DETROIT, MI - Attend a Detroit City FC soccer game at Cass Technical High School and you'll meet some of the most passionate soccer fans anywhere.

In just three years, Detroit City FC has become a hot ticket in downtown Detroit, selling out some games and leaving fans watching from the outside. They're Detroit's only professional soccer team, and with that comes a rabid fan base known as the "Northern Guard," which sets off smoke bombs during DCFC and leads crowds of 3,000-plus fans in raucous chants.

With the regular season winding down (they play Friday night vs Erie Commodores FC, 7:30 p.m. at Cass Tech), who are some of the best and most passionate Detroit City FC fans? Let's meet a few of the thousands that are loyal supporters.

Keith Malcolmson, 38 years old

Malcomson started playing soccer in high school, played in some beer leagues, and then coached his kids throughout the years.

He has attended every Detroit City FC game, home and away, except for one since 2012. He describes the game experience like a "family atmosphere."

"A buddy of mine told me about them (DCFC), and said 'I think you might like this'," he said. "I told my wife and said there is something special going on here. Ever since then, me and my family come down to every game."

Malcolmson's favorite memory since following the team came two years ago--which is known as the "rain game" against the Michigan Stars that saw a 1,000 Le Rouge fans getting drenched. It's something he says he'll never forget.

"Everyone there for 90 minutes never complained about the rain," he said. "We were just there to have fun. And I think that's really when a lot of people said they want to be a part of something special."

Dion DeGennaro, 25 years old

DeGennaro is a photographer for the Northern Guard, which he does as a hobby, and has never missed a home game. He has grown up with soccer in his life and his family has started to tag along with him to some games.

"I'm one of two people that drove 11 hours to Minnesota for a game, the other ones flew," he said. "So I would put myself up there for sure. But I have a hard time saying I'm the No.1 fan, because all these people are some of the best supporters I've ever seen, in any sport.

"We have a phrase 'capture lighting in a bottle.' And we have captured lightning in a bottle here. It was the right place at the right time, at the right field with the right owners and with the right guys who wanted to start this supporter group. Everything just came together and worked out perfectly."

DeGennaro said that DCFC's social media presence has played a huge part in gaining a passionate fan base.

"We have our own sub-reddit with over 800 subscribers," he said. "For soccer groups, we're the second most subscribed sub-reddit for lower league soccer in the country. All of the people involved with it have been really active."

Douglas LeHue, 23 years old

LeHue has been a season ticket holder since the first game of 2012, and says he brings his fiance with him and his cousin as well.

LeHue brings up the "rain game" as his favorite memory since following the team, and says nobody in the NPSL has fanbase quite like DCFC.

"Everybody all around Detroit, the suburbs and even the country come out to support this team," he said. "That's pretty cool."

John P. Kensey, 39 years old

Kensey is from Lansing and works with troubled youth for a living, and says that the DCFC experience has become a "focal point in my life."

"Once this started, there was no stopping it," he said. "When it comes down to it, this is real."

Kensey said that when Lansing United was formed in 2014, it drew away a lot of his Lansing friends who were DCFC fans, and it bothered him. That prompted him to create NGS 517, a Lansing chapter of the DCFC support.

"So many people switched teams," he said. "It didn't seem appropriate to me, I feel like once you support a club you stick with that club. I decided to do what I could to show not everyone in Lansing had turned their backs.

His favorite memory following the team? Well, you guessed it.

"The rain game," he said. ""I remember going home completely soaked," he said. "It was the best feeling ever."

Kensey brings his 5-year-old son to games and doesn't plan on stopping.

"I want him to get exposed to this, because this is amazing," he said. "You can't get this anywhere else in Michigan."

Fuad Shalhout is a reporter for MLive.com. Contact him at fshalhou@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter.