.
Nicknames
The club has 3 nicknames.
Their official nickname is the Amish. This nickname gives a nod to the people that populate Holmes County. This is the one used by the club.
Another nickname used by the club is ACU, which is simply the club’s initials.
And the club’s final nickname and one that is unofficial is the Wagon Wheels. This nickname has been used by some fans and it comes from the wagon wheel featuring prominently on the club’s crest.
Crest
Speaking of the club’s crest, let’s take a look at it now.
The crest is in the shape of a shield, which signifies defense. ACU defends their name and history on the field.
The plain colors of black, white, and grey provide a classy look for the crest. The colors also represent the Amish people’s simple way of life.
A golden wagon wheel is in the middle of the crest, which symbolizes the Amish way of transportation buggies, or the wheels of the wagons and trailers the Amish use in the fields.
The name of the club and the year the club was founded both feature on the crest as well.
Important Events
I’d like to highlight 2 important events in the club’s history in this section.
The first event happed in 2016. It was the the first year that the club was playing under their new name as Amish Country United. The Amish played crosstown rivals Berlin Soccer Club in a heated indoor game referred to as the Holmes County Derby. This was the third straight year the two sides met and the previous two went to the more-veteran Berlin SC. However, this time around Amish Country United won their first Holmes County Derby, beating their rivals 8-6. Defender Michael Miller famously scored the eighth goal, which clinched victory, with a rocket into the top corner from just over half field.
And the second event I’d like to highlight happened on July 9, 2019. On this date, Amish Country United faced off with number one seeded Inter Ohio FC in the Semi-Finals of the Northern Ohio Soccer League playoffs. Inter had beaten ACU 5-0 and 6-1 during the regular season and were heavily favored to make the final. Amish Country United played their best soccer of the year though, beating the NOSL powerhouse 2-0, and advancing to the Finals. Though ACU lost the final 3-1 to FC Accipiter, the semi-final victory was a very important day in ACU’s short history.
Noteworthy Players
I want to mention 4 players in this section and just a quick heads up that the club only began keeping stats during the club’s first outdoor season in 2018.
Forward and club captain Brandon Kozak has 4 goals and 4 assists in 7 appearances for the Amish. He has played for the club since its formation as Hiland Strikers in 2014.
Midfielder Sam Paul has 7 goals and 7 assists in 7 appearances for ACU. He notably scored the second goal in the 2-0 semi-final game against Inter.
Midfielder Brandon Mount has 7 goals and 3 assists in 8 appearances for the club.
And lastly, midfielder Zach Miller has played for the club since 2014 and is the most capped-player on the team with 14 appearances. He has a goal and three assists since the club’s switch from indoor to outdoor soccer.
Noteworthy Managers
Jon Lotut was hired as first team manager by Amish Country United in May of 2018, and he led the team through their first outdoor season. Jon was instrumental in the formation of the team and brought lots of soccer and coaching knowledge to the club. Prior to ACU’s inaugural season in the Northern Ohio Soccer League in 2019, Lotut stepped down as coach. Though his tenure was short, he remains the most famous manager in the club’s history due to his leadership in the club’s formative years.
Rivals
ACU’s main rival is crosstown club Berlin SC. This was the club’s first rival as they competed against each other in the Hall of Fame Indoor League in Canton, Ohio. Their clashes became known as the Holmes County Derby, with the winner receiving the coveted Lamp, which is a basic lamp-turned-trophy.
Stats & Records
The stats and records we’re about to discuss are as of September 2019, which is when we are recording this video.
Amish Country United has spent one season in the Northern Ohio Soccer League.
The club has not won a trophy yet in its brief history.
ACU’s record first team appearance holders are Defender Braden Mast and midfielder Zach Miller who each have made 14 first team appearances.
The club’s record goal scorers are Sam Paul and Brandon Mount who each have 7 goals for the club.
And one last interesting fact about the club: several of ACU’s players’ parents either grew up Amish or left the Amish at a very early age.
So there you have it… a bit of history on Amish Country United. Let’s continue the discussion in the comments section below the video.
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