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FC Buffalo’s final out-of-town players left town this week at the end of history-making and table-setting seasons, and we’re saluting the USL2 and USL W League teams by announcing our player-voted 2026 awards.
Every year since our first NPSL season in 2010, we’ve allowed the players to salute their top teammates in several categories including Most Valuable Player, Best Offensive Player, Best Defensive Player, Unsung Hero, and Heart and Soul.
Most of the titles tell plenty about the awards, so let’s get into our 2026 winners on the men’s and women’s sides.
It was a tighter-than-usual vote, especially on our men’s side, typified by captain Ashton Jell’s status near the top of several categories.
So who won? Read on….
FC Buffalo 2026 Heart and Soul Awards
It was a huge year of longtime goalkeeper Jack Root, who was uninterrupted between the sticks as a second-year starter. Root’s vocal leadership and brilliant relationship with the fans starts with his excellence on the pitch. Jack finishes this season tied with Bryce Tramuta for the most wins in men’s club history and is one shared clean sheet behind Bryce in the zeroes book.
On the women’s side, veteran winger Sarah Woods impressed again as both a player and a leader on a suddenly-young side. Woods is second all-time in women’s assists, and only three players have been in more games than her 41 in blue and gold.
FC Buffalo 2026 Unsung Hero Awards
You’d think more people would be singing about Chilean midfielder Carlos Vial Aedo after he won this award last season, but his teammates again saluted the hard-tackling, ball-seeking magnet with great leadership and downfield vision.
On the women’s side, the players looked to East Aurora product Anna Bean, who put in fantastic performances whether at her preferred #6 or in the heart of the back line.
FC Buffalo 2026 Best Defensive Players Awards
There were some tight, tight races here, so much so on the women’s side that finished in a tie between dynamic fullback Claire DeAngelis and newly-minuted all-time FCB women’s appearance leader Erin Weir.
On the men’s side, Dominik Varga, Kiryl Dubins, and Chase Dade were among the vote leaders with several more getting a number of votes, but the left-footed wand and team-first heart of Kevin Leiva leave the Chilean with the silverware (of sorts).
FC Buffalo 2026 Best Offensive Players Awards
There were battles on both sides of this award, none trickier than the men’s side. Voters were allowed to include up to three players on their lists, and almost every single men’s voter included Lovro Kostanjsek, Ali Alomari, and Lucas Soares after the trident spent the season rewriting our record books.
For the women, the vote started even but late-season form sure seemed to help the team determine its winner, as Ava Plezia surged to the top right at the end of awards season.
FC Buffalo 2026 Most Valuable Player Awards
There really weren’t races here, as USL2 Golden Boot candidate Ali Alomari and sharp-edged midfielder Eileen Solomon earned nearly-unanimous nods from their teammates as our 2026 Most Valuable Players.
