2025 Playoffs overview
The NOSL regular season has come to a close in all three men’s divisions and only one match is left to play in the women’s division. The matchups are all set for the men and three of the four seeds are known in the women’s division. Read below for a breakdown of each division’s playoff picture.
Men’s First Division
#1 Delaware Rising (8-0-1, 24 pts) vs #4 Ashland United (6-1-2, 19 pts)
Delaware Rising capped off an impressive regular season by securing the regular season title for the first time in club history—highlighted by a statement win over the defending champions, Ohio City and bringing home the League Cup trophy last Sunday. Since joining the league in 2021, DRFC has reached the playoffs every year, and they’ll look to finally break through with a title run. Standing in their way is Ashland United, a team that had a slow start to the season, dropping two of their first three matches. Their lone early win? A 2-1 road victory over Delaware Rising. While DRFC enters as the favorite, Ashland has already shown they’re capable of pulling off the upset.
#2 Ohio City SC (7-1-1, 22 pts) vs #3 Mansfield Liederkranz (6-1-2, 19 pts)
Reigning champions Ohio City may not have claimed the top seed this time around, but that’s unlikely to rattle one of the most dangerous teams in NOSL history. Back in the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, City will face Mansfield Liederkranz in a highly anticipated rematch. The two sides played to an exciting 3-3 draw in Matchweek One, but there will be no sharing points this time. Their last playoff meeting was in the 2024 semifinals, where Ohio City came out on top.
Men’s Second Division
#1 Paxos FC (9-1-0, 25 pts) vs #4 Forest City FC (5-1-4, 16 pts)
When Paxos joined the NOSL, they were a relatively unknown name across the league. But after a dominant run through the Men’s Second Division and a semifinal appearance in the League Cup, they’ve put the rest of the league on notice. Paxos will face Forest City in the semifinals—a rematch of their June 15 clash, where Paxos cruised to a commanding 7-0 victory. Since that loss, however, Forest City has bounced back, winning three of their last four to secure a playoff berth.
#2 Akron United (8-1-1, 25 pts) vs #3 AFC Kent (6-0-4, 18 pts)
After years of dominance in the Akron Premier League, Akron United entered the NOSL with high expectations—and they’ve delivered. Their strong inaugural campaign has them hosting AFC Kent in the semifinals as they set their sights on First Division promotion. Akron won both regular season meetings against Kent (5-1 and 2-0), while Kent secured their playoff spot by edging Forest City in the final week of the season.
Men’s Northwest Division
#1 Valentis Athletica (7-1-1, 22 pts) vs #4 FC Perrysburg (0-1-8, 1 pt)
Valentis Athletica made an impressive debut in their first NOSL season, finishing as League Cup finalists and dominating the division to secure the No. 1 seed. They’ll take on FC Perrysburg in the semifinals—a team that struggled throughout their inaugural campaign, earning just one point from nine matches. Valentis shut down Perrysburg in all three regular season meetings (5-0, 8-0, 6-0), and it’s hard to envision anything but a fourth straight win for the top seed.
Update: FC Perrysburg has withdrawn from the playoffs. As a result, Valentis Athletica will move on to the final.
#2 Firelands United (6-0-3, 18 pts) vs #3 AC Elite (3-2-4, 11 pts)
Firelands United had an up-and-down season, but one of their brightest moments came on May 25, when they handed top-seeded Valentis Athletica a 3-0 defeat. That result proved Firelands can compete with the best—but first, they'll have to get past AC Elite. The two teams met three times due to the Northwest Division structure. AC Elite took the first matchup in Week 1 with a 2-1 win, but Firelands responded by winning the next two encounters, 3-1 and 3-2.
Women’s Division
#1 Süsserfuss Ballverein (10-0-0, 30 pts) vs #4 TBD
The defending champions are back in the playoffs—and this time as the top seed—after a flawless 10-0 regular season. If they maintain their current form, it’s hard to imagine anyone stopping them from repeating as NOSL champions. Meanwhile, Mansfield Liederkranz and Twinsburg United face off Wednesday evening in a crucial regular season finale. The winner will clinch the final playoff spot. However, if the match ends in a draw, Panthers FC—currently in fourth—will advance and face Süsserfuss on Saturday morning.
#2 Ohio City (8-0-2, 24 pts) vs #3 Delaware Rising (6-0-4, 18 pts)
Ohio City enters the playoffs with unfinished business after back-to-back heartbreaks in the NOSL Final—a 2-1 extra-time loss to Delaware Rising in 2023, followed by a penalty shootout defeat to Süsserfuss last season. Outside of two losses to Süsserfuss, Ohio City cruised through the regular season and return to the postseason for a third consecutive year. They’ll feel confident heading into the matchup, having already beaten DRFC twice this season (2-0 and 2-1).
