FRISCO, Texas – After competing in the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season, here’s a look back at the five moments that made an impact on North Texas SC. From first team contracts to professional debuts, these are the top five moments from the 2022 season. In this list we also included a special off the field event that took place earlier in the year that was special to the organization.
FC Dallas Academy Players Rise to the Professional Level
5. Throughout the 2022 season, North Texas SC saw nine Academy players make their professional and NTSC debuts. The first Academy player to make his debut was midfielder Santiago Ferreira as a starter in the inaugural match of the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season. Ferreira started the first eight matches and he led all academy players with 17 matches played, 12 starts and 822 minutes played. The last Academy player to make their professional debut was goalkeeper Julian Eyestone. The 16-year-old keeper stands at 6’6” and made his debut on Decision Day 2022 against Houston Dynamo 2 on the road. Eyestone registered four saves while registering a 66.7 saves percentage. Tarik Scott led the Academy players with two goals scored.
Bernard Kamungo Lands a First Team Deal
4. On Aug. 30, Bernard Kamungo’s story continued to grow as the Tanzanian-American signed a long-term deal with FC Dallas. Kamungo joined North Texas SC for the 2021 season through the club’s open tryouts. The 20-year-old winger scored six goals in his debut season in USL League One play. During the 2022 season, Kamungo tallied 13 goals and four assists before earning a first team contract. Since then, he made his FC Dallas and MLS debut on Sept. 17 by coming on as a substitute in the 70th minute of the match.
Unbeaten in Six
3. On June 11 North Texas SC defeated Timbers2 2-0 at Choctaw stadium to reach a six-game unbeaten streak. During that run, NTSC compiled a 5-0-1 record with 12 goals scored and three goals conceded. The streak started on May 1 with a 2-0 road win at Sporting KC II. North Texas went undefeated the month of May posting a 3-0-1 record. During the six-game stretch NTSC had five different goal scorers with Bernard Kamungo leading the pack at four goals.
La Muralla Comes Up Big in the Shootout
2. North Texas SC would head into the extra point shootout against Colorado Rapids 2 on Aug. 21 after tying 1-1 in regulation. André Costa’s goal in the 88th minute appeared to have given North Texas the three points, but Colorado’s Michael Edwards would level the match in the second minute of added time. Ralph Priso-Mbongue from Colorado opened the shootout and his penalty kick was saved by Antonio Carrera. In the second round of the shootout, Carrera denied Robinson Aguirre to keep Colorado scoreless. The third penalty kick taker skyed his shot and Blake Pope scored North Texas’ third penalty to secure the extra point on the road.
HIS7ORY
1. Bernard Kamungo becomes North Texas SC’s all-time top goal scorer with 22 goals scored over his two seasons at the club. Kamungo scored six goals during his debut season in 2021 and scored 16 in 2022, tying Ronaldo Damus’ single season record set in 2019. Bernard was at 20 career goals heading into the final home match on Sept. 11 versus St Louis CITY2. Kamungo tied the record at the ninth minute of the match with a setup from Hope Avayevu in the box. He broke the record in the 76th minute after receiving a cross from Collin Smith and tucking the ball in the back of the net to make the score line 3-0.
Honorable Mention
6. May 24 is just an ordinary date for many, but for these two individuals at North Texas SC, it’s a special day they will cherish forever. NTSC General Manager Matt Denny and winger Bernard Kamungo became U.S. citizens after taking the Oath of Allegiance during their naturalization ceremony. This special event took place at the Plano Event Center in front of over 650 people from 76 different countries. Denny was counting down the days until he would become a U.S. citizen when he found out through Kamungo’s agent that they would both attend the same ceremony. The beautiful sport united these two in ways that they couldn’t imagine.
