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Virginia Beach, VA - The Hampton Roads Piranhas organization announced that it will partner with the WPL’s Washington Freedom for the 2009 season. The Piranhas’ women’s team will join the Freedom as a local affiliate, and the teams will help identify players for each team’s player pools. The Piranhas will also set up exhibition, preseason and postseason matches for the Freedom.
"We are proud to announce an affiliation agreement with the Hampton Roads Piranhas," said Jim Gabarra, the Freedom’s head coach. "This formalizes a long standing working relationship between two quality soccer organizations. This relationship will continue to evolve into one that will benefit both clubs in broad age group player development, brand awareness and cross promotional efforts."
The Hampton Roads Piranhas will celebrate their 15th season in 2009. Kicking off in 1995 with only a women’s squad, the club now fields a Professional Development League men’s side and has developed into one of the most respected USL organizations.
The Piranhas’ W-League side, led by former Piranhas standout defender Wendy Kotwas Waddell, will open on Friday, May 8 at 5:30 p.m. in Charlotte. Waddell is returning for her second season at the helm. The PDL team, under the guidance of former PDL Coach of the Year Jon Hall, will open it’s 2009 season on May 9 at home vs. the Virginia Legacy at 7 p.m. Hall marks his third season leading the PDL squad.
Season tickets are available now through the Piranhas’ new fan-friendly website, www.hrpiranhas.com or by calling 757-641-4460.
Widely regarded as the world’s premier professional soccer club, the Freedom competed in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) from 2001-2003 signing U.S. national team stars Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach plus WUSA All-Stars Jennifer Grubb, Carrie Moore and Siri Mullinix. In 2003, Washington won the Founders Cup III, the WUSA Championship. When WUSA’s announced it was suspending operations in September 2003, the Freedom continued to compete and from 2004-2006 the team set up a series of exhibition events under the moniker "Freedom Reserves." The Freedom then took the field as an "Associate" member of the United Soccer Leagues’ W-League in 2006, playing a full schedule. In 2007 the team became a full member of the League, going on to win the W-League title. The Freedom won the Eastern Conference Championship in 2008.
Washington plays eight home games in 2009 at the Maryland Soccerplex in Germantown, MD and the team includes such standouts at goalkeeper Briana Scurry, defender Cat Riddick Whitehill and forward Abby Wamback.
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