Phantoms to Host Vermont Voltage in Exhibition at Keene State College
July 30, 2007 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
New Hampshire Phantoms News Release
HAMPSTEAD, NH - (July 30, 2007) - New Hampshire Phantoms will take its show on the road in a home away from home game when it will entertain Vermont Voltage, a Premier Development League team, in an exhibition match at Owl Stadium at Keene State College on Wednesday night at 7:30 PM.
PDL is the top U23 men's amateur league in North America and is the development ground for elite players. There are currently 63 teams and four conferences in this segment of United Soccer Leagues. Players have the ability to compete in the PDL throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest-levels of the game.
Vermont is 4-9-3 and in sixth place in the Northeast Division consisting of teams from Cape Cod, Brooklyn, Westchester, Long Island, ALlbany, Ottawa, and Rhode Island.
The Phantoms are 3-10-5, and have missed the USL-2 playoffs for the third season in a row. But, on the bright side, it is playing its best soccer of the season as evidenced with its 3-2 win over Wilmington last Saturday night in Manchester as well as its 2-1 victory over first place Richmond and 1-1 tie with second place Cleveland City Stars.
Aside from exhibition matches, the Phantoms last regular season professional match versus the Voltage was in 2000 when both teams were part of Division 3. The Phantoms were 10-6-2 that season losing in the conference semifinal to Reading as the number three seed. The Phantoms were 3-0-1 in 1999 and 2000 versus Vermont.
Current Voltage player Bojan "Bo" Vockovic is a former Phantoms player and is expected to see action on Wednesday.
Several Phantoms players rank among the leaders statistically in USL-2. Almir Barbosa and James Greenslit have played in all 18 matches for NH. Barbosa picked up his sixth goal of the season against Wilmington and is tied for 11th in goals scored. Greenslit has played every minute of every game and is third in that category. Barbosa is also tied for second the league in shots with 38. Barbosa and teammates Valdemir Teixeira and Romelle Burgess all rank in the top eight in fouls proving to its opponents it will not be a team that is going to be pushed around.
A big crowd is expected at Keene State on Wednesday with the game being a 'border' game and located geographically on the state line between Vermont and NH. There will also be many KSC campers in attendance with Owl Soccer Camps currently going on.
Tickets are $8 and $5 and can be reserved by calling the Phantoms ticket office at 603-329-4422, or by emailing nhphantoms@gmail.com.
JUNIOR PHANTOMS INTERNATIONAL MATCH
The U10 NH Phantoms Boys Team, coached by Dave Elliot, will get its first taste of international soccer when it will play the U10 Everton Futbol Club from England at New England Soccer Academy in Amesbury, MA, on Tuesday, July 31, at 7 PM. Everton is participating in the NESA Summer Soccer Camps and has already played against several other boys teams from around New England. It has already proved to opposing teams that it stands behind its club motto - "Nothing but the best is good enough." There are several players on the U10 Everton team team that are already being touted as future players for the professional team that plays its home matches at Goodison Park in England in front of 40,000 fans.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 30, 2007
- Phantoms to Host Vermont Voltage in Exhibition at Keene State College - New Hampshire Phantoms
- MLS Is Coming To Cleveland Tomorrow - Cleveland City Stars
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