Sunday's home opener at Hodges Stadium will be the first of eight home matches during the Spring Season

Armada FC Communications | April 1, 2017



JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Armada FC kicks off the 2017 campaign on Sunday at 4 p.m. when it takes on FC Edmonton at Hodges Stadium on the campus of University of North Florida (UNF).

The all-time series history between the two teams is split evenly with a record of 2W-2L-2D. The clubs met for the first time on April 4, 2014, when the Armada FC played its inaugural NASL regular season game. The Armada FC opened the match with three unanswered goals, one of which came off the foot of forward Jemal Johnson in the first minute of the game. The match ended in a 3-1 Armada FC victory, giving the club its first ever win. FC Edmonton won the most recent match up, 1-0, when then clubs faced off at Clarke Stadium in Alberta, Canada, during one of the final matches of the 2016 season.

The Armada FC is coming off its first undefeated preseason in club history with a record of 2W-0L-5D. Notable wins from the preseason include a dominant 5-0 victory over Flagler College, and a 1-0 victory against previous in-state NASL rival, the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

FC Edmonton finished its preseason with an even record of 2-2, including a 5-1 victory over the Newcastle United Reserves. The team finished in third place during the 2016 season, qualifying for the 2016 NASL playoffs. FC Edmonton came up short in the semifinals, losing to the Indy Eleven, 1-0.

Sunday’s match at Hodges Stadium is the first of eight home games during the 2017 Spring Season. Hodges Stadium is the new home of the Armada FC and is located on the campus of the University of North Florida. Those attending the game can park in Lot 18, located just outside the stadium. Tickets can be purchased on the Armada FC website, or by calling 844.2.ARMADA.

Below is a breakdown of each team and the match.

WHEN & WHERE

Sunday, April 2 at 4 p.m. ET | Hodges Stadium (UNF Campus)

THE TEAMS

Jacksonville Armada FC (6W-12D-14L, 30 pts., 11th NASL Combined in 2016; 2W-5D-0L preseason in 2017)

FC Edmonton (15W-8D-9L, 53 pts., 3rd NASL Combined in 2016; 2-0-2 preseason in 2017)

SERIES HISTORY

The teams are tied 2-2-2 since the Armada FC 2015 inaugural season.

LAST RESULT

Armada FC 0, FC Edmonton 1 - 10/23/16 in Alberta, Canada | Recap

CLUB QUICK LINKS

Armada FC: News | Roster | Schedule

FC Edmonton: News | Roster | Schedule

WATCH

- Live TV

- ESPN 3

READ

- Live Twitter updates on @ArmadaFCgameday - #JAXvsFCE

- Live stats on ArmadaFC.com

POTENT NOTABLES

- The Armada FC is 1-1 in season openers since the 2015 inaugural season. The club’s first-ever victory came against FC Edmonton on April 4, 2015, when the Armada FC defeated the Eddies, 3-1.

- Six of the seven defenders on the Armada FC roster were signed after the end of the 2016 season.

BY THE NUMBERS

3 – Players who scored two goals during the preseason.

8 – The number of players to score a goal during the preseason.

13 – New player signings since the end of the 2016 season.

INJURY WATCH

All players are in good health.

CLUB CONNECTIONS

Current Eddie and former Armada FC defender Shawn Nicklaw will face Jacksonville for the third time since being traded on July 6. Nicklaw has started 20 matches and recorded two assists so far for the Eddies. He played in 29 league matches for Armada as a fullback, including 21 starts, and notched 10 shots in 1,937 minutes of action and scored the first goal in Community First Park history in the Armada FC’s 1-0 preseason win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Feb. 28, 2015.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Armada FC will return to action on Saturday, April 8, when it travels to Canada to take on FC Edmonton for the second match of the back-to-back meetings. Saturday’s match is scheduled to kick off at 9 p.m. and will be the last time these teams face until July 1.