January 4, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues (USL) announced the official alignment for the upcoming 2010 Premier Development League (PDL) season, unveiling the conferences and divisions for the 68-team league.

The Hampton Roads Piranhas PDL squad will again play in the Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division with Bermuda Hogges, Carolina Dynamo, Central Jersey, Ironbound Express, New Jersey Rangers, Northern Virginia Royals, Ocean City Barons, Reading United and West Virginia Chaos. Bermuda joins the PDL for 2010 after playing their 2009 season at the USL Division II level.

The conference and division alignments will remain as they were in 2009. Four conferences will each contain two divisions of at least six teams. Clubs will for the most part remain in their 2009 places with the exception of the Eastern Conference where three New Jersey clubs will move to the Mid-Atlantic Division and four will play in the Northeast Division.

The four new Northeast Division squads are part of a group of nine new teams that will make their debut in 2010. Three clubs, who were previously part of USL, will return. Vermont Voltage will return from a year off due to stadium renovations, will join former Second Division clubs Bermuda and Western Mass. Additional new franchises include MPS Portland and two expansion clubs in Albany, NY and Central Jersey.

The four new Northeast Division teams are part of a group of nine teams that will make their debut this season, three of whom are returning USL clubs. Former PDL club Vermont Voltage, returning from a year off due to stadium renovations, is one of trio along with former USL Second Division sides Bermuda Hogges and Western Mass Pioneers. The three other first-year franchises include teams in Dayton, Fort Lauderdale and Rochester, MN.

Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division: Hampton Roads Piranhas,  Bermuda Hogges, Carolina Dynamo, Central Jersey, Ironbound Express, New Jersey Rangers, Northern Virginia Royals, Ocean City Barons, Reading United, West Virginia Chaos
Northeast Division: Albany (NY), Brooklyn Knights, Long Island Rough Riders, New Hampshire Phantoms, Ottawa Fury, MPS Portland Phoenix, Vermont Voltage, Western Mass Pioneers, Westchester Flames

Central Conference
Great Lakes Division: Chicago Fire, Cincinnati Kings, Cleveland Internationals, Dayton Dutch Lions, Forest City London, Indiana Invaders, Kalamazoo Outrage, Michigan Bucks, Toronto Lynx
Heartland Division: Des Moines Menace, Kansas City Brass, Real Colorado Foxes, Rochester (MN), Springfield Demize, St Louis Lions, Thunder Bay Chill

Southern Conference
Mid South Division: DFW Tornados, El Paso Patriots, Houston Leones, Laredo Heat, Rio Grande Valley Bravos, West Texas United Sockers
Southeast Division: Atlanta Blackhawks, Baton Rouge Capitals, Central Florida Kraze, Fort Lauderdale, IMG Bradenton Academics, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros, New Orleans Jesters, Panama City Pirates

Western Conference
Northwest Division: Abbotsford Mariners, Kitsap Pumas, Portland Timbers U23, Spokane Spiders, Tacoma Tide, Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, Victoria Highlanders, Washington Crossfire, Yakima Reds
Southwest Division: BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Hollywood United Hitmen, Lancaster Rattlers, Los Angeles Legends, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion

 

For more information on the 2010 Hampton Roads Piranhas, including sponsorship or ticket information, please call 757-226-9040 or visit www.hrpiranhas.com.