Everything to know before the season opener

The NISL season opener is finally here as the Columbus Rapids will travel to Mississippi to take on the Memphis Americans in both teams' first official matches. Both the men's and women's teams will be playing in the opener which will offer fans a look at the rosters Coach Miranda and Coach Galindo have assembled. 

Fans can watch the game on the NISL Youtube channel. The matches will be played back-to-back with each being played in four 15-minute quarters, as well as three-minute intervals between each quarter and a 12-minute halftime break. 

Anyone unfamiliar with the rules of the NISL can find a comprehensive list of rules and regulations here.

For the Rapids Men's team, the captain is defender Roger Castellano who will be wearing #5. Castellano came to Columbus all the way from San Antonio, Texas. The goalkeepers for the Rapids are Tevin West and Freddy Zamudio. The Rapids will also have size on the defensive end with six-foot-three defender Ethan Alur standiing out.

The Americans Men's team will be coached by head coach Corey Adamson and assistant coach Bo Melson. 

For the Rapids Women's team, captain is midfielder Brittney Conway. Conway is from Snoqualmia, Washington and attended Eastern Washington University. The goalkeepers for the Rapids are Brian Riancho and Haley Ryan. The Rapids have three players from Columbus State University and midfielder/defender Megan Byers is from the University of South Carolina.

The Americans Women's team is also coached by Adamson and Melson in the same roles. 

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. EST from the Landers Center in South Haven, Mississippi.

The game can be watched directly on the NISL Youtube channel here.

ABOUT NATIONAL INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE (NISL): 

The National Indoor Soccer League, which has its league office in Georgia, was founded in January 2021 by a group of experienced sports team/league owners with over 40 years of ownership experience. The NISL has plans to grow the league nationally within the next three years and will kick off its inaugural season in December 2021. The league will operate a Men's & Women's division with each market fielding both teams. Fans will be able to watch a men’s and women’s game each gameday.  For more information, go to nislpro.com