Losses mounted for Hearts of Pine this season, but fans never wavered
Hearts of Pine fans cheer and hold up their scarves during a game against AC Boise on Saturday in Portland. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
There will be no well-attended watch parties in the coming weeks. The State Theater and the Portland Zoo won’t be packed to the rafters with Hearts of Pine fans, completely absorbed by the Hearts competing in a playoff match.
The Hearts of Pine were eliminated from USL League One playoff contention last week, and now there are two games remaining in the season. Portland plays at Forward Madison FC on Saturday and hosts Charlotte Independence on Oct. 24 to wrap up the 2026 campaign.
While the team didn’t come close to matching the on-field success of its inaugural season, things are as good as ever off the field. The Hearts are second in USL League One in average attendance, trailing only Boise. Portland’s average attendance at Fitzpatrick Stadium is 6,235, which is around 1,000 fewer than Boise but about 2,200 more than the Richmond Kickers, who rank third in the league in average attendance.
The Hearts have played 38 consecutive sellouts at Fitzpatrick, and it’s pretty much a lock to be 39 after the final game of the season. Tickets for the season finale on Oct. 24 against Charlotte are still scarce and expensive. A Wednesday morning glance at StubHub showed tickets going for $104 to $140 each for a pair of seats together, while a single could be had for $63.
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The average face value of a Hearts ticket is a modest $27. With no postseason on the horizon, it’s a little surprising to see the secondary market remain so robust. If the team has another down season, is this demand sustainable?
Dirigo Union, the team’s enthusiastic supporters group, will always be there, singing throughout the match and bringing the noise. The question is, if there’s another season of frustrating play on the pitch, will the casual fans still drive up ticket prices and make Hearts of Pine games EVENTS?
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Right now, that’s a question without an answer, unless you have a crystal ball. The best we can do is a qualified probably.
Remember, the Hearts have a waiting list for season tickets that runs 8,000 names deep. Even if half the season ticket holders suddenly pull the chute, there’s more than enough fans eager to take their place.
Bass Pettitt is co-chair of Dirigo United. Admittedly, he sees the future of Hearts fandom through the optimistic eyes of a superfan. He can only go by what he’s seen so far and conversations with casual fans he meets through his job at Bayside Bowl. What he hears from them makes him bullish that the current trend of ticket scarcity will continue, at least through next season.
“I talk to my friends who are league bowlers who have never been into soccer in their life, and they’re like, ‘Man, I went for the first time and I had so much fun,’ and they tell me about three things that aren’t anything that happened on the field,” Pettitt said. “And then I ask them about the game and they’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m learning about soccer and I’m excited to be there and be a part of it.’ There’s a lot of people like that. I’m sure the idea of losing consistently will run dry on them.”
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Read more sports commentary from Travis Lazarczyk
The way the Hearts have lost so many games this season is what frustrates fans new and old. The team has allowed a late goal a dozen times, turning a win into a loss or tie, or a tie into a loss. Ten times in 30 matches, the team surrendered a goal in stoppage time at the end of a game.
That frustration hasn’t resulted in fans staying away. Hearts of Pine management has done an amazing job making games a family-friendly experience that goes beyond the results on the field. In that regard, the Hearts are like Portland’s other three pro franchises, the Portland Sea Dogs, Maine Mariners and Maine Celtics.
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Where those clubs hold an edge, though, is affiliation. If they don’t win, fans can go to games knowing they could be watching a future member of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins or Boston Celtics. The Hearts are their own thing. Players move on to higher leagues, but there’s not a common final team that’s the goal at the top of the pyramid.
Reaching the USL League One semifinals last year, being a penalty kick from the championship game, was more than anyone could have expected from a club in its first season of play. That alone is reason enough to think the crowds will continue to fill Fitzpatrick Stadium over the next few seasons, and then a possible new stadium on the waterfront in 2029.
“We’re in the growth stage. We’re toddlers,” Pettitt said.
That growth comes with pains on the field. Right now, there’s no indication those will become aches at the turnstiles.
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Tagged: Hearts of Pine, Sports Columns, travis lazarczyk
Travis Lazarczyk has covered sports for the Portland Press Herald since 2021. A Vermont native, he graduated from the University of Maine in 1995 with a BA in English. After a few years working as a sports. More by Travis Lazarczyk
