Nickname(s) The Ukrainian Lions Founded 1949 | Dissolved 2004 | |
Full name Ukrainian American Sports Association Chicago Lions SC | ||
Ukrainian Lions also known as Chicago Lions SC (Ukrainian American Sports Association Chicago Lions, Ukrainian: УАСТ (Українсько-Американське Спортове Товариство) «Леви» (Чикаго), UAST (Ukrainsko-Amerykanske Sportove Tovarystvo) Levy (Chicago)) was a semi-professional American soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois. The club was founded in 1949 by Ukrainians that had been settled in the Chicago area after the second world war. In the beginning they were called Sitch. They competed in the National Soccer League of Chicago. All their home games were played at Hansen Stadium in Chicago. There were 5 players from the Chicago Lions that played on the US National Team Willy Roy, Nick Krat, Orest Banach, Fred Kovacs and Mike Noha. In 1975 the Chicago Sting signed Chicago Lions players Willy Roy, Stefan Szefer, Richard Greene, Mike Winters, Eugene Andruss and Ian Stone for their inaugural season in North American Soccer League. Former players that went on to play in fully professional leagues were Nick Owcharuk in the North American Soccer League with the San Diego Sockers, Leo Kulinczenko in the American Soccer League with the Los Angeles Skyhawks and Bill Mishalow with the Memphis Rogues of the North American Soccer League.