Western New York Set to Join WPS as Eighth Team
Published on September 24, 2010 under Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) News Release
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 24, 2010) - Women's Professional Soccer has conditionally approved a team from Western New York as its eighth WPS franchise this past week during a vote by its Board of Governors, WPS announced on Friday two days before its 2010 WPS Championship presented by Citi culminates the 2010 season. The Western New York team, owned by Joe Sahlen, will be based at Sahlen Sports Park, in Elma, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. The team's home games will be split between Rochester, New York, at the 14,000-seat Rochester Rhinos Stadium and the newly-expanded Niagara Field on the campus of Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, giving WPS six soccer-specific stadiums among its eight teams.
"The league is proud to announce an eighth franchise for the 2011 WPS Season that will play in Western New York," said incoming WPS CEO, Anne-Marie Eileraas. "The Western New York region has a tremendous soccer tradition and the existing infrastructure of the Flash organization will provide a great foundation for this team to flourish in WPS."
Sahlen currently owns and operates the Buffalo Flash, which captured the United Soccer League's (USL) W-League title this summer. The W-League is considered one of the top developmental leagues in the United States, one level below Women's Professional Soccer.
"All of us in the Flash's organization are excited at the opportunity of moving up into WPS," said Flash owner Joe Sahlen. "Our undefeated season in the W-League gives us a strong base and provides tremendous momentum entering the 2011 season. We are confident in WPS as a league, its franchises, and our own competitive ability. Our inclusion into WPS will help promote female competition, area participation and mutual growth for all parties involved."
The team will be officially introduced at events in Buffalo and Rochester in early October along with the team name and logo for WPS. An expansion draft for the Western New York team to draft players from among the current seven WPS teams is expected for late October.
"By making adjustments to our league structure and operations over the past few months, expansion talks have heated up in several cities," said David Halstead, Co-Chair of the WPS Expansion Committee. "We are pleased to have moved quickly on the diligence process with the Flash organization and are excited to see them join WPS as an eighth franchise for the 2011 season. It gives our league an even number of teams for scheduling purposes and puts us back in expansion mode as we look ahead to 2012 and beyond."
Women's Professional Soccer Stories from September 24, 2010
- FC Gold Pride and Philadelphia Independence Set to Face off in WPS Championship - FC Gold Pride
- Western New York Set to Join WPS as Eighth Team - WPS
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