In a city with well over five soccer clubs, the opportunities for success and growth as a young soccer player in Winston Salem are ripe. With programs such as Salem City FC, NC Fusion, NC Rush Triad, and Yadkin Soccer Association, the greater Winston-Salem metro area provides young athletes with a multitude of pathways for success. Along with Wake Forest University in our backyard, Winston-Salem is a breeding ground for future collegiate and professional soccer players. 

We can see these pathways in action within the Salem City organization with our four hometown players in Mikey Hernandez, Tate Lorentz, Kevin Stanton, and Jalen Moore. Making up a sixth of our overall roster, Salem City directly benefits from the foundations laid by not only our academy system, but also the soccer community within the Winston-Salem town limits. 

All four players have seen the support from the Winston-Salem soccer community throughout their careers and still continue to be encouraged by the fans every game day. Hernandez had nothing but great things to say about the Triad saying that “there are so many talented players here who dream of playing at a high level, and being surrounded by that passion and competition throughout my life has helped shape both my game and my love for soccer.”

Speaking of the Salem City Academy, Kevin Stanton comes up to our first-team roster through our Elite Training Program and USL Academy. Now a rising sophomore at Randolph-Macon College, Stanton knows just how special this program is, citing how it taught him “how to compete at a higher speed, stay disciplined, and adjust to the physical and mental demands of college soccer and the USL 2.”

With such a booming soccer community in Winston-Salem, Salem City gives fans and players an opportunity to cheer on their hometown team at one of the highest levels in the country. Returner and Burlington native, Mikey Hernandez, sees this everyday at training and on game days, saying that “when you play for the club, it feels like you’re playing for something bigger than yourself.”

Such an environment allows for players to truly develop into well-rounded and disciplined players. Academy alum Stanton saw this firsthand explaining that the “organization prepares players for the next level by creating a serious environment where players learn how to train, compete, and carry themselves like professionals.”

While Hernandez didn’t play in the academy, playing for Salem City has been a highlight of the past few years as he says, “the culture around the club, the people involved, and the connection to the community make it a place I always want to come back to.” 

While Hernandez, Stanton, and Moore all come from surrounding towns to Salem City, Lorentz is the only true Winston-Salem native on the roster. Lorentz has been a prominent name in club soccer for years with two NC Fusion Player of the Year awards in addition to ECNL All-Conference Honors. Following in the footsteps of fellow Mount Tabor High School alum, Liam O’Gara, Lorentz went straight from Wake Forest University to the MLS Superdraft, despite opting to return to the NCAA next season.

A new name to the roster this year, Jalen Moore comes home to Winston-Salem following his sophomore year at Gardner Webb University. Originally from High Point, the outside back has been a consistent performer for Gardner Webb over the past two years. With 15 games played, Moore only missed three games his sophomore year to help lead his team to the Big South Conference Championship Finals where they lost to High Point University. 

No stranger to the USL 2, Moore spent his 2025 summer at Reading United AC where he served as their fifth-most-played player. With two shots on target and 710 minutes over the season, Moore showed his ability to play at the pre-professional level. 

With Salem City’s second home game on deck Saturday May 30 versus the Charlotte Eagles, these four hometown players are ready to deliver quality performances in front of family and friends. Make sure to grab your tickets before the game at salemcityfc.com!