Announced at the WPSL website: Premier Women’s Soccer Returns to Philadelphia February 14, 2005 PHILADELPHIA, PA - Philadelphia Pirates, the newest Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) franchise for 2005 are pleased to announce a number of key personnel to join the organization for the coming season. Marieke van Tienhoven, previously a part the NJ Wildcats franchise, has joined the club for the 2005 season. Other additions include La Salle University starters Erin McNulty, previously with the Jersey Banshees, Jenna Guagenti, Kristen Hextall and Alexis Petrucci, South Jersey high school standouts. Erin Hardiman, Alicia Hall, Gwen Conte and Sarah Buonomo from Council Rock High School, Philadelphia have also joined this exciting new franchise and will make great additions to an already competitive lineup. The man appointed to lead this team into the relative unknown is Head Coach Eddie Leigh, a well-known and highly successful coach from Philadelphia. Eddie previously took several nationally ranked teams and players within the area to key successes over a period of time and brings a wealth of experience to the post. Owner and CEO, David Jones is excited at the new franchise potential and the opportunity to promote and provide top-level women’s soccer to the local public once again since the demise of WUSA and the Philadelphia Charge in particular, “I feel that Philadelphia is crying out for the opportunity to get behind and support a high level women’s franchise once again. This area needs and demands sporting excellence in every area and we feel that we can now meet the demand for this with local college and high school players. This allows all the female youth players within the Tri-State area the opportunity to see, appreciate and support a team that one day they may also be able to aspire to”. Home games will be staged at the superb state of the art Rutgers Camden University soccer field and with the picturesque backdrop of Philadelphia city center overlooking the field; the setting is perfect for a hugely successful first campaign within the WPSL. Sponsorship opportunities are available in many areas such as Game Day, Ball and Uniform sponsorships as well as the opportunity within a game day program and halftime events for local companies to really become part of the whole community experience. Initiatives such as the DARE program and associations with local youth soccer organizations as well as the Boys and Girls clubs of America will really allow the whole area to get behind this talented squad of players and the franchise as a whole.
Read: "terrible synthetic field" This field is as state of the art as a VCR. Interseting to see if any former Charge players get involved. Or quality local college talent (Villanova, Temple, Penn, etc). As of right now, building a franchise on high school kids and former players from the Banshees (possibly one of the worst W-League teams of all time, outside of Rochester's 2003 campaign) is not going to cut it.
So true. Is there a female version of Pirate? Pirate-ess Let me hear your battle cry: AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Highly unlikely for this to happen since Mitts left for Miami, none are in the area. Besides, the NJ Wildcats have a highly respected Coach (Naimo) and that is where Smith and Pichon played last season.
So there are now two WPSL teams in PA. The other being the Pittsburgh Sparks. The teams in the east division seem to be spread out all over the place. There will be a lot of long van rides this summer.
I've been told that the team has changed where it will be playing home games to Swarthmore College. I also notice that it already has 29-player roster posted...
Hmmm, hadn't seen the roster. They've got one other former NJ Wildcat -- Jamie Weist, as well as former Charge backup GK Janel Schilling. Only one or two other names look familiar. Where did you see that they're switching to Swarthmore? Their website still has a map of the Camden site. Also looks like their head coach has changed -- thought Ed Leigh was originally announced as coach, but, alas, he's not on their website.
The Pirates have an announcement up on the WPSL info page that, among other things, mentions the change of venue to Swarthmore (although their own website still shows the Rutgers info.) The other thing that I noticed was the addition of England U19 International Holly Grogan and Scottish U19 International Claire Ward (both currently attending Middle Tennessee.)
Very nice ABC affiliate coverage of the Pirates' media day press conference today, with interviews with a couple of the players and Charge alumnae Janel Schillig. Will try to post a link to it from the WPVI.com website later tonight.
Graine ("Grace") O'Malley was a pretty fierce Irish pirate. For what little that is worth... David Jones is doing a nice, grass roots job of keeping professional women's soccer alive in Philadelphia. Props to him.
Sportswriter Marc Narducci, friend of women's soccer, has a nice story in today's Inquirer sports section : http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/11370096.htm