When FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt made one of his first saves during preseason action against Xavier, it sparked a chant that blossomed throughout the club’s first USL season: “Mitch Says No.”

“I had one save – a roller – and somebody said it out of nowhere,” Hildebrandt said. “There were only a couple thousand fans there, but it picked up in our first home game with 17,000. Then afterwards, it started throughout the entire stadium.”

Hildebrandt’s play in the back was a defining element during Cincinnati’s action-packed campaign, and for his efforts the 27-year-old goalkeeper was honored as the 2016 USL Goalkeeper of the Year.

The connection between Hildebrandt and the FCC fans – and in particular The Bailey section on the north end of Nippert Stadium – was an organic relationship within one of the most vocally pronounced and well-attended venues in North American soccer. The embrace was felt within the resounding chant and the signage and memorabilia that spawned from it.

“I never saw it, but there was a big Tifo of my face of a picture they took after the Charleston game where I had a gash to the eye. It took up the entire Bailey, had my face and a bubble that said ‘No,’” Hildebrandt said. “That was a good one. I’ve seen some other signs at the club level that say ‘Just Say No.’ My wife showed me some pumpkins out there that say ‘Mitch Says No.’ A lot of the young fans who ask for an autograph want me to write ‘Say No.’ It’s a cool thing to be a part of.”