FC Buffalo’s Second-Half Surge Spoils Leviathan FC’s Home Debut

Lorain County Leviathan FC’s home debut at ForeFront Field started with an early breakthrough, but FC Buffalo changed the momentum leading into the break and widened the gap in the second half, walking away with a 3-1 victory Monday night in USL League 2 play.

Leviathan took the lead in the 13th minute when Justin Shreffler set up Stefan Velickovic, who scored a volley finish to net the opening goal. The goal gave the home side a 1-0 advantage and rewarded a confident start for Leviathan, which hoped to build on its season-opening draw.

In the 38th minute, a handball near the edge of the box led to a penalty kick, and Ali Alomari converted from the spot to bring the visitors level at 1-1. The equalizer shifted and reset the momentum, giving neither side an advantage heading into the second half.

Leviathan faced another challenge after halftime when starting center back Santiago Maiolo did not return due to injury. His absence forced a defensive adjustment against a Buffalo side that began to apply more pressure as the second half developed.

The decisive stretch arrived late; Buffalo earned another penalty kick in the 70th minute, and Alomari again converted to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. Roughly six minutes later, Alomari completed his hat trick with a one-touch volley, capitalizing on a cross sent in by Thomas Brooks to extend Buffalo’s advantage to 3-1.

The final score reflected Buffalo’s ability to capitalize on key moments rather than a match defined by constant separation. Two of Buffalo’s three goals came from the penalty spot, but the visitors made those chances count and quickly added the open-play goal that put the match out of reach.

For Leviathan, the result brought frustration after a promising start. Velickovic’s early goal gave the home side an opportunity to dictate the match, but the penalty concessions, Maiolo’s injury, and Buffalo’s late second-half push proved difficult to overcome. Leviathan moves to 0-1-1 on the season, while FC Buffalo improves to 1-1-0. Despite the frustrating result for a franchise in its first season, the club drew 2,133 supporters who stuck with them through the final whistle, a promising sign for a newly founded club.

Leviathan FC will look to respond Saturday, May 31st, when it travels to Gannon University to face Erie Sports Center. FC Buffalo returns home Tuesday, May 27th, also against Erie Sports Center.