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Follow on Google News | Women's Soccer WPSL's Elite League Grows: ASA Chesapeake Charge and Aztec MA JoinASA Chesapeake Charge and Aztec MA Join Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) New Elite League. Elite League Now Has Six (6) Women's Teams Competiting in the 2012 Season
By: WPSL News Desk The WPSL Elite League now has six (6) women’s soccer teams competing in the 2012 season. The new WPSL Elite League is an elite league that will be based in the Midwest and East Coast for the 2012 season. Teams in the league will have the option of competing with all professional players or with a mix of professionals and amateurs. The WPSL already had plans for an elite league based on the West Coast, to begin in 2013, but the suspension of the 2012 WPS season caused those plans to be moved up. "This move is a way of continuing the growth of the WPSL pyramid that we have been working on for years," said WPSL Commissioner Jerry Zanelli. "This year the WPSL formed a separate under 20 nation-wide league. We already had plans for the elite league in 2013 when this opportunity presented itself. We certainly feel it is a good idea. It fits into our plans to provide a highly competitive environment for players." The formation of the new league, which was announced on February 9, 2012, is in part a response to the decision of WPS to suspend the 2012 season, leaving five (5) teams without the ability to play. WPS's Board of Governors moved in January to suspend the season to allow the League the necessary time to reinforce its business and resolve pending legal and operational issues that have hindered the recent growth and progress. The WPSL Elite League will provide a venue for WPS players to continue competing at a high level in preparation for the planned return of the WPS in 2013. The latest teams to join the Elite League are ready for the challenge. The Aztec MA are uniquely prepared for this new league, as they have been the reserve team for the Boston Breakers for several years. The two teams have worked closely in the past to identify players with the potential to perform at the professional level. Several Aztec MA players have had the opportunity to move up to the Boston Breakers, including Megan Mischler, Jordan Bishop, Leah Blayney and Sophia Mundy. “We have been in the WPSL for seven years,” said Aztec MA President Mike Kersker, “so we have a lot of experience. We started at the bottom and we have worked our way up to the top now.” In contrast with Aztec MA, ASA Chesapeake Charge is one of the newer teams in the league, having joined for the 2010 season. But the team has a strong foundation on which it has built its success. Arundel Soccer Association (ASA), the team’s parent club, is a twenty-five- “We’ve been in the WPSL two years now,” said General Manager Patrick Crawford, “and we’ve had some pretty good success. We’re very happy with where we’ve been and decided that, with the talent that we have this year, we were definitely ready.” “As far as the Elite League goes, I’m very optimistic,” The WPSL is organized with regional divisions, with regional championships leading to a final four playoff for the league championships. In 2011 Orange County Waves and Chicago Red Stars competed in the WPSL Championship, with Waves winning 2-1. The new Elite League will determine its champion and the championship weekend at a later date. "We have said all along that we will do anything to help improve women's soccer in U.S." said Zanelli. "This is a step in keeping that process going. Please keep us with our teams and the upcoming season on our social media networking sites on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter!!" About the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL): The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is the largest national Women’s Soccer League in the world. With more than 70-plus women’s soccer teams, the WPSL is the leading amateur soccer league in America. The league is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The WPSL's mission is to provide opportunities to further the women’s soccer game for the aspiring professional, international- Media Note: WPSL Commissioner Jerry Zanelli is available for interviews upon request Contact: Jerry Zanelli by email zanelli@earthlink.net Media Requests: MEDIA@WPSL.info # # # The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is the largest national Women’s Soccer League in the world. With more than 70-plus women’s soccer teams, the WPSL is the leading amateur soccer league in America. End
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