[ Contact Info ] • Web Site: www.greatLVsoccer.com • Telephone #: 607-432-4365 • Fax #: 607-432-4430 • E-mail: greatLVsoccer@colassoc.com • E-mail: tournaments@colassoc.com • Mail: Great Lehigh Valley Soccer Festival % Lehigh Valley Sports Commission PO Box 20785, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0785		[ Press Releases ] April 19, 2005 For immediate release: Major Soccer Event Coming Soon to Harford County A Professional Soccer Preview on Saturday, May 14th! Double A pro soccer is coming soon to Harford County, MD! The “City Islanders,” a Division II A-League team based in Harrisburg, PA will play an exhibition friendly against the Maryland College All-Stars. The match is scheduled for Saturday, May 14th on the main field at Harford Community College with kick-off at 3:00 PM. The match is being offered free of charge to the public by the Greater Harford Soccer Park [HCSP] organization. However, the Park Board is asking fans to bring canned food in lieu of admission. The canned food will be turned over to the Harford Food Bank. Marty Warner who chairs the Soccer Park Board said, “we decided to promote a high profile event to help draw-out more community interest in our future 11 field soccer park project that’s now moving steadily forward.” Jeff Hess, who’s spearheading the soccer park’s development in Harford County, noted that the “City Islanders gives us a top quality pro team that we can feature to the growing soccer community here in our area.” The City Islander’s, under returning head coach, Bill Becher, had a very successful inaugural campaign last year, putting together a 10-7-3 record, getting a play-off berth and selling-out their City Islander home stadium with 3 standing room only crowds. Becher made the team an instant league contender last season. Matt Tanzini, a Binghamton, NY native, is being touted as the “City Islander’s” most explosive offensive machine who led the team in scoring last year while playing in only half the games. In addition to Tanzani, Coach Becher has the benefit of having 6 other core players returning this season to include J.T Dorsey, John Lapore, Mo Oduor, Steve Fisher, Derek Potteiger and David Schofield. Dorsey played at Loyola. Midfield/forward, Steve Custer, a native of Baltimore is the only other player on the roster with a Maryland connection. The City Islander’s play their home matches at the Skyline Sports Complex in Harrisburg. Despite the City Islander’s pro designation, don’t expect the Maryland College All-Stars to be outclassed. Jim Cherneski, a former Towson University and USL Professional Player, will be organizing and coaching the Maryland College All Stars. His roster already includes UMBC’s Mike Pennachia [drafted by the MISL Cleveland Force], Derek McElligott [41 career college goals], Kevin Mezzedra, along with Matt Watson who is seen by many as the best college player in the area. There are several Towson players listed to play as well to include goalkeeper Zak Thompson, defender Mike Dougherty, Sebastian Hansel an exciting attacking player who makes things happen and two outstanding mid fielders in Steve Fell and J.C. Cole. Cherneski expects to have other players from nearby colleges named soon to the team. For Cherneski, the game will also serve as a prelude for a future USL team in Harford County, one that is being established by his CM Star Sports in partnership with the Greater Harford Soccer Park. Cherneski said, “it’s personally exciting for me to be putting this team of college all stars together for this exhibition match.” “It’s almost like phase #1 in the development of our future USL team!” The Greater Harford Soccer Park will be the largest soccer complex in the county, featuring 11 state of the art fields [2 synthetic surfaces] for the use of the soccer player families of Harford County and to be the host venue for regional camps, academies and tournaments, along with a featured professional team as program and facility anchor. The $4.5 million dollar Greater Harford Soccer Park is expected to be completed in 2007, will cover 56 acres on Carsins’ Run Road and will house a small stadium, a training center, the association's headquarters, a walking trail, playground, a pavilion, plenty of parking and other entertainment amenities. The soccer park’s target market for tournament competitions will extend from the New England to the Mid-Atlantic States, a geographic area that has around 25,000 soccer teams made-up of more than ˝ million registered soccer players. Approximately 90,000 players are expected to take part in programs at the new soccer park facilities each year. For more information, please contact: Albert Colone/Colone Associates; office at: 607/432-4365 or e-mail: albert@colassoc.com