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VSI PRO Hit the Road Again for Two

June 20, 2013 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
VSI Tampa Bay FC News Release


Tampa, Fla - VSI Tampa Bay FC departed Tampa Thursday morning, embarking on a long drive to Charlotte to play back-to-back matches against the Charlotte Eagles and Charleston Battery.

First stop on VSI's journey finds them in Queens Sports Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff against the Charlotte Eagles (4-2-5).

The Charlotte Eagles are coming off a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fires Reserves and sit with 17 points in the USL PRO standings. Forward Christian Ramirez is a dangerous component of the Eagles' team this year. Ramirez leads the Eagles with 8 points and 4 goals, scoring one of those in the Eagles' last match against the MLS Reserves team.

VSI will need to recover quickly from Friday evening's game to entertain the second leg of their journey in Blackbaud Stadium when they face the Charleston Battery in Charleston, South Carolina. VSI (7-5-1) kick off against former USL PRO champions, the Battery (7-3-4), on Saturday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Charleston hangs just above VSI in the standings with 25 points to VSI's 22 and only one additional game played. VSI Captain, center back Kyle Hoffer will not dress against his former team and defending USL PRO champions due to a heel injury incurred two matches ago against the Rochester Rhinos.

Charleston enters the match after back-to-back matches against Pittsburgh and Rochester. Both resulted in 1-1 draws. Nicholas Paterson, with five goals and three assists, is not the only threat to VSI from the Charleston side. Charleston fields a team of fierce competitors, who fairly disperse their chances. This well-rounded unit is sure to be one of the toughest opponents VSI has faced in its inaugural season.

Interim Head Coach Joel Harrison said, "This is an important weekend for us, we will hopefully come with a sense of urgency in these matches. Charlotte and Charleston have a strong history of fielding championship level teams."

The Charlotte and Charleston matches, along with every USL PRO match this 2013 season are available live on www.usllive.com or stay tuned to our social media sites for in-game updates. To find us online search "VSI Tampa Bay FC" through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

VSI return home Sunday, June 23 and begin preparation for their match against the Richmond Kickers one week after their return on Sunday, June 30.

The VSI vs Kickers kickoff in Plant City Stadium is set for 7:35 p.m. ET. Tickets to the home match on June 30 are available online at www.vsi-fc.com or at the stadium ticket office on game day an hour and a half prior to kickoff. Concessions to the match are provided by Alessi Bakeries and Catering.

All of VSI Tampa Bay FC's 2013 USL PRO, PDL, W-League and Super-20s home matches will be played out of VSI's Plant City Stadium, which is located at 1810 East Park Road, Plant City, Florida 33563. More information on the teams is available online at www.vsi-fc.com or on our social media sites by searching VSI Tampa Bay FC.

*Andriy Budnyy will not dress/travel for these two matches. He is still out with a knee injury incurred a few weeks ago *Captain Kyle Hoffer is traveling to the Charleston match, but will not play either match this weekend due to heel injury

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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