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Real Salt Lake

Salt Lake United Women's Team to Become Real Salt Lake Women SC

April 26, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah (Friday, April 26, 2013) - Real Salt Lake announced on Wednesday that Salt Lake United Soccer Club will carry the RSL banner in women's soccer as Real Salt Lake Women SC. The RSL Women will play in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), the second division of women's soccer in the United States.

The RSL Women will play three games this year at Rio Tinto Stadium, with all three matches being played on the same day as a Real Salt Lake MLS regular season home match. The RSL Women will play at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 25 at 1 p.m., on June 8 at 1:00 p.m. and on July 3 at 1:00 p.m. ahead of RSL MLS matches against the Chicago Fire, LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union. All other RSL Women home games will be played at Jordan High School in Sandy, Utah.

VIDEO: RSL Women founders Kendra Halterman and Sara Cowley and RSL Women player Annie Hawkins talk about the team on the April 25 edition of ABC4's Good Things Utah

RSL Women will hold tryouts for current college players on Friday, May 10 at Jordan High School. More information can be found on the team's website at www.RealSaltLakeWomen.com .

"We couldn't be happier for Real Salt Lake Women to carry the RSL banner into women's soccer," said RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen. "One of our core values is to promote the game at all levels in Utah and our association with RSL Women will help us do that. They're really a fantastic group that's had success on and off the field and we're very excited to help them as they continue to grow the women's game in our state in 2013 and beyond."

Real Salt Lake Women SC was originally formed in 2008 as the Sparta United Women's Team in order to give Utah women soccer players the chance to experience the invaluable opportunities afforded only with an affiliation with WPSL. In 2012, the Sparta Women's team formed two partnerships with Real Salt Lake and the Utah Soccer Association. The club changed its name to Salt Lake United Soccer Club and adopted the same color scheme as Real Salt Lake. The partnership was further solidified this year by renaming the team Real Salt Lake Women.

The club has played in the WPSL since its inception. Formed in 1998, the WPSL consists of over 70 teams from all parts of the United States - Real Salt Lake Women SC competes in the Big Sky South Conference, one of 8 WPSL regions, against teams from other western States. The WPSL is highly competitive as teams are comprised of the best high school players, collegiate, post-collegiate, foreign stars, current and former national team players and elite local players. The season runs from May to the end of July and consists of 14-18 regular season league games and Regional and National Finals.

Real Salt Lake Women promotes the continuation of the development of the high level women's game in the Salt Lake community. Working together with both Real Salt Lake and the Utah Soccer Association secures Real Salt Lake Women's place in competitive high level women's soccer as part of the WPSL. Essentially, WPSL provides the opportunity for teams to be formed in a semi-professional environment that still allows players to maintain eligibility requirements associated with other teams. This unique setting allows for unequalled player development since players from every level of competitive soccer are brought together in one league to play elite soccer. The mission of Real Salt Lake Women SC in conjunction with the WPSL is to:

- Develop a highly competitive amateur women's soccer team

- Provide an opportunity for elite women soccer players to play at the highest level

- Bring quality soccer to all levels of the community

- Promote the stature of female athletes as role models for our youth

Since its formation, Real Salt Lake Women has rapidly risen in the standings of the Big Sky Conference, going undefeated in conference play, winning the WPSL Western Regional and reaching the WPSL National Championships Finals in 2012. One of three WPSL teams in Utah along with the Utah Starzz (Provo) and St. George United (St. George), RSL Women is proud to be recognized as a community fixture as we bring together players from youth clubs across the state, collegiate players from all over the country and gifted local women players.

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