MISL All-Star Weekend Activities to be Announced

January 13, 2004 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2) News Release


(St. Louis, Jan. 13, 2004) Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Commissioner Steve Ryan will hold a special press conference/luncheon, Thursday, Jan. 20, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Bottleneck Blues Bar at the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles. Ryan will outline plans for the many exciting activities surrounding the 2004 MISL All-Star Weekend, Feb. 27-29, in St. Louis.

"All-Star Weekend is one of the MISL's signature annual events, and we're extremely excited to bring all of the activities associated with this special celebration to St. Louis, a great sports town and one of the nation's true soccer hotbeds," Ryan said. "Our many activities - from the MasterCard MISL All-Star Community Day, to the SPALDING All-Star Youth Skills Competition, to the Legends Game, and All-Star Game itself - will touch a wide audience and provide lasting memories for everyone involved."

The St. Louis Steamers, an anchor franchise in the original MISL in the 1980s, returned to the revamped MISL this season with new ownership and management. Larry Albus, president and managing partner of Steamers Marketing LLC, said the League's decision to stage the 2004 All-Star Game in the St. Louis region is a salute to the area's great soccer fans and civic leaders.

"The St. Louis/St. Charles community should hold a tremendous amount of civic pride for being chosen as the host city for the 2004 MISL All-Star Weekend," Albus said. "This is a salute to the enduring on- and off-field efforts of many individuals within this great soccer community, as well as the efforts of community leaders like (County Executive, St. Charles County) Joe Ortwerth who have helped the Steamers find a home in St. Charles and The Family Arena."

Following are some of the 2004 All-Star Weekend activities Ryan plans to highlight:

Feb. 27 - MasterCard MISL Community Day. A daylong program of visits by MISL All-Star and Legends players to hospitals, schools, and other community facilities throughout the region.

Feb. 28 - MISL All-Star Family Festival. A full day of activities at The Family Arena, including All-Star Youth Skills competition, youth mini-games, Legends practice, All-Star practice, All-Star Player Skills Challenge, and MISL "Autograph Alley."

Feb. 28 - The Commissioner's Gala: A Celebration of Excellence. A gala charity fund-raiser dinner and silent auction in the Grand Concourse Ballroom of the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. Funds raised will be shared by the not-for-profit Steamer Soccer Foundation and St. Louis Variety.

Feb. 29 - 2004 MISL All-Star Game, 1:05 p.m. kickoff at The Family Arena (pregame ceremonies begin at 12:45 p.m.). The world's best professional indoor soccer players take the field in a USA vs. International format.

Feb. 29 - MISL Legends Game, 4 p.m. at The Family Arena. MISL greats from the past take the field in a Steamers Legends vs. MISL Legends competition. Steamers Legends scheduled to participate include Slobo Ilijevski, Tony Glavin, and Steve Pecher.

Tickets may be purchased at The Family Arena box office, by phone (314-534-1111 or 1-800-293-5949), at more than 40 MetroTix outlets throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, and online at www.metrotix.com. Substantial discounts and fund-raising opportunities are available to students and soccer teams, companies and associations, and other groups, by calling the Steamers' offices at 636-410-0388, ext. 501; or toll free at 1-866-STL-KICK (1-866-785-5425).

Single-game tickets ranging from $7 to $15 are available for all Steamers home games by calling MetroTix at 314-534-1111, or by visiting www.metrotix.com. Single-game tickets also are available at The Family Arena box office. For general information on Steamers tickets or group outings, call 636-410-0388, ext. 501; or toll free at 1-866-STL-KICK (1-866-785-5425).



Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from January 13, 2004


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