Ryan Peterson (soccer, born 1995)

Ryan Peterson
Personal information
Date of birth December 26, 1995
Place of birth Budd Lake, New Jersey
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Charlotte Independence
Number 33
Youth career
Players Development Academy
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 NC State Wolfpack 33 (3)
2016–2017 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 30 (4)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015 Ocean City Nor'easters
2019 FC Motown 8 (0)
2019 Detroit City FC 0 (0)
2020 Stumptown Athletic 2 (0)
2020 Detroit City FC 3 (0)
2021 FC Motown 18 (7)
2021 San Diego 1904 FC 9 (2)
2022 New Jersey Alliance FC 1 (0)
2022 FC Motown 14 (1)
2022– Charlotte Independence 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 1, 2022

Ryan Peterson (born December 26, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays for the Charlotte Independence in USL League One.

Career

Youth and college

Peterson grew up in the Budd Lake section of Mount Olive Township, New Jersey where he attended Mount Olive High School and played youth soccer for Players Development Academy (PDA). While with PDA, he helped the Under-17/18 Academy team to a U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-17/18 Championship in 2014. In the final on Saturday, July 19, Peterson scored the team's second goal, assisted by future Major League Soccer player Brian White, against Bethesda-Olney (MD) in the 2–0 win at StubHub Center in Carson, California. Peterson also played college soccer for four years at two NCAA Division I universities. He attended North Carolina State University for two years and played in 33 games while scoring three goals. Following his sophomore year, he transferred to Rutgers University and played two more seasons, scoring four goals in 30 games.

Amateur

While still attending North Carolina State, Peterson spent the summer of 2015 playing with the Ocean City Nor'easters of the Premier Developmental League. In 2019, Peterson joined National Premier Soccer League side Detroit City FC following the conclusion of the regular season. He spent the late summer and early fall with the club competing in the 2019 NPSL Members Cup tournament. Detroit went on the win the competition with Peterson competing in a majority of the team's games. He also scored the lone goal in Detroit's friendly against the Philadelphia Fury, a professional side in the National Independent Soccer Association which Detroit was in the process of joining.

Prior to this in 2019 Peterson also appeared with USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in a pre-season friendly against the Cleveland State Vikings men's soccer team. However he was not signed to the final roster ahead of the regular season.

FC Motown

Peterson spent multiple stints with Morristown, New Jersey amateur side FC Motown prior to and in-between playing with professional teams. While mainly competing in the National Premier Soccer League and later USL League Two, he also made appearances for the club in their state and regional leagues across USASA Region I. He made his NPSL debut on Saturday, May 18, 2019, coming on as a first half substitute against the Electric City Shock SC in a 3–1 road win.

During his third year with the team in 2022 Peterson had his most successful season with the club. On April 1, following a successful protest by Motown, Peterson scored the game winning goal against West Chester United SC in the 90th minute of their 2022 U.S. Open Cup First Round replay. He played in all three of Motown's tournament matches that year, plus the original first round match that was later replayed. In league, Motown won the 2022 NPSL National Championship with Peterson scoring the opening goal against Crossfire Redmond in the final.

Professional

National Independent Soccer Association

On February 25, 2020, Peterson signed his first professional contract with Stumptown Athletic of the third division National Independent Soccer Association. He started both of the team's games that season before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Spring Season.

On August 11 Peterson returned to Detroit City FC, now playing in NISA, ahead of the Fall 2020 season. In the 2020 NISA Fall Championship he scored the game-winning goal against Oakland Roots SC in the 85th minute to give Detroit its first professional title. He departed the team following the fall season.

On October 8, 2021, Peterson signed with San Diego 1904 FC.

Charlotte Independence

Peterson signed with USL League One club Charlotte Independence on September 22, 2022. He made his first appearance on Saturday, October 1, as a second half substitute in a 3–1 loss to the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.

Career statistics

As of matches played October 1, 2022
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FC Motown 2019 National Premier Soccer League 8 0 0 0 3 0 11 0
Detroit City FC 2019 National Premier Soccer League 0 0 0 0 9 2 9 2
Stumptown Athletic 2020 National Independent Soccer Association 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Detroit City FC 2020 National Independent Soccer Association 3 0 0 0 4 1 7 1
FC Motown 2021 National Premier Soccer League 8 4 0 0 4 2 12 6
2021 USL League Two 10 3 0 0 0 0 10 3
San Diego 1904 FC 2021 National Independent Soccer Association 9 2 0 0 0 0 9 2
New Jersey Alliance FC 2022 NISA Nation 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
FC Motown 2022 National Premier Soccer League 6 0 3 1 6 1 15 2
2022 USL League Two 8 1 0 0 0 0 8 1
Charlotte Independence 2022 USL League One 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Career total 56 10 3 1 26 6 85 17
  1. Includes appearances in U.S. Open Cup
  2. Includes appearances in league playoffs and NPSL Members Cup

Honors

Detroit City FC

FC Motown

  • NPSL National Championship: 2022
  • NPSL East Regional Championship: 2022
  • NPSL Keystone Conference Championship: 2019, 2021, 2022
  • New Jersey Soccer Association Men's Open State Cup: 2021–22