AVON, Ohio — Lorain County is officially home to a semi-pro soccer team.
The inaugural home opener for Lorain County Leviathan FC began with a parade of bagpipes from Cleveland’s 87th Pipe Band, yellow smoke canisters and fans toting scarves in the team’s sea green and yellow.
"Our whole family is into soccer. All the boys are playing, our daughter plays as well. And we just couldn’t wait to come out here for the Leviathan,” said Shane Sullivan.
His son, Aidan, added, “I’m super excited!”
The Sullivan family holds season tickets for the inaugural season at ForeFront Field.
"I’m excited for the game, I’m excited because I met the players, and I’m going to buy a flag and get it signed,” said Alan Sullivan.
The children play youth soccer in North Ridgeville.
That’s where News 5 first talked to prospective fans about the possibility of a USL League Two (USL2) club coming to the Lake Erie Crushers’ stadium.
RELATED: Pro soccer coming to Lake Erie Crushers stadium
In November, the United Soccer League officially confirmed that Lorain County would be the home of a new USL2 team.
RELATED: Lorain County home to new semi-pro soccer team
The following month, fans voted on "Leviathan" as the club’s official name.
RELATED: Lorain County's new semi-pro soccer team now has a name
“I think it’s cool that it’s a sea monster because I really like the sea,” said Alan Sullivan.
Aiden Sullivan added, “I love sea monsters. Sea monsters are the best.”
Now the mythological name belongs to a real team. On Monday, they played their first real home match against FC Buffalo.
"A lot has gone into this – a lot of community support and a lot of heavy lifting,” said club chairman Andrew McDonnell. “It’s nice to finally see the field painted and see the fans show up and get excited for Lorain County and for soccer.”
The baseball diamond at ForeFront Field was converted to a soccer pitch, with one sideline running along the third baseline and the first baseline marking the boundary behind one goal.
McDonnell called the fan support “phenomenal,” touting around 2,000 tickets sold for the first match at home.
"Everyone has done their part, and we’re here today, and now it’s just a matter of just enjoying the game,” he said.
The team is at the pre-professional level of the U.S. professional soccer “pyramid.” USL2 is two tiers below Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, like the Columbus Crew or Cincinnati FC.
Some fans said the club feels relatable and accessible.
"Having that personal interaction and just seeing that there’s some people on the team who played for the club that he plays for. It’s just really fun to see that,” said Megan Sullivan.
McDonnell hopes the upcoming World Cup in North America will bring a new wave of fans to the sport.
"MLS games can cost you up to $100. Our season tickets are $60,” he said. “So for anyone who catches the soccer bug with the World Cup, we’re going to be here as a very substantial venue for them.”
He said he wants fans to feel transported when they attend a game.
"When you’re here, you’ll be transported outside of Avon and into the hills of England for some afternoon footie,” he said.
The Leviathan scored first Monday, but ultimately fell 3-1 to visiting FC Buffalo. The team’s next home game will be June 3 at ForeFront Field in Avon.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
