Last Season

Due to Savannah being an expansion side, this is its first season in NISA (previously played in the UPSL).

Off Season

For the Savannah Clovers, the offseason began in January 2022 when it was announced that the club had been accepted to join NISA for the 2023 season. Those of us who have been following NISA were happy to see this, having seen Savannah play in the Independent Cup in multiple years. The club checked most of the boxes in desirability: a history of successful operation at the amateur level, a smaller city where it would not get lost in the local landscape, and established connections with the local community. And with new financial backing from European ownership, money would not be an issue.

During the course of 2022, the Clovers methodically built their staff with a focus on experience. They hired David Proctor to be their head coach. Coach Proctor brings years of MLS and USL Championship experience with him to this position. Also brought on board was Jef Thiffault as COO, whose soccer management experience goes back to MLS 1.0. With all of the changes, the thread of continuity is still present with co-founder Bryan Sykes in his role as Chief Continuity Officer.

This Season

In the building on the roster for their inaugural professional season, the Clovers were clearly looking for players outside of the group that played for the club in the UPSL. But his going to be a young squad, with most of the players in their early 20s. The scoring load will fall on the shoulders of Joel Bunting, who at 25 is one of the veterans of the group. Bunting comes from Charleston Battery of USL Championship and scored four goals in the 2021 season. Also key to the offense will be midfielder Yakov “Yasha” Pomozov and winger Alex Ierides, both young players but with international experience playing in Russia and Cypress respectively. The name that most people probably know on this squad is Jack Pondy, the man who will be between the pipes and working with the defense. The first player announced by Savannah, Pondy came into view of NISA fans as a member of Sody City FC during the initial Independent Cup in 2020.

The good news is that the Clovers open their inaugural NISA season in their home confines of Memorial Stadium. The bad news? They face the Michigan Stars. Welcome to the league! After that, Savannah gets two home games against Gold Star Detroit with a road game against Club de Lyon in between. Those three games will be a great test to see how the Clovers compare with their expansion brethren.

With a side that will be very young, it will be interesting to see how the Clovers develop as the season progresses. It will also be interesting to watch the number of fans that come to Memorial Stadium to see their home side. A strong showing of fans will validate the idea that the Savannah Clovers were ready to take the next step in joining the professional ranks and that NISA serves as the right vehicle. People are rooting for this to work.

- John Howard-Fusco