Tampa, FL (February 5, 2010)- The United Soccer League (USL) released the 2010 Premier Development League (PDL) schedule on Thursday. The Michigan Bucks will open their fifteenth season on the road with a game against the Cleveland Internationals on Wednesday, May 19. The first four games on the Bucks regular season schedule will make up their 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying table. Following the opening match, the Bucks will celebrate the season’s home opener at Ultimate Soccer Arenas against the Great Lakes Division’s newest team, the Dayton Dutch Lions. The following week will finish out Cup qualifying with an away game on Tuesday, May 25 at Kalamazoo and home on Saturday, May 29 against the Cincinnati Kings for the annual matinee game as part of the Canton Cup Memorial Day Soccer tournament.
The Bucks sixteen game regular season schedule will consist of home and home games against all eight additional teams in the Great Lakes Division, which also includes Chicago Fire Premier, Indiana Invaders, Forest City London and the Toronto Lynx. According to Bucks director of coaching, Gary Parsons, the best division in the PDL has gotten even stronger. “Looking at the teams in our division, we added Dayton and lost Ft.Wayne. Although Dayton is a new club, they are coming in as a PDL Pro team, meaning they will play will mostly professional players and they can have no college players. They are relying heavily on their relationship with their professional partners in Holland to outfit their squad. They might be the best team in the division before it is all over. We have our work cut out for us with only two of the nine teams qualifying for the playoffs this year,” added Parsons.
The league’s new playoff format this year was implemented with ownership approval to add an additional week to the season and shorten the playoffs by a week. The two weeks of playoffs will be a four team Central Conference final four, with the winner joining the champions of the other three conferences the weekend of August 5-7 to play a true Final Four format to determine the 2010 PDL Champion.
While the Bucks front office has been busy recruiting and signing players in the off season, Parsons said any formal announcement of the team’s players will probably not be forthcoming until early March. “We have commitments from a dozen top prospects that we had hoped to land this year that will make an immediate impact on this year’s club. We have some internal formalities to go through to officially register and clear the players for this season. Once that happens, we will introduce the players to the public.”
Although every game is critical to winning the Division and qualifying for one of the two coveted playoff spots, it isn’t hard to look at the schedule and circle a very important date to all Bucks fans. “You only have to get to Saturday, July 10 to see the home game against the Chicago Fire Premier; a game that every year determines who goes to the playoffs and who misses out. Last year was no different and this year probably won’t be either,” said Bucks Chairman/ CEO Dan Duggan. “More important than just our game against the Fire is that on July 10 we will be celebrating the Bucks fifteen years in the PDL. We will be bringing back players that weekend from each of the teams since the first Bucks team in 1996. We have some very special events planned for that evening, so that one is going to be special for all Bucks fans.”
Bucks fans wanting information on Bucks season tickets, flex passes, supporters group information and Bucks summer camps won’t have to wait long. All of that information will be published to the Bucks web site in the next few weeks. Members of the Bucks Insider group will be the first to get details on discounts, Bucks events and all the upcoming promotions that will be announced between mid February and the Michigan Bucks College Cup sponsored by adidas, which takes place at Ultimate Soccer Arenas on Saturday, March 27. For all the latest Bucks information, visit us at www.buckssoccer.com or call the Bucks office at 248-334-7460.
Wed May 19 7:00pm Michigan Bucks at Cleveland Internationals
Sat May 22 3:00pm Dayton Lions at Michigan Bucks
Tue May 25 7:30pm Michigan Bucks at Kalamazoo Outrage
Sat May 29 7:30pm Cincinnati Kings at Michigan Bucks
Thu June 3 7:00pm Michigan Bucks at Chicago Fire
Sat June 5 7:30pm Cleveland Internationals at Michigan Bucks
Sat June 12 7:30pm London FC at Michigan Bucks
Sat June 19 7:30pm Indiana Invaders at Michigan Bucks
Thu June 24 7:30pm Kalamazoo Outrage at Michigan Bucks
Thu July 1 7:30pm Michigan Bucks at London FC
Sat July 3 7:30pm Michigan Bucks at Dayton Lions
Wed July 7 7:30pm Michigan Bucks at Cincinnati Kings
Sat July 10 7:30pm Chicago Fire at Michigan Bucks
Thu July 15 7:30pm Toronto Lynx at Michigan Bucks
Wed July 21 7:00pm Michigan Bucks at Toronto Lynx
Sat July 24 7:30pm Michigan Bucks at Indiana Invaders
WINTER CAMPREGISTRATION STILL AVAILABLE FOR THE WEEK OF FEB 15-19
The Bucks have two day or four day camps available during winter break week for soccer players of all ages, boys and girls, at Ultimate Soccer Arenas. The most informative, cost effective camps in the area are being held Monday and Tuesday, February 15-16 and Thursday and Friday, Feb 18-19 from 12:00- 4:30 each day. Camp registration fee is only $89 for either two day session and for those wanting to have the benefits of the four days, you will receive a 15% discount and pay only $149. Bucks star forward and professional soccer player, Kenny Uzoigwe will lead a talented team of coaches that will make these sessions both informative and fun for your soccer player.
Registration can be done on line at the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the Winter Camp link or by calling the Bucks office at 248-334-7460. Anyone with questions about the tournament rules or needing additional information can contact Kyle Karns at kkarns@buckssoccer.com.
