Bucks face Invaders Thursday
BERKLEY, MI -- The Michigan Bucks kick off their 2004 campaign in the road Thursday night, taking on the Indiana Invaders.
The Bucks have proven to be one of the premier franchises in the Premier Development League (PDL) since joining in 1996, but have yet to achieve their ultimate goal - a PDL Championship. The Berkley-based team has made only one Championship game appearance (1-0 loss to Chicago Sockers in 2000), despite holding several PDL records, including Division titles (6), Quarterfinals appearances (6) and US Open Cup wins (7).
"It is a difficult championship to win," said Bucks coach, Don Gemmell, who finished his first season with the Bucks last summer with a Great Lakes Division title and 14-3-1 record. "We get better every year, but so do most of the other teams, and the league has gotten so big." The PDL has grown from 31 teams in 1997 to 54 teams throughout the US and Canada this season.
"We feel good about this year's squad, but the key will be how we come out of the gate. The Indiana game is huge," said Gemmell.
The first four PDL matches count as both regular season league games and as US Open Cup Qualifiers. Only two teams from the 18-team Central Conference (Great Lakes and Heartland divisions) will advance to the country's oldest soccer tournament, which features adult teams from amateur through Major League Soccer (MLS), so winning all four games is almost essential to qualify. The Bucks travel to West Michigan on Saturday night then return home to Hurley Field on Tuesday, May 18th vs. the Fort Wayne Fever (7:30pm) and to face the Cleveland Internationals on Sunday, May 23rd (6:30pm).
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