CARY, N.C. (January 24, 2019) – North Carolina FC has secured the services of forward Ben Speas on loan from fellow USL Championship side Indy Eleven for the 2019 season, pending league and federation approval. Speas arrives at NCFC with plenty of fanfare.



“I’m excited to add Ben to our roster,” said North Carolina FC Head Coach Dave Sarachan. “He is an experienced player and will add much needed veteran leadership and quality to our team. Ben has the ability to make plays in the final third and can play a number of attacking positions.”



“I’m very excited to be coming back to the triangle area and playing for such a great club,” said Speas. “It is such an exciting time to be a part of NCFC and I feel honored to be joining. I’m really looking forward to working with such an established coach in Dave Sarachan and the rest of the staff. I can’t wait to get started and to play in front of one of the best supporters’ groups in the USL – the Oak City Supporters!”



The 28-year-old winger has been a feature in the United States pro soccer landscape since he signed as a Homegrown Player with the Columbus Crew in 2012. Speas played with the Crew until 2015, amassing nearly 3,000 minutes in all competitions.



Speas joined Minnesota United in 2016 where he scored four goals and added three assists in his only year with the franchise. In 2017, he joined Indy Eleven. Over the past two seasons, Speas has scored seven goals and recorded seven assists while playing over 3,000 minutes.



The Stow, Ohio, native has a local connection with perennial college soccer powerhouse UNC Chapel Hill. The attack-minded player helped lead the TarHeels to an NCAA College Cup Championship in 2011. In addition to scoring the game-winning goal in the championship game for UNC, he was named the College Cup MVP. Prior to his time in Chapel Hill, Speas spent two seasons at Akron, where his team won the College Cup in 2010 and finished as the national runner up in 2009.



The loan move has been a promising outlet for securing talent at North Carolina FC over the years. The previous two seasons have featured loans for standout players Renan Gorne, Daniel Rios, Zack Steinberger and Donovan Ewolo. This year, four players are currently on loan with the club, including Speas, Ewolo, Yamikani Chester and Duval Wapiwo.



North Carolina FC’s roster includes goalkeeper Alex Tambakis, defenders Aaron Guillen, Timmy Mehl, Steven Miller and DJ Taylor, midfielders Austin da Luz, Dre Fortune, Victor Igbekoyi, Austin Panchot, Graham Smith and Duval Wapiwo and forwards Yamikani Chester, Donovan Ewolo, Robert Kristo, Marios Lomis and Ben Speas.



As the start of the 2019 season nears, now is the perfect time to purchase season tickets for North Carolina FC. This year’s deals feature many great packages and benefits, including the brand-new Auto-Renewal Program and traditional benefits such as priority purchasing for exclusive international exhibitions. Click here to learn more about season tickets or call the Coastal Credit Union Box Office at 919-459-8144 to speak with a ticket representative.



Player Profile:

Name: Ben Speas

Position: Forward

Birthdate: 1/17/1991 (Age: 28)

Hometown: Stow, Ohio

Height: 5’8

Weight: 170 lbs

Citizenship: United States

College: UNC Chapel Hill

Previous Club: Indy Eleven

Transaction: North Carolina FC has agreed to a season-long loan deal with Indy Eleven for Ben Speas.



###