RICHMOND, VA - (Thursday, November 6, 2008) – Richmond Kickers Indoor of the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL) is pleased to team up with the Fredericksburg Generals to compete in the first annual Thanksgiving Shootout. The two-leg, home and home series will commence at the Fredericksburg Field House on Saturday, November 29th before concluding at SCOR, Sports Center of Richmond on Sunday, November 30th at 3:00 pm. The local derby will kick off Richmond Kickers Indoor’s inaugural PASL campaign, with the regular season starting one week later. Tickets are on sale now for just $5.00 per person. Space is limited!
"Fredericksburg and Richmond have the strongest rosters in the division," comments Richmond Kickers Indoor Head Coach Kyle Lessig. "There will be some fast-paced and exciting soccer on display that weekend."
"We are excited that the Kickers are now part of the league,” comments Kelvin Jones, Generals Director of Marketing and Event Operations. “We hope that the announcement of this derby will spark the interest of both Kickers and Generals fans to come out and support both clubs."
At stake is the 2008-09 Thanksgiving Shootout Trophy and the I-95 title, which is based on the total number of points at the end of the home and away preseason matches. With three points awarded for a win and one point awarded for a tie, the winner of the Thanksgiving Shootout will be decided following the conclusion of Thanksgiving weekend.
Taking the field for the first time, the Richmond Kickers Indoor roster will feature Kickers professionals including Luke Vercollone and Mark Murphy as well as former Kickers pro players and coaches, Greg Simmonds, Kofi Nti and Andy McIntosh. Several amateur stand-outs will return from last year’s Richmond Rowdies squad joining new and veteran CVSA Premier League stars. Competing in the Mid-Atlantic division, Richmond Kickers Indoor will face regional opponents in approximately 10 matches, with all home matches taking place at SCOR.
Third year veterans and defending Mid-Atlantic Champions Fredericksburg Generals will once again prove to be a PASL powerhouse after dominating the division the last two seasons. During Fredericksburg’s initial campaign (2006-07), the Generals lost just once during the regular season, but fell in the division championship to the Charlotte Swarm. During the 2007-08 season, the Generals captured the regular season title with a 6-2-0 record and avenged their prior championship loss by taking the title against the Winchester Impact during a high-scoring, 23-16 affair. Richmond Kickers defender and Fredericksburg native, Kelvin Jones, leads the Generals on and off the field, acting as a player as well as the Director of Marketing and Event Operations.
Entering its 10th year, PASL is the largest international indoor/arena soccer league in the world with 54 teams in the United States. Stay tuned to RichmondKickers.com for game schedules and ticket information.
