Lorain County joins wave of investment in women's sports

Elite womens soccer is on its way to Lorain County. An announcement by the Lorain County Leviathan this week is the latest in a wave of investments in womens sports in Northeast Ohio.

Some believe momentum is still building.

News 5 has been covering the evolution at ForeFront Field in Avon since 2025, when rumors were confirmed about a semi-professional mens soccer team playing in the home of the Lake Erie Crushers baseball team.

RELATED: Semi-pro soccer coming to Lake Erie Crushers stadium

We were also there for the fanfare of the home opener on Memorial Day.

RELATED: Fanfare, excitement mark Lorain County Leviathan FC home debut

Now a banner on the outfield fence proclaims Lorain County as Soccer County, USA.

The number one thing that we found is that were an integral part of the community now, said Leviathan FC chairman Andrew McDonnell.

He said the clubs next step was clear.

It was a matter of just aligning what was already here, which was a need and desire for a womens team, with an ownership group who had the ability to make it happen, said McDonnell.

On Thursday, the Lorain County Leviathan FC announced it will launch a womens team in 2027.

RELATED: Lorain County Leviathan FC launching women's soccer team in 2027

McDonnell told News 5 that the program focuses on attracting current and former collegiate athletes who want to keep developing, competing, and showcasing their abilities.

If youre a high-level player who still has the ability, the desire to play, there just isnt a place to do that in the area. So thats what were here to focus on, he said.

Creating opportunities for elite women athletes was part of a push by the Cleveland Soccer Group when it announced it would be bringing a Division II womens team to the city.

RELATED: Another goal scored: Cleveland is getting a women's soccer team - in a lower division

In May, the group announced the new team will be called Astra.

RELATED: Cleveland's first women's pro soccer team officially has a name

That club will be part of the WPSL Pro, a new league designed to fill the gaps between amateur soccer and top-tier professional teams.

I think the initial response was, Eh, womens sports? And then over those months when we ran our first campaign and we got those 16,000 season ticket deposits, heads started to turn, said Astra co-founder Gina Prodan Kelly.

While the team is still looking to build or find a permanent place to play, Prodan Kelly believes support for womens sports is gaining steam in Northeast Ohio.

Through launching Cleveland Astra and getting a WNBA team and now teams like Lorain County Leviathan jumping into womens sports its such a great wave, she said.

The Leviathan plan to work with Astra, as well as collegiate teams and youth programs to create a talent pipeline.

Were trying to bring this all together so that when people think about soccer, they think about Lorain County and they think about the Leviathan, said McDonnell.

Both McDonnell and Prodan Kelly believe theres an appetite for more soccer and more womens sports in Northeast Ohio.

Its a mixed metaphor, but the way we describe it is we think of womens sports, especially womens soccer, its hardly the beginning. But its very much like the second inning, said Prodan Kelly. Momentum is picking up and were just seeing the beginning of it.

Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at [email protected].