Few people in lower league soccer watch as much soccer as the Protagonist Soccer team. Because of that, we tend to have a finger on the pulse of sport at this level. So with all that being said, we asked 5 of our key contributors to look back over 2022 and highlight some key stories.

Who is your lower league player of the year?

Lis: Sydney Martinez, captain and goalkeeper for South Georgia Tormenta FC and the USL W’s inaugural Golden Glove winner. 36 saves, 6 clean sheets, and 7 massive saves in the championship game against Aurora. Tormenta FC is a team filled with massive talent but Sydney's calm confidence and leadership is what tied them together and helped lead them to glory.

Dan V: Amy Andrews, South Georgia Tormenta FC striker and USL W golden boot winner. Some recency bias here, as we just interviewed her, but what a dominant player on an expansion side. Just got the job done, over and over again. I suspect very soon we’ll see her playing in NWSL or elsewhere professionally.

Josh: Kazaiah Sterling, who has been capped as an England U18 and came up in the Tottenham Hottspurs youth side, made 23 appearances in his first season for South Georgia Tormenta FC. This includes three playoff matches where he was involved in all five goals; netting four of his own and assisting on the one other. Kaz was critical for Tormenta FC, who won the USL League One Playoffs - making all the players around him better and exuding professionalism and excellence along the way.

For Dan Creel, Elias was a key difference maker for NISA Champion Michigan Stars this year.

Dan C: My pick isn't necessarily the "best" player in NISA. But, I'm picking Stephen Elias for his contributions this year at the pro level and as an example of the talent available at the amateur club level. Elias came to the NISA after starring for Lansdowne Yonkers where he won multiple league and national championships. Initially playing for Valley United he jumped to the Michigan Stars mid-season after the Arizona club folded. Comfortable in the back and in central midfield, Elias made an immediate impact with the Stars. He was integral in the Stars' run to the 2022 NISA championship . Elias' possession game, playmaking ability, and clutch goals pushed Michigan up to another competitive level.

John: Honestly, I don't watch nearly enough lower league games to have a really good candidate here. But, having watched a lot of NISA this year, I was intrigued by the rise of Albion San Diego's goalkeeper Benjamin Roach. When NISA put out its media guide at the beginning of the 2022 season, Roach wasn't even listed with the club. But he became their starter and was impressive all season long. Lower leagues provide a place for players like Roach, ones who may not have been on the radar of top domestic teams but can work their way up over time.

What was your best soccer moment of the year?

Lis: One of the oldest women's soccer teams in the country, the WPSL's California Storm, and their epic championship run. Seeing them lift the cup named after their late owner, Jerry Zanelli, after not seeing glory since the days of Brandi Chastain was one of the most profound moments in my professional life.

Sacramento had everyone dreaming of a USOC Champion from outside MLS.

Dan V: I think the run by Sacramento Republic in the Open Cup was something that inspired the entire country. Toss in Union Omaha’s run as well and you’ve got so much hope for a lower league club to crack the MLS lock on the USOC crown. I don’t think there was a better online synergy (outside of the World Cup matches) this whole year. People were into it.

Josh: Sacramento Republic FC entered the 2022 US Open Cup in the second round and smashed their opponents 6-0. After that they ripped off four more consecutive tournament wins, out-scoring the opposition 8-2; including multiple wins over MLS opponents, and landing them in the quarterfinals of the USOC. Republic hosted their third consecutive MLS opponent, Sporting Kansas City, who had just come off a 6-0 evisceration of Cup darlings Omaha Union. The match was a cagey stalemate, past the full 90 and past the 120 mark as well - it went into penalties where the home side finished 5-4 with the legendary Rodrigo Lopez scoring the winner after Graham Zusi failed to put his own in the back of the net. The crowd at Heart Health Park were ecstatic with the result, which won them the right to play in the US Open Cup Final.

Dan C: Marcus Lee's goal in the fourth minute of Cal United Strikers' Second Round U.S. Open Cup match. At 15-year-old, Lee became the youngest known player to score in the U.S. Open Cup. The Strikers would beat San Fernando Valley FC 5-1 in that match and then beat FC Tucson of USL League One in the third round 2-1 in stoppage time. The Strikers were the only NISA side to make it to the Round of 32 and almost pulled an upset losing 3-2 to the LA Galaxy.

John: My best soccer moment for the year was attending the NPSL Final between FC Motown and Crossfire Redmond at Montclair University. In front of over 2,000 people, the side from New Jersey took a two-goal lead, then went down a goal, and then came back to win in dramatic fashion with a stoppage time goal. After the match was won, it was wonderful to see the interaction between the players and the fans. It was a reminder of why soccer at the grassroots level can be so amazing.

Which was your favorite lower league jersey of the year?

