FC Buffalo men’s team season in review: ‘When we’re in, we’re in’

Photos courtesy of @brettballachino and Ryan Bartholomew

Exciting.

That is the word first-year head coach Sean Hallas used to describe this year’s FC Buffalo men’s team after the Wolves’s final training session before their final regular season game against Dayton Dutch Lions. 

“We have played exciting football all year, whether conceding or scoring goals,” Hallas mused. “Every game has been exciting [and] I think the fans would agree.” 

The blue and gold proved Hallas’s description correctly in the finale — albeit numbers-aided by the opposition — as the Wolves closed off their season in front of their fans in dominant fashion, scoring 10 goals against a depleted Dayton team to finish just out of the playoffs in the Valley Division table with a 5-4-3 record, remaining undefeated at home. Not to mention, the club also won silverware this season by winning the first Erie County Brewers Cup.

[ RELATED: FC Buffalo men beat rival Erie 5-1, win first-ever Brewers Cup ]

The campaign was nearly the polar-opposite of the club’s first run through USL League Two, a sixth-place finish. FCB looked to amend the forgetful season by hiring Hallas and flipping the script on the roster while keeping strong, positive personalities in the fold. The new, successful faces, which included 2024 Defensive Player Award winners Landon Hungerford and Fabian Overkamp in a back three with imposing and vocal Kobe Grant.

Thankfully for the Wolves, Hallas’s influence on the club over these last few months speaks volumes, as he recruited committed players while installing a fierce mentality in a committed 35-man roster

“The season’s been quality,” Hallas said. “One of the strongest points in my coaching career has been the recruitment side of things, and bringing the right guys to the table at the right time is a positive, and it’s shown with the guys from the D-3, D-2, and D-1 Ranks. I have enjoyed it. The group’s commitment to having 30 guys here for practice for the final game of the season says everything.”

[ RELATED: FC Buffalo men end season undefeated at home, score 10 vs Dayton ]

But how does Hallas and his players reach such an improved level in a tough USL League Two? It comes down to consistent intensity spliced with the creation of meaningful connections with the players. 

“I would say intense, and the boys would agree,” Hallas said. “When we’re in, we’re in. I’ve got a lot of connections with some of the boys from the past. We can mess around on the sidelines, and I’ll be your best friend on the sidelines, but when it’s game mode or practice mode, or I feel like I’m intense, that energy is reciprocated in small details.” 

As some of FC Buffalo’s players have emphasized throughout the season, Hallas’s impressive character played a major role in the team’s success, including for FCB’s top scorer and most valuable player, Ander Castillo. This season, fans witnessed the Basque kid with the Buffalo tattoo become the club’s all-time scorer, surpassing longtime forward/center-back Kendell McFayden’s 18 goals. 

“It’s the confidence he [Hallas] has in me, and he always had belief in me since I first came to the club,” Castillo said after breaking the six-year record in a drama-filled 1-1 draw against Fort Wayne.

“With the team, he is building trust among one another. I know I can trust someone who can make the pass. Also, I don’t feel pressured to score every time because other players can score goals as well.”

[ RELATED: Castillo becomes FCB men’s top scorer in drama-filled draw with Fort Wayne ]

Castillo, now a key player at the University of Albany and one whom Hallas coached during their past at Medaille University, finished his third season scoring 18 times and becoming the joint-top assister alongside Ajax FC Academy midfielder Timo Jansen. Both assisted four of the team’s 42 goals this entire season. 

Follow @FcBuffalo on Twitter for 2024 Men’s and Women’s Awards 

“Coach pushes us to do our best. He holds us to such a high standard. He knows what he can get out of us. He demands it and doesn’t let us rest. That’s kind of been the big difference this year,” said eight-year veteran goalkeeper Bryce Tramuta. “Last year, we were out of the playoffs three weeks before the end of the season, and this year, we were fighting for the top of the division. It’s a testament to him.”

Although Tramuta has made many appearances over his tenure with the Wolves, none come close to his 2024 contributions as a solid veteran presence. His unselfishness and experience, alongside his veteran teammates like goalkeeper Jack Petrie and captain Max Kwitchoff, have also contributed to spreading Hallas’s demand for a hard work ethic around the team. 

“This is by far the best team I have been on. Everyone comes in and does their job, no matter if they are a starter, backup or reserve player. That really pushes everyone because the practice level here is just incredible,” Tramuta said. 

And while the Wolves did have some positives, Hallas recognized his team had flaws that partook in the blue and gold not to earn that long-sought playoff spot. Despite key signings that revolutionized the team’s backline, like goalkeeper Andreas Kokoska, former Toledo Villa back Grant, Hungerford, and Overkamp, FCB got their first clean sheet in their final regular season match. 

“Clean sheets,” Hallas said. “It is a major in this division. You can’t concede goals in this division and think you will win the league. It’s more about the boys, including myself and the coaches, learning game management. I will take that into the future.” 

Although Hallas’s return to coach the blue and hold next season remains undecided, the current D’Youville University Men’s Soccer coach, whose team makes their season debut on September 5 against Slippery Rock University, believes this season has resulted in growth for himself, the players, the club, and more importantly, for the city of Buffalo. 

“It [2024 FCB summer season] is like a preseason for a player. It gets my mind set on formations and what I want to see in different ways for different individuals and try to replicate as much as possible. It’s been a stepping stone, but it’s been a great summer,” Hallas said regarding how this past summer will help him as a coach preparing for the fall. 

But how does this season’s outcome alter the future of this club and the sport in Buffalo? It revolves around expanding the Buffalo fanbase, albeit if the winning culture continues to grow for the next few years. 

“I feel like the fans have grown. I feel like these boys winning football games has brought in more fans. They are watching exciting football games, and the crowds have been great,” said Hallas. “But that is the only way that this club can grow. There needs to be more community in the club, and more people should show up to watch both the women and the men. The rest will be taken care of by the players who win more football games. This is a massive soccer community, and I want to see more people bought into it [the sport and club].”

For Hallas, the path to gradual growth revolves around this year’s talented players and future talents consistently returning to fight for the club. 

“If we are on the right path here, and we see a lot of these new faces who were here this year come back next year, then that shows you that we are in the right spot, where guys are coming back each year instead of dipping in one year and then leaving. That would be a huge plus for me, seeing the likes of Ollie Lovell, Fabian [Overkamp], Andreas [Kokoska], and guys not from this area traveling to Buffalo to fight for the club.”

No matter what happens in the following seasons, Hallas will continue to watch over the future careers of his boys, whom he has bonded with at FC Buffalo. 

“I know the boys are ready for their college season, and that’s the main goal. I will be following every single one of them in their college season.”

[ RELATED: 2024 Men’s Stats ]