USL News Release

 

Wednesday, December 7, 2005

 

TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced today the Premier Development League and W-League alignments for the 2006 season. The PDL is set for a league-high 59 teams next season with the W-League matching its highest membership with 37.

The PDL sees its membership rise by five with eight expansion teams in Atlanta, Delaware, Ogden, San Fernando Valley, St. Louis and Virginia Beach while Memphis and Toledo will not return. The Nevada and Springfield franchises were also sold and will be relocated to new California homes in Los Angeles (San Gabriel) and San Francisco Bay, where the famed Seals who made a run to the US Open Cup semifinals in 1997 will make a return to USL after a five-year absence. The Northern Virginia Royals of the USL Second Division also moved to the PDL for 2006.

“We are excited about the continued growth of the PDL and the increasing level in the quality of play we see each year,” said PDL Director of Operations Steve Clamp. “The PDL continues to be the premier place for elite collegiate and youth players to develop for future professional careers.”

The biggest changes in the PDL for 2006 will be the three-division alignments in the Eastern and Southern Conferences, where the division winners and an overall wild card in each conference will advance to the four-team conference playoff tournament at the conclusion of the 16-game regular season.

The W-League set-up will remain unchanged as it welcomes four new teams. Canadian expansion sides in Hamilton and Laval are joined by Minnesota and Cocoa. Not returning are the Arizona Heatwave.

“As the top women’s league in the Western hemisphere, arguably the world, the W-League is as strong as ever on and off the field with expansive plans for growth and improvement beyond the 2006 season, which is expected to be extremely competitive,” said W-League Director of Operations Kristin Lettiere.

A couple name changes also dot the alignment with the Detroit Jaguars becoming the Michigan Hawks Women, the Denver Lady Cougars becoming the Real Colorado Cougars and Mile High changing its nickname from Mustangs to Edge.

The lone alignment change is the relocation of the Northern Virginia Majestics from the Atlantic to Northeast Division.

Central Conference: Great Lakes Division – Chicago Fire Premier, Cleveland Internationals, Fort Wayne Fever, Indiana Invaders, Kalamazoo Kingdom, Michigan Bucks, West Michigan Edge; Heartland Division – Boulder Rapids Reserve, Colorado Springs Blizzard, Des Moines Menace, Kansas City Brass, Sioux Falls SpitFire, St. Louis, Thunder Bay Chill

Eastern Conference: Mid Atlantic Division – Northern Virginia Royals, Richmond Kickers Future, Virginia Beach Submariners, West Virginia Chaos, Williamsburg Legacy; New England Division – Albany Admirals, Cape Cod Crusaders, Ottawa Fury, Rhode Island Stingrays, Vermont Voltage; Northeast Division – Brooklyn Knights, Delaware Dynasty, Ocean City Barons, Reading Rage, Westchester Flames

Southern Conference: Mid South Division – Austin Lightning, DFW Tornados, El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, New Orleans Shell Shockers; South Atlantic Division – Atlanta, Augusta Fireball, Carolina Dynamo, Nashville Metros, Raleigh Elite; Southeast Division – Ajax Orlando Prospects, Bradenton Academics, Central Florida Kraze, Cocoa Expos, Palm Beach Pumas

Western Conference: Northwest Division – Abbotsford Rangers, BYU Cougars, Cascade Surge, Ogden Outlaws, Spokane Shadow, Yakima Reds; Southwest Division – Bakersfield Brigade, California Gold, Fresno Fuego, Los Angeles (San Gabriel), Orange County Blue Star, San Diego Gauchos, San Fernando Valley, San Francisco Bay Seals, Southern California Seahorses

Central Conference: Atlantic Division – Atlanta Silverbacks, Bradenton Athletics, Carolina Dynamo, Central Florida Krush, Charlotte Lady Eagles, Cocoa Expos, Hampton Roads Piranhas, Richmond Kickers Destiny; Midwest Division – Chicago Gaels, Cincinnati Ladyhawks, Cleveland Internationals, Fort Wayne Fever, London Gryphons, Michigan Hawks, Minnesota, West Michigan Firewomen

Eastern Conference: Northeast Division – Boston Renegades, Long Island Lady Riders, New Hampshire Lady Phantoms, New Jersey Wildcats, New York Magic, Northern Virginia Majestics, South Jersey Banshees, Western Mass Lady Pioneers; Northern Division – Hamilton Avalanche, Laval, Ottawa Fury, Rochester Ravens, Sudbury Canadians, Toronto Lady Lynx, Vermont Lady Voltage

Western Conference: Fort Collins Force, Mile High Edge, Real Colorado Cougars, San Diego Gauchos, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps

Schedules for the PDL, W-League as well as the USL First and Second Divisions to be announced in the coming weeks.