Leave it to nature.

The Northern Colorado Hailstorm's first-ever home game at Future Legends Sports Complex was delayed an hour by, well, a hailstorm.

It turned out to be more of an apropos welcome than an unwanted omen.

The Hailstorm rode four first-half goals to a 4-1 win over Central Valley Fuego FC Saturday evening at Future Legends Field.

"This is why we’re called the Hailstorm, in case you’re wondering," said Jason Ficca, Hailstorm and NoCo Owlz general manager.

"Everything happens for a reason, right?" said Casey Katofsky, Future Legends' executive director of operations.

This was a long-awaited debut for the second-year USL League One Hailstorm, which were a nomadic crew playing home games at three facilities last season.

Here are some takeaways from the Hailstorm's home opener:

Hailstorm head coach Eamon Zayed said his emotions were all over the place before the game during a phone call with his mother.

"Nervous, anxious, excited, all of it," he said.

She reminded him to enjoy the moment, one that's been years in the making.

"I was here in August 2021 and this was nothing but a construction site," Zayed said. "We were really, really delighted to finally play in our home."

There was a special emphasis on this one, too. The Hailstorm played home matches last year at three different places:

University of Northern Colorado's Jackson Stadium

Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium

Severance High School

The team went 0-2-1 in those matches. Zayed reminded every returning player of that fact before taking the field.

"Last year, we didn’t win our first game at any stadium, so it was big to start the era here well," said Trevor Amann, who scored two goals in the win.

That's the mindset after missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker last year.

The home-field advantage should provide a surging Hailstorm (4-2-1) more postseason cushion this season.

"The resilience we had last year was impressive with all the travel," Katofsky said. "The returning players, they remember that and now, being in one place, it’s only going to be an advantage on the field."

There's also the nearly 5,000 feet of altitude, often-windy conditions and a true home atmosphere.

"Let's make this a fortress," Zayed said. "We play Fuego here in a month again and I can’t imagine they want to come back anytime soon."

Derby debut: Inside the Hailstorm's first game against the Colorado Rapids

The game itself? It was a first-half deluge to match the pregame storm.

Northern Colorado bolted out to a 4-0 halftime advantage and dominated the action.

Jackson Dietrich scored the site's first-ever goal in the 23rd minute, taking a side cross into the box and booting it into the left corner of the net.

Billy King followed with a 32nd-minute goal off a deflected ball and then the floodgates really opened.

Amann drilled a penalty kick minutes later and then tacked on a stoppage time goal for his league-leading seventh goal in just seven matches.

"I’m confident with pretty much every shot I take right now," Amann said.

"He’s the most complete, hottest striker in the league," Zayed added.

The Hailstorm are now in fourth place in USL League One with 14 points despite playing three fewer matches than first-place North Carolina FC.

The Hailstorm's debut showcased more of the promise in Future Legends' future after a lighting issue soured the Owlz home opener last Tuesday.

The southeast corner of Future Legends did not have dedicated lighting, postponing the Owlz debut after three innings and moving subsequent games in the series to a 5 p.m. start.

"From an ops standpoint, you always have to get the kinks out," Katofsky said. "We certainly appreciate the fans’ patience and want to make this great for them moving forward."

More: First NoCo Owlz baseball game at Future Legends postponed due to lack of lighting

Saturday's game was moved up to 4 p.m., then delayed an hour by the weather.

There was no carryover for a crowd of over 2,000 fans at the complex on Saturday.

Future Legends Field has a more amenable turf surface and fan configuration for soccer than baseball.

The bleachers are positioned well for action near the goals and the standing-room only area on the far sideline was a huge hit with families.

Fans are stacked right up on the sidelines, just feet away from players. The view out west toward the Rocky Mountains is dramatic. And the area also featured kids playing soccer, football, tag and other games.

"This is the place to be if you’re bringing the family," said Windsor resident and Hailstorm fan Jamie Hodges, who attended the game with husband Michael and their two daughters.

"We had a great crowd and it’s cool having them surrounding the field from almost all sides," Amann said. "You can feel their presence."

There were still some gameday experiences to tweak.

Like the Owlz opener, microphone audio levels were still spotty. Some fans low in the bleachers complained about issues seeing over the sideline ball barriers.

And, of course, "getting their liquor license would be nice," Michael said, referring to the lack of adult beverages on site for now. "You'd love to drink a beer out here."

But even then, the Hailstorm washed away many of those concerns, at least for the night.

Fan spirit started slow with the weather delay but roared to life by the end of the first half, as the team flashed its potential on the field and thrilled the crowd in the process.

"Good crowd for the first one, and I think it’ll just keep growing," Zayed said.

"If we play like that and score like that, why not? I’d come back."

Tickets, parking, gameday info: What to know for 2023 Owlz, Hailstorm home games in Windsor

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Future Legends debut a big one for Northern Colorado Hailstorm in 4-1 win