TAMPA, Fla. – The second week of the 2017 USL Regular Season features the season kickoff for four clubs, including the league’s third and final newcomer for the new season, some fascinating regional rivalry clashes, and the second edition of the USL Experience as top young players from around the country compete at San Antonio FC’s Toyota Field. The USL also announced on Thursday its plan for establishing a new Division III professional league starting in 2019.

The USL Experience has assembled the best players from the Super Y League for an experience of what it’s like to be a professional player in the USL. The event will be highlighted by a clash between San Antonio FC and the LA Galaxy II, both of whom took victories during the opening weekend of the season.

Four teams will make their first appearances of the season on Saturday, with Ottawa Fury FC’s trip to Saint Louis FC for its USL debut. The Charlotte Independence also kick off the new campaign as they host Southern Derby rivals the Charleston Battery, while Bethlehem Steel FC and the Rochester Rhinos square off at Goodman Stadium to kick off their new seasons.

Every game of the 2017 USL season will be available on the league’s Match Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

GAMES TO WATCH
Saturday, April 1
New York Red Bulls II vs. Richmond Kickers
4 p.m. ET, Montclair State Soccer Complex
The New York Red Bulls II raise the curtain on their new home at Montclair State University on Saturday when they welcome the Richmond Kickers. The Red Bulls II will play 14 of their home games at the facility this season, which has undergone major renovations and upgrades ahead of the club’s arrival.

The Red Bulls II (0-0-1, 1pt) got the defense of their USL championship started last Saturday with a 3-3 draw against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Florian Valot opened the scoring with the first goal of the 2017 USL season, while Vincent Bezecourt scored twice as New York took the lead three times, but each time they were pegged back by a resilient Riverhounds squad that left honors even.

The Kickers (1-0-0, 3pts) earned a victory in their home opener in front of a club-record 8,021 fans at City Stadium as they began their 25th season with a 1-0 win against Harrisburg. New captain Conor Shanosky scored the opening goal, while D.C. United loanee Travis Worra saved a penalty when the game was still scoreless, to get Richmond’s pursuit of a seventh consecutive playoff berth off to a good start.

RELATED: Red Bulls II Plant Roots at MSU

Saint Louis FC vs. Ottawa Fury FC
8:30 p.m. ET, Toyota Stadium – Saint Louis
Ottawa Fury FC makes its USL debut on the road this Saturday when it visits a Saint Louis FC side that earned a point in its first game of the season. With high expectations entering the new season, and a number of familiar faces in its squad for USL fans, Fury FC will be hoping to get its new era off to a strong start.

Saint Louis (0-0-1, 1pt) eked out a 0-0 draw with Kings’ Cup rival Louisville City FC last Saturday afternoon in its opening game of the season. New goalkeeper Devala Gorrick recorded a three-save shutout as the revamped side took a while to find its bearings, but an improved second half performance should give the club something to build on.

Fury FC (0-0-0, 0pts) saw some ups and downs in its preseason, but capped its preparations with a 2-0 victory last Saturday against Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact. With new signings Steevan Dos Santos, a USL Cup-winner with Rochester in 2015, and goalkeeper Callum Irving, who this offseason made his Canada debut, set to take the field for Ottawa, the side is looking to hit the ground running.

San Antonio FC vs. LA Galaxy II
8:30 p.m. ET, Toyota Field
San Antonio FC and the LA Galaxy II will both be looking to build on victories to start the season when they meet for SAFC’s home opener. The contest between the two clubs last season at the same venue provided some of the best action of the season, and will provide a fitting conclusion to the USL Experience this weekend.

San Antonio (1-0-0, 3pts) earned its first victory in the South Texas Derby last Sunday evening as a goal by Billy Forbes earned a 1-0 win against Rio Grande Valley FC at H-E-B Park’s first USL contest. No stranger to fans in the Alamo City, Forbes was one of a handful of newcomers who made an impact for SAFC last Sunday, with defender Sebastian Ibeagha earning USL Team of the Week honors for his performance.

The Galaxy II (1-0-0, 3pts) also took all three points as they defeated fellow 2016 USL Cup Playoffs side Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 at StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium. Ethan Zubak found the net for Los Dos in the victory as Head Coach Mike Munoz recorded his first victory at the USL level in his debut in charge.

Sacramento Republic FC vs. Orange County SC
10:30 p.m. ET, Papa Murphy’s Park
A rematch from the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs serves as Sacramento Republic FC’s home opener for the new season as Orange County SC looks to spring another surprise. Last October, No.  8-seed Orange County eliminated No. 1-seed Sacramento in a penalty shootout to bring its season to a close on home turf.

Republic FC (1-0-0, 3pts) took a 2-1 victory in its first game of the new season as it rallied past Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Starfire Stadium. Former Sounders forward Sammy Ochoa and Emrah Klimenta scored in the second half for Republic FC, with Klimenta’s goal his first since suffering a torn ACL midway through the 2016 USL regular season.

Orange County (1-0-0, 3pts) also earned a victory on the road as it spoiled Reno 1868 FC’s inaugural home opener with a 2-0 win. Newcomer Duke Lacroix scored both goals for Orange County, giving Head Coach Logan Pause his first win, and the club will be hoping to exact more disappointment on the home fans this time around.

RELATED: Enemy Lines - Republic FC, OCSC Clash Again

NUMBER CRUNCHING

58,145 – The USL welcomed a league-record 58,145 fans to its opening weekend of action, a 38-percent rise on the league’s 13-game slate in 2016.

83 – The Swope Park Rangers have recorded an 83-percent pass completion rate in their first two games of the season, taking victories against OKC Energy FC last Saturday and on Wednesday night against the Portland Timbers 2.

