Full name | Ocean City Nor'easters | ||
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Nickname(s) | Nor'easters | ||
Founded | 1996 | (as South Jersey Barons)||
Stadium | Carey Stadium Ocean City, New Jersey[1] | ||
Capacity | 3,500 | ||
Owner | Giancarlo Granese | ||
Manager | Matt Perrella | ||
League | USL League Two | ||
2024 | 1st, Mid Atlantic Division Playoffs: Conference Quarterfinals | ||
Website | http://www.oceancityfc.com | ||
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Ocean City Nor'easters is an American soccer team based in Ocean City, New Jersey. Founded in 1996, the team currently plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays their home games at Carey Stadium which is located right next to the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. The stadium's nickname "The Beach House" was coined during the 2005 season by the team's play-by-play announcer Josh Hakala.[1] The team's colors are royal blue and orange.
They are among the most successful USL League Two teams since joining the league in 2003 after six seasons in the USISL D-3 Pro League. Since 2003, they have the third-best regular season record and the fourth-best home record in the league.[2] They are also one of the best amateur clubs in the country when it comes to the U.S. Open Cup. As a USL League Two team, they have won 11 games as an amateur team (12 overall) with six of them coming against professional opponents [3] Only two Open Division amateur teams Flint City Bucks with 10 and Des Moines Menace with 7) have more pro team upsets in the tournament's Modern Era (1995–present).
In 2008, the Barons formed a partnership with Reading of the English Football League Championship that has since ended. In 2010, following a split between the PDL team and their youth soccer affiliate, the team re-branded to Ocean City FC, adopted Reading's colors, and a similar badge. The team also adopted a new nickname: the Nor'easters.[4] Since the re-brand the team has won two Eastern Conference championships (2013, 2016)[5]