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USL Richmond Kickers

USL2 semi-finals begin Friday in Richmond

August 16, 2006 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Wednesday, August 16, 2006) - USL Second Division regular season champion Richmond Kickers secured the top seed in the league with a 13-3-4 record and 43 points and will face fourth-seeded Cincinnati Kings (9-8-3, 30 points) in the semi-final round of post-season play. The Kickers will host the Kings on Friday, August 18th at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Richmond Stadium in the first leg of the two-game, aggregate score series before traveling to Cincinnati on Sunday, August 20th to finish the series. The winner of the two-game semi-final will advance to the USL2 Championship on Saturday, August 26th to face either the #2 seed Charlotte Eagles or #3 seed Pittsburgh Riverhounds with the host to be determined by a bid process.

The Kickers will host First Market Bank's Stuff the Stadium Night at their playoff home game on Friday, August 18th. Fans who bring canned goods to benefit the Central Virginia Food Bank will receive free youth tickets (ages 3-17) courtesy of Cingular Wireless and First Market Bank. Free youth tickets are also available in advance at participating Ukrop's, Arby's and Cingular Wireless stores or via RichmondKickers.com. Additionally, the Kickers will hold their 2006 game-worn (white) uniform silent auction on the main concourse at the match. Visit www.RichmondKickers.com for more information.

Richmond vs. Cincinnati

Richmond and Cincinnati split the two-game regular season series, each taking a 1-0 win on the road. The Kings handed the Kickers a season-opening loss on April 22nd before the Kickers went 11 straight games without a loss, with Richmond avenging the early-season loss in Cincinnati on June 3rd.

The Kickers finished the regular season in style with a record-breaking 8-0 thrashing over the New Hampshire Phantoms last Saturday, ousting New Hampshire from post-season play. Cincinnati dropped their final two matches, 2-0 versus Pittsburgh and 1-0 versus Western Mass, last weekend.

Richmond has qualified for post-season play for the 11th time in their 14-year franchise history while this year's semi-final marks the first playoff berth for the second-year Cincinnati Kings. The Kickers have made four league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005) including winning the Premier League title in 1995 and a shoot-out loss to Seattle in last year's USL First Division final.

Players To Watch

Kickers: For the first time in the 11-year USL2 history, the Kickers swept all four regular season statistical awards. Forward Robert Ssejjemba (#14) consistently led the team and the league in scoring this season, notching 17 of the Kickers 50 goals in 19 games played. With four assists, he concluded the 2006 campaign with 38 points, 15 points ahead of second-place Mike Burke (#19) (9 goals, 5 assists, 23 points). Midfielder Chris Carrieri (#9) concluded the regular season as the USL2 Assists Leader with nine assists, and finished third on the team in scoring with five goals for 19 points in 19 games played. Additionally he was named to the USL2 Team of the Week last week for notching two goals in the Kickers 8-0 rout over New Hampshire. In his seventh season with the Kickers, fifth as starting goalkeeper, Ronnie Pascale (#22) earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors with a league-low goals against average of 0.99. Additionally, he led the league in goalkeeper wins with 13 and finished second in the league with six shutouts.

Kings: Forward Jeffrey Hughes (#12) leads the Kings going into post-season play with four goals and two assists for 10 points. Defender Derek Smith (#21) was responsible for the lone goal in the Kings 1-0 win over Richmond earlier this season, tallying three goals and one assist for seven points on the season. Midfielder John Liersemann (#7) is a former member of the Richmond Kickers Future (PDL) with four starts in 10 appearances for 505 minutes during the 2004 season and currently notched one assist for the Kings during the 2006 campaign. Goalkeeper Jordan James (#1) leads the league in shutouts (8) and saves (84) and is ranked third in the USL2 with a goals against average of 1.315.

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