USL News Release
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced Wednesday that FC Indiana, a successful and established women’s team in the United States, has acquired the W-League franchise rights for Indianapolis and will begin play in the 2008 season in the Midwest Division.
“We are thrilled to have FC Indiana join the W-League family,” said USL Executive Vice President and COO Tim Holt. “We have always felt that their club, on and off the field, met the high standards of the W-League, and have no doubt that they will match the excellence already displayed by many of our clubs.”
Established in 2001, FC Indiana has dominated the WPSL since 2004, winning league championships in 2005 and 2007. They also captured the 2005 USASA Women’s National Open Cup and reached the 2007 final. The team is coached by Shek Borkowski, who has a record of 46-5-3 with the team. Under Borkowski, FC Indiana has been unbeaten at home for the last three years.
“Joining the W-League represents a new and exciting challenge for all our players and coaching staff,” said Borkowski. “There are some very good teams in our division, and I’m aware of the dangerous players such as Caroline Smith from Minnesota who played for me before, so we expect a very tough competition in every match.”
Like many W-League clubs, FC Indiana has grown beyond just a women’s team, incorporating a youth program and a recently-opened indoor facility, which is home to their office in Lafayette, Indiana. The 60,000 square foot multi-level facility houses an indoor training field on one floor with the offices, locker rooms, and exercise facility on the other.
At the close of their 2007 season, FC Indiana defeated the Women’s World Cup-bound New Zealand Women’s National Team 1-0 in an international friendly. The club also boasts wins over the Women’s National Teams of Australia and Trinidad and Tobago.
The core players from the 2007 championship winning squad including Mexican international and last season’s team’s leading goal scorer Monica Ocampo, Australian Aivi Luik, and former NCAA Division I standouts Christie Shaner (Notre Dame), Lauren Sesselmann (Purdue), and Lisa Grubb (Ohio State) are expected to return for the 2008 season. The team will play its home games at Kuntz Memorial Stadium in Indianapolis, the previous home of the Indiana Blaze (W-League) and Blast (USL First Division).
Club ownership is also involved with the ownership group led by highly regarded soccer executive Peter Wilt for the Chicago-based team committed to the new professional women’s soccer league set to begin play in 2009. They would be the third W-League franchise directly involved in the launch of the new league, joining Jersey Sky Blue and the former WUSA side Washington Freedom.
