"It's not interesting to me and it's not interesting to Gabe (Hoffman-Johnson, the club founder) to just sort of pay our way up. I think with the visibility of pro-rel (promotion and relegation) we love the charm of winning to move up."
- Portland Hearts of Pine president Kevin Schohl on whether his club will be looking to be promoted to the USL Championship without earning it through sporting merit.
"We want to be the standard in the USL and reward the supporters for what they put into this club."
- Newly-hired Portland Hearts of Pine sporting director Ray Saari
(This feature will focus on a $1 parlay wager every Saturday and Sunday through the end of May.)
Game No. 1 (11:30a)
Men's Bundesliga (Germany)
FC Bayern München (-250)
Game No. 2 (3p)
Men's USL League One (United States)
Portland Hearts of Pine (+135)
Pick Success Rate: 59% (84/142)
Total Bankroll: $44.31 (+ 10.8%)
Rosevelt is one of many youth soccer clubs across the state. Playing in college is attainable, but for girls, it’s hard to visualize a soccer dream in Maine beyond that. "When the men’s team came, it was cool for, like, young boys who wanted to be a soccer player when they grow up," said Molly, a Rosevelt player and Penley's daughter. "But for girls, I think this will definitely help them push themselves and chase their dreams of becoming a professional soccer player just like they are."
Portland Hearts of Pine did a lot of things right in year one; broke all kinds of attendance records, challenged for the league title right out of the gates, and dropped some ridiculous shirts with Hummel along the way. Their “Blaze” kit was fun, their “Bandit” kit was fire, and their Woods & Water Kit (announced over a year ago) was the most anticipated shirt of the year. It did not let us down! This instant classic earned three first place votes from Chris Walker, Josh Duder, and Dan Vaughn and had a ranking of 8.22 to earn the Top Top of 2025.
PHoP:
Portland Hearts of Pine announced today the players returning for the 2026 season and those out of contract as of the conclusion of the 2025 season. Following an inaugural season of success on and off the pitch including 18 sold-out home matches, a playoff run to the semifinals, and numerous Player of the Week and Player of the Month honors, this 2025 roster won Maine’s hearts as the first team in Hearts history.
Maine’s only professional soccer team, Hearts of Pine, is in its inaugural season and, by any measure, has had a tremendous first year. We speak with the Hearts of Pine founder and others about the journey to establish a professional soccer team in Maine, the ups and downs on the pitch, and what’s next for the team.
(This feature will focus on a $1 parlay wager every Saturday and Sunday through the end of May.)
Game No. 1 (10a)
Men's Premiership (Scotland)
Hearts (-250)
Game No. 2 (9p)
Men's USL League One (United States)
Portland Hearts of Pine (+210)
Pick Success Rate: 64% (32/50)
Total Bankroll: $49.90 (+ 24.8%)
But more importantly, [Portland Hearts of Pine] is a club that embraced a community--and which rallied around them in return. Hearts of Pine are cool. But they’re also a model of what USL League One football can--and perhaps should--be, a team that not only understands the people it caters to, but also achieves success in the process. "We've built this beacon of what grassroots football can look like in the States," Club Founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson said. "These are all the things we set out to do."
(This feature will focus on a $1 parlay wager every Saturday and Sunday through the end of May.)
Game No. 1 (11a)
Men's Premiership (Scotland)
Hearts (-390)
Game No. 2 (7p)
Men's USL League One (United States)
Portland Hearts of Pine
Pick Success Rate: 61.4% (27/44)
Total Bankroll: $47.42 (+ 18.6%)
Portland is more than just an attendance and branding darling. In their first season of action, Hearts of Pine have become League One’s premier press-and-possess team. It’s a system that will be immediately familiar to anyone who knew Bobby Murphy’s style in MLS Next Pro, and it’s allowed Portland to highlight some of the best technical attackers in their division.
PPH:
Goal accomplished. Even if the result was a bit disappointing. The Portland Hearts of Pine became the fourth expansion team to clinch a USL League One playoff berth in its first season with a 2-2 draw against Westchester SC on Saturday in front of 5,856 fans at Fitzpatrick Stadium. "To be able to go out and do it with a couple games left in the season, for an expansion club, is a huge accomplishment," said Portland coach Bobby Murphy.
PPH:
The Portland Hearts of Pine are engaged in early stage discussions about adding a women’s soccer team, something the franchise’s founder has long stated as a goal. "We have belief and interest in the women’s game and would want to be there to support it and we think it would be successful here," said Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, the Hearts of Pine founder and chief community officer. The first-year men’s team is a professional club in USL League One. The women’s team is targeted to be in the pre-professional USL W League, with 2027 the earliest it would likely see the field.
The owners of the Maine Mariners announced Friday they have joined the ownership group of the Portland Hearts of Pine. Dexter and Susan Paine, who purchased the Maine Mariners ECHL hockey franchise last year, said in an email to season ticket holders they have joined the Hearts of Pine ownership group as minority investors.
PPH:
Player like Khalid Hersi. The former Lewiston High star made a splash as the first player from Maine to be signed by the Hearts, earning his spot in a tryout camp. He appeared in front of his hometown fans in the inaugural game, played at Lewiston High but had not played since. Hersi shined in the opening minutes, four times beating defenders in the middle of the field with quick moves and sending long forward passes--to the left, center and right--to create dangerous opportunities. He played 60 minutes, coming out in a mass of substitutions when Portland put most of its regular starters in after Halifax tied it 1-1 on a Tavio Ciccarelli goal. "It was a great opportunity, a great time to showcase myself," said Hersi, who looked comfortable from his first positive touch. "It was a great opportunity, to be honest. I’ll take this any day. It was a great game. Of course it has value. That performance just plays a big impact on me and the way I’m going to look at things."
