USL News Release
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
TAMPA, Fla. – United Soccer Leagues is pleased to announce that the Ocala Stampede will join the PDL for the 2012 season. The club will be locally owned by Ted Strawbridge, Bill Reed and Burt Reed. Stadium, coaching and tryout information will be announced in the near future.
“We’re excited about bringing this level of family and sports entertainment to Ocala and Marion County,” Bill Reed said. “One of our main missions will be to utilize the Ocala Stampede to focus on youth outreach, specifically disadvantaged youth.”
The club intends to develop a top-level PDL team while providing local talent with the opportunity to move on to the professional level. The top supplier of talent for professional soccer in North America, the PDL saw another large group of its alumni make the move into professional soccer in 2011 with 37 of the 54 players selected in the 2011 Major League Soccer SuperDraft having previously played in the PDL.
A remarkable eight of the first 10 selections in the draft had PDL experience, including 2011 MLS Rookie of the Year C.J. Sapong of Sporting Kansas City, who previously played for Reading United AC.
“We welcome the Ocala Stampede to the PDL and look forward to them adding to the growing list of quality clubs in Florida,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said. “We expect the Stampede to help a great deal with the growth of the Ocala soccer community while producing a successful and entertaining product on the field.”
The Ocala Stampede PDL team will play a 16-game schedule between the months of May-August. The team will likely compete in the Southeast Division, facing established opponents such as the FC Jax Destroyers, Orlando City U23 (formerly Central Florida Kraze), IMG Bradenton Academics, and Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy. Brandon FC is another recent addition to the Florida PDL landscape, with additional announcements expected soon.