AFC Cleveland (3W-1L-3D) had yet another successful road trip, finishing the weekend with a 2-2 draw against Lansing United and a 2-0 win over the Michigan Stars.

“Playing two games in two days is always a challenge,” AFC Cleveland head coach Aaron McGuiness stated. “Getting four points on the road is a massive compliment to our squad.”

Friday’s draw with Lansing was an exciting match full of back-and-forth action. Goals from Mikey McGlaughlin and Smart Osadolor came at the right time, allowing the Royals to take a point from the expansion side. Over 1,000 fans turned out to the East Lansing Soccer Complex to see this great matchup and they were not disappointed.

Saturday’s win was led by a great offensive performance from Vinny Bell, who paced the AFC Cleveland attack with two goals. He was a constant threat and proved to be quite a menace for the Stars defense.

The Cleveland defense was strong all weekend long, particularly the performances of center backs Dan O’Callaghan and Derek Creviston. They anchored the Royals backline and helped lead the defensive effort against two very strong teams from the increasingly competitive Midwest Region.

AFC Cleveland now takes their place at the top of the Great Lakes East Conference with 12 points, edging out FC Buffalo, Erie Admirals, and Fort Pitt Regiment in that order.