BOYDS, Md. (WDVM) – In Montgomery County, Maryland Bobcats FC plays in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), the third tier of American professional soccer.
The team calls Germantown its home, playing at Maureen Hendricks Field at the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds. Most of the Bobcats’ players are local products, playing pro ball in their backyard.
“I obviously grew up playing here, like we had so many tournaments and stuff here,” Bobcats FC defender Davey Mason, who is a graduate of Whitman and played college soccer at Georgetown and Loyola (MD), said. “Back then we didn’t really have a professional team to aspire to, especially like in Montgomery County, so it’s really cool now that we have something and kids have something to aspire to.”
The local players on the team also hail from other parts of the area. Bobcats FC right wing Joseph Boone is a native of Fort Washington, Maryland, graduated from Bishop McNamara and spent some time playing college soccer at Mount St. Mary’s.
“Not a lot of guys from my area, which is Prince George’s County, get the opportunity to play professional,” Boone told WDVM. “And especially have fans and have a great support system behind us, so being able to have all that and all these amenities that come with the program are great.”
Bobcats FC will play the second game of its 2022 season, it’s home opener, at the Maryland Soccerplex on Saturday against Flower City Union from Rochester, New York.