Cleveland Crunch Open 2025-26 Season With Dominant 17-6 Victory Over Red Cedar

LANSING, MI- The Cleveland Crunch opened their 2025–26 season with a commanding 17-6 victory over Lansing Red Cedar FC, delivering a complete team performance that highlighted elite scoring, disciplined defense, and exceptional ball movement throughout all four quarters.

The Crunch controlled the match from the opening whistle. Goalkeeper Liam McIntosh set the early tone with several key saves that halted Red Cedar’s initial advances. Once Cleveland settled into its rhythm, the offense ignited. Aiden Bozak recorded the first goal of the season at the 10:47 mark off an assist from Omar Najjar, followed by a quick strike from Jannis Schmidt assisted by Tamas Nagy, giving Cleveland a 2-0 lead.

Momentum continued to swing in the Crunch’s favor as Schmidt assisted Gabriel Pewu to extend the lead to 3-0. Red Cedar’s mounting frustrations led to multiple penalties, including one at 7:15 that Najjar converted for a 4-0 advantage. Another penalty late in the quarter set up a power-play opportunity capitalized on by Mikey Derezic via Admir Suljevic, securing a 5-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Crunch opened the second quarter with continued pressure and precise execution. A penalty at 12:55 allowed Suljevic to increase the margin to 6-0, followed shortly by another successful penalty conversion to make it 7-0. Red Cedar briefly broke through with a goal from Anthony Recinos, but Cleveland responded immediately with a finish from Brenden Swann, restoring momentum and widening the lead to 8-1. A blue card issued to Red Cedar resulted in Suljevic completing his hat trick, and a late connection from Bozak to Pewu extended the halftime score to 10-1.

Cleveland’s efficiency continued into the third quarter. Derezic added his second goal off a Suljevic assist to open the half. Although Red Cedar responded through Recinos, the Crunch quickly regained full control with a series of skilled exchanges between Derezic and Suljevic. A back-heel goal from Suljevic and an additional connection moments later stretched the lead to 13-2. After a free-kick goal from Red Cedar’s Dave Jordan, Swann found Ma’Cain Spragling for Cleveland’s 15th goal of the match. A late score from Aidan Bagley made it 15-4 at the end of the period.

The fourth quarter began with a red card issued to Red Cedar’s head coach, briefly pausing play. Upon resumption, Red Cedar registered goals from Kelly Garcia and Jacob Kunnath, narrowing the margin to 15-6. Cleveland promptly responded as Bozak assisted Pewu on his third goal of the match, giving him a hat trick and restoring the substantial lead. Jannis Schmidt closed the scoring with the final goal of the contest, securing a 17-6 victory.

The Crunch’s performance featured five goals in each of the first three quarters and two in the fourth, showcasing consistent execution and depth across the roster.

Key Performers

• Admir Suljevic — Hat trick and multiple assists

• Gabriel Pewu — Hat trick with strong attacking presence

• Mikey Derezic — Multiple goals and assists, high playmaking impact

• Jannis Schmidt — Early scoring and late-game finisher

• Aiden Bozak — Opening goal and two assists

• Liam McIntosh — Several crucial early saves preserving momentum

The Cleveland Crunch begin their season 1-0 and will look to build on this dominant opening performance as they continue their pursuit of another championship-caliber campaign.