RIVER CITY ROVERS INAUGURAL GAME ENDS IN A SCORELESS TIE
Louisville, KY—May 19th, 2011 7 p.m., The River City Rovers Men’s Outdoor Soccer Team played their inaugural game against the Akron Summit Assault at Christian Academy’s Centurion Soccer Field and contained their opponent to a 0-0 final score.
Tensions were high as the one of the newest teams to the Premier Development League (PDL) held their defensive line, yet were able to compete with an equal amount of shots on goal against Akron. Breakaways by Ryan Smith, Sam Brooks and Juan Maffey had fans on their feet cheering for the exciting plays from their new hometown team.
At 730+, the Thursday night game exceeded the Rovers anticipated attendance total. “It was a great night,” said Pete Laventis, Executive Director for the team. “Everything went off without a hitch. The crowds were really into the game, the kids were thrilled to be there, and our team performed with such velocity and determination. We could not have asked for more….oh, and I think we sold a Land Rover!” Land Rover of Louisville, an official Team Sponsor, was visibly present at the game with models of their latest vehicles parked at the field entrance.
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer Leagues (USL) features 67 Premier Development League (PDL) teams within 4 conferences across the United States and Canada. Louisville’s Rovers belong to the Great Lakes Conference and will compete against Michigan (this Saturday, 5/21 in Louisville), Illinois, Canada, Ohio, and Indiana. The full schedule of home and away games can be found at www.roverssoccer.com.
The USL has become the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America by building on the vision, commitment, and passion of players, fans, coaches and investors. PDL teams provide elite college players the opportunity to play within a higher level of competition while maintaining their NCAA eligibility. The PDL has proven to be an important stepping-stone for top soccer professionals now playing around the world at USL and MLS levels.
