RICHMOND, VA - (Tuesday, November 25, 2008) – Richmond Kickers Indoor of the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL) opens their inaugural season this Sunday, November 30th at 3:00 pm, hosting Fredericksburg Generals at SCOR, Sports Center of Richmond.  Sunday’s match serves as the second-leg of the Thanksgiving Shootout, a two-game derby that kicks off in Fredericksburg on Saturday.  Tickets are just $5.00 per person and will be available at the gate starting at 2:00 pm on game day.  Space is limited and the first 100 fans through the gate will receive a free t-shirt courtesy of Fuser Energy Bar.   

"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 this weekend and we are looking forward to kicking off the 2008-09 season."

Taking the field for the first time, the Richmond Kickers Indoor roster will feature current Kickers professionals including Luke Vercollone and Mark Murphy.  A native of Pembroke, MA, Vercollone joined the Kickers professional team in 2008 after two-year stints each with the New England Revolution (MLS) and Charleston Battery (USL-1).  In his first season with the Kickers, the midfield workhorse started 21 of 23 games played and registered a pair of goals and assists for six points.  Meanwhile, in his second season as back-up goalkeeper with the Kickers pro team, Murphy made six appearances, starting four in goal.  He posted his first professional win on June 29th in the Kickers 3-1 road victory over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Joining Vercollone and Murphy on the 2008-09 roster are 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 flanking new and veteran Central Virginia Soccer Association (CVSA) Premier League stars. 

Entering their third indoor season, 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.   

Thanksgiving Shootout
At stake this weekend 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.

Richmond Kickers Indoor 2008-09 Schedule
Taking the field for an eight-game, balanced campaign, Kickers Indoor will open the 2008-09 regular season one week after the Thanksgiving Shootout, hosting the Winchester Impact on Saturday, December 6th at 7:00 pm at SCOR.  Kickers Indoor will take to the road the following week to face Virginia Legacy on Saturday, December 13th.  Swapping home field advantage, the Legacy will travel to Richmond on Saturday, January 24th before Kickers Indoor takes to the road for the next two, including a match-up with the Maryland Tigers and Fredericksburg Generals on January 25th and 31st, respectively.  A two-game, February home stand will follow as Kickers Indoor hosts Maryland and Fredericksburg on Saturday, February 7th and Saturday, February 14th before concluding the 2008-09 regular season on the road against the Winchester Impact on February 15th.  A pair of exhibitions featuring this weekend’s exhibition with Fredericksburg and an All-Stars charity match, benefiting Connor’s Heroes on Saturday, December 20th, will supplement the regular season schedule.

Tickets
Capacity is limited and sellouts are expected for each Richmond Kickers Indoor home game.  Order a 2008-09 Season Pass for just $30 and take advantage of special offers at Ukrop’s and Arby’s this winter.  Season Passes and individual game tickets ($5/person all ages) and are on sale now via RichmondKickers.com. 

About the Premier Arena Soccer League
Entering its 10th year, PASL is the largest international indoor/arena soccer league in the world with 54 teams in the United States.  PASL is an affiliated member of the FIFRA (Federation International Futbal Rapido Association).  Richmond Kickers Indoor competes in the Mid-Atlantic Division alongside local rivals Fredericksburg Generals, Winchester Impact, Maryland Tigers and Virginia Legacy.  Visit arenaleague.com for all of the up-to-date scores and standings from around the league.