'Home' for the summer: What to know, ticket info for the Hailstorm's games in Canvas Stadium

Fort Collins, meet your home team for the summer.

The Northern Colorado Hailstorm will play their July home matches in Canvas Stadium, kicking off with a July 5 matchup against Forward Madison.

Games against Central Valley Fuego FC (July 13) and the Charlotte Independence (July 17) will follow.

The Hailstorm are midway through their inaugural season, with a 4-4-4 USL League One record and a notable U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 run already in tow.

The team played their first three home matches at Jackson Stadium on the University of Northern Colorado campus as they await the delayed completion of Future Legends Sports Park in Windsor — their long-term home.

Here's what to know about the Hailstorm's summer residency at CSU.

Tickets are $20, and you can watch from the Porch

Tickets for each Hailstorm match in Canvas Stadium are $20, and fans can purchase them at hailstormfc.com/tickets. All seating is general admission.

A note for families: Children 2 years old and under receive free admission.

Discounted ticket rates are available for groups of 10 or more, and those seeking bulk ticket packages should contact Nate Bishop in the Hailstorm's ticketing office for more information via email at nbishop@futurelegendscomplex.com.

Parking will be free in most lots around Canvas Stadium on the Colorado State University campus, mainly south of University Avenue. Concessions will be open, and alcohol will also be sold. The New Belgium Porch will also be open.

There will also be a pair of special promotions for fans.

Given its day-after-the-holiday date, the July 5 match vs. Forward Madison will fittingly be "America: Hail Yeah!" night. The first 250 fans will get a free red-white-and-blue Hailstorm T-shirt jersey courtesy of New Belgium Brewing Co.

The July 13 match will be the official launch of NoCo's "Rivalry of Ice and Fire" vs. fellow expansion club Central Valley Fuego FC. The team hopes to provide special "Ice and Fire" scarves for fans, according to Damian Foley, Hailstorm director of marketing and communications.

Happy homecoming: Sophia Smith scores twice to lead U.S. Soccer team to win in return to Colorado

How the Hailstorm came to CSU

The team's future home at TicketSmarter Stadium in Windsor's Future Legends Park is still under construction after originally being projected to open by June.

And given that UNC's soccer stadium was available only through the end of June, the Hailstorm found partnering with CSU and Canvas Stadium to be a "no-brainer."

"When the time came to find somewhere for Hailstorm FC to play in July, CSU stepped up and kindly made Canvas Stadium available," Foley said.

The venue is an upgrade from the smaller confines at Jackson Stadium and at many sites around USL League One, perhaps matched to date only by the road match at Real Salt Lake.

"It's a fantastic facility, and the guys are buzzing about it — they can't wait to start playing there," Foley said. "Can't think of too many better places to play while you're waiting for construction to wrap up on your own stadium than a 41,000-seat football stadium."

Players, stories to watch

The Hailstorm is an expansion team, but they aren't short on talent or interesting players to watch. Here's a few to check out in the Canvas games:

Irvin Parra — Though the forward is just 28 years old, he's already been a pro for 10 seasons and a prolific creator at nearly every stop.

It's been no different with the Hailstorm, as Parra has six goals (T-3 in USL League One) and two assists (T-2 on the team). And in the third Canvas match, he'll go up against his former Charlotte team, where he starred last year as the first USL League One player to score 10 goals and dish 10 assists in a season.

Rob Cornwall — Meet the captain.

Cornwall is the center midfielder and a key fulcrum in the Hailstorm's offensive and defensive sets. While he only has one goal in league play, Cornwall scored two in U.S. Open Cup play, including the game-winner in an upset over MLS squad Real Salt Lake.

But it's the stout defense and leadership that has now earned him USL League One Team of the Week honors three times this season.

Arthur Rogers — Rogers doesn't light up the scoreboard, but he sets up everything for the Hailstorm. Even as a defender, Rogers has created 23 scoring chances (third in the league) and sent in 95 crosses (second in the league).

If the Hailstorm is making something happen, you can usually trace it back to Rogers' sharp passing and command of the field.

Style of play — The Hailstorm aren't a boring watch. Led by fiery Irish coach Eamon Zayed, they play an aggressive defensive style that tries to force the issue and put other teams on their heels.

It shows, as they've earned 43 yellow cards as a team this season, tied for third in the league and just two back of the league high.

About USL League One

The league is only four years old and operated by the United Soccer League at a Division III level, a tier below the USL Championship League.

The 2022 season features 11 teams from 10 different states, with three more clubs set to join for the 2023 season. Though there is no official relegation system in U.S. soccer, USL teams have moved up or become part of the MLS Next Pro development league.

Union Omaha is the defending USL League One champion, winning the regular-season and playoff titles in 2021. That Omaha squad also knocked the Hailstorm out of the U.S. Open Cup in May with a 2-0 win, though the teams played to a 0-0 draw in league play

Chris Abshire is the sports and stats content coach at the Coloradoan. Contact him at ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Northern Colorado Hailstorm in Canvas Stadium: Tickets, what to know