USL Richmond Kickers

Kickers Open 2009 Season with USL-1 Exhibition

Published on February 9, 2009 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Monday, February 9 2009) - The Richmond Kickers will open the 2009 season with an exhibition match featuring USL First Division side Carolina RailHawks on Saturday, April 4th at 7:00 pm at Sports Backers Stadium. Regularly priced admission ($12/adults, $7/youth ages 3-17) will apply for the home opener exhibition and tickets are on sale now via RichmondKickers.com. Order a season pass* prior to March 27th and purchase tickets to the home opener for just $5.00 each. The official USL-2 full schedule is slated to be released on Wednesday, February 11th.

"The RailHawks exhibition is an important early test for the squad," comments Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Head Coach. "The RailHawks have signed several high profile players and we anticipate an entertaining but extremely competitive match that will prepare us well for our upcoming season."

The Kickers and the RailHawks have met twice before, splitting the series 1-1. A pre-season exhibition featuring the RailHawks opened the Kickers 2007 season with the home team handing a 3-1 result to the USL-1 expansion franchise. Later that season, the two clubs met for a rematch in Cary during the 2007 US Open Cup Quarterfinals with the RailHawks edging the Kickers from cup competition by a narrow 1-0 margin.

In 2008, Carolina narrowly missed playoff contention during their sophomore campaign, finishing in eighth place in the USL-1 standings for the second consecutive season. Despite a 5-2-1 comeback, the RailHawks concluded the season with a 9-11-10 record and 37 points. Meanwhile, US Open Cup play saw the RailHawks ousted in the Third Round to Major League Soccer side Kansas City Wizards. One year prior, the US Open Cup saw the rookie franchise make a historic run to the Semifinals where they just missed a Championship berth during a closely contested 2-1 affair against the eventual winners New England Revolution.

The RailHawks enter into their third season with new head coach, Martin Rennie, at the helm. A two-year coach of the Cleveland City Stars, Rennie claimed the USL-2 Coach of the Year award in 2007 and was honored again in 2008 as the USL-2 FieldTurf Tarkett Coach of the Year before making the move to the USL-1 team during the off-season. With just two seasons under his belt, Rennie and the City Stars ousted the Kickers from postseason play en route to taking the Championship crown in 2008.

*Please note: Adult Pro Passes, Youth Pro Passes, Family Passes, Coach Passes, Sponsor Passes and Flexi-Pack Tickets will not be valid for this match.

Purchase a Season Pass By March 27th and Save!

General admission tickets for RailHawks exhibition and regular season home games will remain $12/adults and $7/youth ages 3-17 for the third consecutive season. Order tickets in advance via RichmondKickers.com or present a Ukrop's Valued Customer Card at the gate and receive a $2.00 discount per ticket. Back by popular demand, the Kickers will continue to offer an affordable and convenient single season pass, which includes admission to every 2009 regular season home game. Alleviate the hassle of season tickets and enjoy all of the Kickers Pro and Destiny (W-League) regular season home games for the best possible pricing with a 2009 Family Pass ($119), All-Access Pass ($90) Adult Pro Pass ($55) or Youth Pro Pass ($20, ages 3-17). Order your 2009 Season Pass by March 27th and purchase tickets to the RailHawks exhibition for just $5.00. Please note: Adult Pro Passes, Youth Pro Passes, Family Passes, Coach Passes, Sponsor Passes and Flexi-Pack Tickets will not be accepted at the Carolina RailHawks exhibition on April 4th.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from February 9, 2009


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