Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC has signed a trio of loanees – one from FC Tulsa and the others from Louisville City FC – ahead of the USL League One expansion side’s 2022 debut.
All three players are expected to be active for tonight’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Ciaran Winters, a Tulsa, Okla., native, was the first academy player to ever sign a professional contract with FC Tulsa. He made his first team debut on April 24, 2021, against Oklahoma City Energy FC, and finished the 2021 season with 10 appearances for the club. This preseason he started against Houston Dynamo 2 and was named as a substitute in four other matches.
The 20-year-old played for Tulsa Soccer Academy, Sporting Kansas City, and FC Tulsa during his youth career. He won three state titles with Tulsa Soccer Club, and started 23 matches for Sporting Kansas City’s Development Academy during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He joined FC Tulsa’s academy in 2020, and then made club history when he joined the senior team in 2021.
Winters isn’t the first in his family to play in USL, or to play professionally in Tulsa, though. His father, Tony, played for the original Tulsa Roughnecks during his own career. FC Tulsa was founded in 2013 as Tulsa Roughnecks FC, named for the city’s NASL club that played in the 1970s and 1980s.
Winters joins Hailstorm FC on a season-long loan from FC Tulsa.
“We are really happy to bring Ciaran on board,” said Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC head coach Éamon Zayed. “He comes heavily recommended and from a USL Championship team that has been flying high for the last couple of years, so we are thankful to the coaching staff at Tulsa for loaning us Ciaran.
“He’s a Tulsa native who’s been around the first tea environment for the last three years, so he brings a level of quality with him. We look forward to seeing him excel in within our competitive team environment.”
Goalkeeper Danny Faundez is a dual citizen of the United States and Chile. The 29-year-old arrived at Louisville City FC after spending two seasons with Orange County SC, including their 2021 USL Championship winning squad. Prior to joining Orange County he was with Seattle Sounders 2, and before that Bellevue College. He also spent three years in Chile with the first division club Everton de Viña del Mar, in their youth ranks.
Owen Damm is a product of the Louisville City FC Academy and is the fourth-ever signing by Louisville City out of its youth ranks. The 18-year-old defender played at Woodford County High School in Kentucky, making three all-state lists including a first-team all-state spot in 2020. He helped the Yellow Jackets win three district titles from 2019-21. He had 48 career goals his last season in only 19 games, which ranks him third in Kentucky in scoring.
LouCity retains the right to recall Faundez and Damm to Louisville anytime.
“First and foremost, thank you so much to [Louisville City executive vice president of development] James O’Connor and [Louisville City head coach] Danny Cruz for making this happen,” said Zayed. “Danny and Owen have answered our call and are here to help our cause. “Again, they come from high, high pedigree. Louisville City have been the most consistent and most successful team in all of USL over the last five years, so any player that comes from them will have that winning mentality and ambition. Already these guys have shown their quality, attitude, and readiness to come in and fight.”
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC will make its competitive debut in the second round of the US Open Cup on April 6 when they travel south down I-25 to face the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. They will then make their USL League One debut on April 9 with a match against Richmond Kickers. Due to construction at the Future Legends Complex, the club’s first home match will be almost two months later, when they host North Carolina FC on June 8.
Hailstorm FC will play its home matches in the 6,500-seat TicketSmarter Stadium at the Future Legends Complex, the premier destination for sports and events in Northern Colorado. Opening in 2022, the 118-acre complex will feature a professional stadium, multiple baseball diamonds and multi-purpose fields, an indoor sports arena, lodging, and retail; and will host guests for major sports tournaments, events, leagues, and more.