WASHINGTON TWP, Mich. — Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC put together a solid showing in the NISA Pro Cup, traveling to Michigan and earning a spot in the semifinals, where they fell to tournament champions Los Angeles Force.
Hailstorm’s two losses in the tournament came at the hands of the two group winners and finalists, as they fell to Group B winners and tournament runners up Capo FC in the group stage and Group A winners and champions LA Force in the semifinals.
“Taking a step back from the disappointment of not winning the tournament I thought it was an extremely beneficial and successful one,” Hailstorm head coach Colin Falvey said. “We’ve been able to identify players for 2026 and qualify from a group against teams that have been together much longer than us. It’s a credit to the group that represented the Hailstorm.”
The tournament started on a bit of an odd note for Hailstorm as they faced a Modesto City FC team in their opener that could only field nine players. Hailstorm got a pair of first half goals from striker Bamidele Esan, as well as tallies from Travis Ward and Carlos Valenzuela to take a 4-0 lead before the match was abandoned at halftime because of injuries to Modesto City players. The abandonment led to Hailstorm being awarded the 4-0 victory.
Hailstorm moved on to face Capo FC in their second group stage match. Things started well for NoCo, as Ethan Russ scored from Ward’s cross in the first minute of the match. However, a pair of second half Capo goals, including a 97th minute penalty, meant that Hailstorm dropped a 2-1 decision.
The loss to Capo combined with other results around the group put Hailstorm in a must-win situation going into their final group stage match against Sin City FC.
The match against Sin City was a cagey affair, scoreless at halftime, but Ward pounced on a rebound from a Nathan Yared shot in the 72nd minute, scoring the only goal of the match and sending Hailstorm through to the semifinals.
As runners up in Group B, Hailstorm faced Group A winners LA Force, the 2024 NISA champions, in the semifinals. Like their previous match against Sin City, it was scoreless at half time. There would be no second half magic for Hailstorm in this one, however, as an LA Force penalty early in the second half gave them the lead and another goal late sealed Hailstorm’s elimination from the tournament.
Esan and Ward led Hailstorm in goals in the tournament with two each and Yared led them with three assists. Tanner Kennard kept a pair of clean sheets in goal.
For more news and updates from Hailstorm, visit hailstormfc.com or follow us on social media @nocohailstormfc.
Recapping Hailstorm’s Run in the NISA Pro Cup
