PORTLAND, Ore.
– United Soccer Leagues announced today the official alignment for the 2010 Premier Development League (PDL) season. The Portland Timbers U-23s will compete in the Western Conference’s nine-team Northwest Division for the upcoming campaign.
The conference and division alignments for the 2010 season remain the same as 2009, with each of the four conferences containing two divisions of at least six teams.
In 2010, the Northwest Division will include the Timbers U-23s, Abbotsford Mariners, Kitsap Pumas, Spokane Spiders, Tacoma Tide, Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, Victoria Highlanders, Washington Crossfire (formerly the Seattle Wolves) and Yakima Reds.
The Timbers U-23s played their first PDL season in 2009, finishing in second place in the Northwest Division with a record of 11-3-2. The club advanced to the postseason and scored a division-high 43 goals in its inaugural season.
In total, nine new franchises will make their PDL debut in 2010, including the MPS Portland Phoenix (Maine), Dayton Dutch Lions (Ohio), and expansion teams in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Albany, N.Y. Among the new clubs joining the PDL in 2010, are former USL Second Division sides Bermuda Hogges and Western Mass Pioneers.
2010 Premier Development League Alignment
Western Conference
Northwest Division: Abbotsford Mariners, Kitsap Pumas,
Portland Timbers U-23s
, 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
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
Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division: Bermuda Hogges, Carolina Dynamo, Central Jersey, Hampton Roads Piranhas, 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
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