7 – The Swope Park Rangers have won seven consecutive games at Children’s Mercy Victory Field, including the USL Cup Playoffs, after Wednesday night’s win against Portland.

5 – Five current Major League Soccer head coaches have also been head coaches at the USL level following the appointment of former Real Monarchs SLC Head Coach Mike Petke to the same position with Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

- The United Soccer League announced on Thursday plans to launch a third-division men’s professional league that will begin play in 2019. The USL’s sophisticated and established model will entertain new markets and fans with an unforgettable professional soccer experience while cultivating the increasing demand for the sport – targeting communities ranging in population from 150,000 to one million. More than 75 million people in these U.S. markets do not have access to a local professional soccer club.

Plans for the third-division league have been in development for more than 18 months, and market discussions are well underway with numerous potential owners who have extensive experience in MiLB and other professional sports leagues. Official branding for the new Division III league, as well as inaugural teams and preliminary competition format will be announced in the summer of 2017.

- Week 2 of the USL regular season got underway on Wednesday night as the Swope Park Rangers (2-0-0, 6pts) took a 1-0 victory against the Portland Timbers 2 (0-2-0, 0pts) at Children’s Mercy Victory Field. Kharlton Belmar scored the only goal of the game as the Rangers continued their strong start to the season.

- Orlando City B played its first game at the new Orlando City Stadium on Thursday night as it hosted Louisville City FC and Head Coach James O’Connor, himself a former Lions player. Another former Lion, George Davis IV, led Louisville (1-0-1, 4pts) to a 3-1 victory as he recorded a goal and an assist, while Cameron Lancaster and Luke Spencer also found the net for the visitors to send Orlando (0-2-0, 0pts) to a second consecutive defeat.

- The Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ Corey Hertzog claimed both the USL Player of the Week award, and the Fans' Choice Goal of the Week award after scoring twice in the Riverhounds’ 3-3 draw with New York last Saturday. Hertzog now has 28 goals in his USL career, including 15 for Pittsburgh since the start of the 2016 season.

- Bethlehem Steel FC (0-0-0, 0pts) welcome the Rochester Rhinos (0-0-0, 0pts) to Goodman Stadium on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m. ET | Match Center) for the opening game of the season for both clubs, and both looking to earn victory in the matchup for the first time. Steel FC and the Rhinos drew all three of their meetings in the 2016 regular season.

- The Charlotte Independence (0-0-0, 0pts) open their regular season against Southern Derby rivals the Charleston Battery (1-0-0, 3pts) at Transamerica Field (7 p.m. ET | Match Center), with the Battery coming off a victory against FC Cincinnati. Both 2016 USL First Team selection Enzo Martinez and Jun Marques Davidson are suspended after infractions in the final game of the 2016 season, which will put added pressure on the side to produce against a strong Battery squad.

- Both the Tampa Bay Rowdies (1-0-0, 3pts) and Toronto FC II (1-0-0, 3pts) will be looking to start the season with a second consecutive victory when they meet at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). Tampa Bay and Toronto both took 1-0 victories a week ago, with Georgi Hristov’s winner for the Rowdies his 35th goal for the club, and Ryan Telfer’s for TFC II his first as a professional.

- Reno 1868 FC (0-1-0, 0pts) will take another crack at its first win in club history when it faces Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (0-1-0, 0pts) on Saturday night at Greater Nevada Field (10 p.m. ET | Match Center). Reno is also looking for its first regular-season goal in club history after falling 2-0 to Orange County last Saturday, the same score WFC2 fell by against the LA Galaxy II to open its season.

- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (0-1-0, 0pts) and OKC Energy FC (0-1-0, 0pts) will be looking to bounce back from tough season-opening defeats when they meet at Weidner Field on Saturday (8 p.m. ET | Match Center) for the Switchbacks’ home opener. Colorado Springs crashed to a 4-1 defeat against Tulsa last Saturday, while Energy FC fell 3-1 to the Swope Park Rangers. The game will see the return of Miguel Gonzalez to Colorado Springs for the first time since his offseason move from the Switchbacks to Energy FC.

- The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (0-0-1, 1pt) will try to build on a draw in their opening game of the season when they host an FC Cincinnati side (0-1-0, 0pts) that is looking to rebound at Highmark Stadium on Saturday evening (5 p.m. ET | Match Center). Cincinnati earned a win and a draw in its two visits to Pittsburgh a season ago, but the Riverhounds’ revamped lineup could give FCC’s new additions a test.

- Real Monarchs SLC (1-0-0, 3pts) will take to the field for the first time under new Head Coach Mark Briggs on Saturday evening when it faces Phoenix Rising FC (0-1-0, 0pts) at Rio Tinto Stadium (6 p.m. ET | Match Center). Briggs was appointed on Thursday as Mike Petke’s replacement after Petke was appointed as Real Salt Lake’s new Head Coach, and will hope his side can build on a 2-1 win against Portland last Saturday against a Phoenix club that brings a star-studded lineup to Utah led by Omar Bravo.

- Tulsa Roughnecks FC (1-0-0, 3pts) looks to build on a season-opening victory when it hosts Rio Grande Valley FC (0-1-0, 0pts) and ONEOK Field on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Roughnecks scored a 4-1 win against Colorado Springs last Saturday, and will be hoping to replicate their first meeting with the Toros in Tulsa last season when they took a 2-0 victory to make it two wins from two to start 2017.

- The Portland Timbers 2 (0-2-0, 0pts) will conclude a busy eight days to start the season when they visit Seattle Sounders FC 2 (0-1-0, 0pts) on Sunday afternoon at Starfire Stadium (5 p.m. ET | Match Center). Both teams are looking for their first wins, with T2 having fallen on the road against Swope Park on Wednesday night and S2 letting an early lead slip in its 2-1 loss to Sacramento last Sunday.