When was the club founded and what was the mission? Has that evolved over time?
The club was founded in 1997 as a member of the USL D-3 Pro League and the mission has always been to provide a platform for talented domestic and international players who aspire to become professional athletes. We hope to continue building positive and powerful relationships within the South Jersey soccer community, the city of Ocean City and the surrounding beach towns.

Currently the team plays in USL L2 - when did you join that league and what led the club to that decision? How often are the league and level of competition reevaluated?
After six years in the USL D-3 Pro League, the club decided to join USL League Two (then known as the Premier Development League) in 2003. We feel like USL League Two is a perfect league for our club because USL2 is structured as an amateur, pre-professional league, that allows us to tap into the very best players we can identify at the NCAA D-1, D-2, D-3, junior college and NAIA levels while allowing them to keep their college eligibility. We have been able to offer players an unmatched experience on and off the field each summer while playing an ultra competitive schedule. Outside of league play, we have been able to expose our players to friendlies against MLS Under-23 teams, the US Open Cup and we even had a match against European powerhouse SL Benfica. We pride ourselves on being part of an individual player’s journey and the makeup of their career.

There are so many competing soccer organizations in New Jersey - where do you draw your players from and how hard is it to retain a good squad?
There is a wealth of soccer talent in the state of New Jersey, specifically South Jersey, and while we have our fingers on the pulse of local players from the Garden State and the Philadelphia area, and throughout the Tri-State area, we also have a solid recruiting network of coaches from around the country. We pride ourselves on not only attracting talented players from some of the best NCAA Division I program in the country, but we have a long history of finding talented players at smaller schools who might be overlooked. In fact, we are one of two clubs in league history to have three league MVPs. Ruben Mingo (2004) came from Mercer County College (NJCAA), Chevaughn “Chevy” Walsh (2016) came from Jefferson College (NAIA) and Deri Corfe (2019) transferred to Wright State (NCAA Div. 1) from an NAIA school, the University of Rio Grande (OH). It's always a challenge to build a new roster every season, but our winning tradition and playing our home games a goal kick away from the beach at the Jersey Shore, makes us an attractive destination for players and for coaches to send their players to give them a professionalized playing experience during the summer months.

Does the club have its own youth development program or are you affiliated with a youth club in the region? If so, how often do you see the kids work all the way through the funnel?
We have a partnership with the South Jersey Barons Elite, and the New Jersey Surf that we formed last year that we are really excited about. USL2 began introducing a youth structure called the USL A Academy. Although we were not an initial league member due to current divisional makeup (limited clubs locally and increased travel), we have began working closely with some top local clubs in South Jersey, like the South Jersey Barons Elite and the New Jersey Surf to create some unique affiliations in preparation for that shift by the USL A Academy. We want to be able to provide the very best players in the area a chance to play top flight level competition while still remaining with their current clubs. By working closely together, it further enhances our relationship with the community and allows these younger players to aspire to play for the Nor’easters one day. Being that these collaborations are fresh, we fully anticipate a gradual build over time into our USL2 team with more local talent.

Correct us if we're wrong, but it doesn't look like Ocean City is in the 2022 USOC qualifiers, but tell us about the successes you've had in the Cup before. When will we see you in the competition again?
We are waiting to see if our performance from the 2021 season was enough to qualify us for the 2022 US Open Cup. We've been disappointed to see the number of amateur teams that have been allowed in the tournament reduced in recent years, so it's been harder to get back into a competition that we have enjoyed a lot of success in over the years. Out of all the amateur teams that have competed in the US Open Cup in the Modern Era (1995-present), the Nor'easters rank third in overall wins with 11. However, the accomplishment we're most proud of is the six all-time wins we have against professional teams in the tournament. Only two amateur teams have more pro team upsets and we have twice advanced far enough to play against a team from Major League Soccer. Both times we gave those MLS teams (D.C. United in 2009 and the Philadelphia Union in 2013) a run for their money. In 2013, we should have taken the Philadelphia Union to extra time, but they scored a stoppage time game-winner that, in our view, didn't cross the line. If only we had V.A.R. back then.

What defines success for you next spring? What goals are set for the club?
Success each year is measured in a number of facets, each holding huge value. Performance in league play, a USL2 playoff berth, a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup appearance and certainly players that advance to the professional game. As a tiered league under MLS, the USL Championship and USL League One, we want our players grabbing on to those opportunities domestically or overseas. It goes without saying that we want to embed ourselves into the fabric of Ocean City’s beach town and make the city and surrounding community proud and make which holds equal importance.

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