Lis: Aurora FC's away jersey. Honorary mention (it's 2023-2024 so it doesn't count for this year) is AC Chehalem Valley FC's third shirt by Icarus FC. I'm not sure how anyone will compete with it next year.

Dan V: MPLS City always delivers and this year was no exception. I loved the club’s Cats and Crows kits. It’s quirky and fun and everything you love about MPLS City. That’s an easy pick for me.

Josh: We’ve spoken with the club in the recent past about their process and are always impressed with the shirts they release. This year, Napa Valley 1839 FC, put out a few really nice shirts and the secondary kit just stood out to me as gorgeous. Design and manufacturing are both in-house and while that does not always work for some clubs, the results for this organization are simply stunning. Made our end of year list at #3.

Dan C: I've kept this list Maryland Bobcats-light so far, but I have to say that Maryland's all-yellow kits were special for me this year. The team has black as their primary color with yellow and red as secondaries. But this year the team embraced the all-yellow kits and made that color their own. It was an organic choice by the squad and it became their de facto number one kit. We'll see if the Bobcats revert to the black and yellow scheme but I think that 2022 may have made the "all-yellows" look THE Bobcat primary going forward.

John: I'm not a big kit person, so I don't stay up with new kits as closely as others do. But I am a sucker for a shirt with a sash. And the new kits that Kensington Soccer Club are wearing for the 2022-23 seasons, beautifully designed by Icarus, are black with a gold sash. Simple, clean and awesome. It's a great shirt to match all of the great work that this club does for its community.

Which match do you wish you could have been present for?

Lis: I wish I could have been present for that W League championship game in Minnesota but sadly I was in my hotel in Stillwater, Oklahoma watching on my laptop. The energy, the drama, this history in the making--it was easily one of the best games I've watched. I was devastated for Aurora but so happy for Tormenta.

Dan V: I would have loved to see the Memphis 901 vs Chattanooga FC US Open Cup match. I watch a lot of NISA and seeing one of the better clubs in the league slugging it out, toe to toe, with a USL Championship club was an absolute fun one to see online. Seeing it in person would have been even better.

Josh: On Saturday, July 23rd, SG Tormenta's USL W League side travelled to Eagan, Minnesota to take on the previously undefeated Aurora - who had packed the house with over 6,000 in attendance for the League Final. The visitor's Jaida Nyby struck first, early in the 8th minute, to put Tormenta ahead, with a tidy finish after a flick on from a free kick. Addy Symonds equalized in the 22nd with a stunning goalazo from 25 yards out and the two sides battle through regular time and into added time stuck at 1-1. Sydney Martinez played the hero and made not only a penalty save in added time, but made two more immediate saves on follow up shots. Nyby would get her brace and break Minnesota hearts with less than 5 minutes left in added on time, to score the winner of the inaugural USL W League Championship. It was a heck of a match and I would love to have been there to see it.

Dan C: OK, one more Bobcats pick. I've been around for a lot of the Maryland Bobcats short history. But the one thing I'll never get to see is their first U.S. Open Cup match. They traveled to face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on April 5 in the Second Round. The Bobcats ultimately lost 2-0 but that's a match I wish I could have been there for.

John: Would have loved to have been at Championship Stadium in Irvine, California for the Open Cup match between Cal United Strikers and LA Galaxy. For all of the negativity that sticks with NISA, Cal United's effort that night may have been the most positive moment for the league in 2022. The Strikers took an early lead, battled hard as the MLS side took control and laid siege on goal, then scored late to make things interesting at the end.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

Lis: I'm so excited to see how Oakland Soul revolutionizes women's soccer, both on and off the field.

Dan V: NISA expansion, baby! I know the league gets a lot of stick, deservedly, but Savannah Clovers and Gold Star FC are two exciting additions I can’t wait to see take on the East. We’ve got a new defending champion and GSFC is in Stars’ backyard, can’t beat that for a rivalry. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I’m back for another season of NISA.

Josh: I'm always excited by the first few rounds of the US Open Cup, where the amateurs get a go in the opening foray - I'm looking forward to seeing which of those sides defy expectation and get a cupset or two and make an exciting run. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing meaningful growth in the women's leagues, with the launch of both the USL Super League and possibly WISL.

Dan C: The early rounds of the U.S. Open Cup keep getting better and better as the lower leagues mature. I'm looking forward to the reinvigorated women's leagues, specifically the USL Super League and if WISL can create a stable organization. This past fall seven regional men's amateur leagues announced the formation of the Alliance of Regional Premier Leagues. Things have been quiet on that front since the initial announcement but interested to see if that new coalition can continue the work of knitting together the patchwork of men's lower league soccer.

John: I'm looking forward to seeing more partnerships and alliances being formed in the lower soccer leagues. The kind of soccer pyramid that many of us want will not be built from the top down but from the ground up. As more leagues start working together, we can start imagining what is possible.