January was a busy month for the 2012 Springfield Demize PASL squad!
The PASL opener at home for the Springfield Demize against Paducah Premier was a long awaited match. Tryouts for the Demize began early in November of 2011 and the squads were settled before first team training in December. An opening triple-header weekend of PASL/US Arena Open Cup indoor soccer was looming after the 2012 calendar change.
Two months after their first practice session, the Demize Opened their PASL-Premier league schedule with a home game against the Pumas of Paducah on Friday, January 6th. The home team got off to a good start with a 4-1 lead. Late on into the match, mental mistakes lead to a comeback from Paducah. The game ended in a 6-6 draw to open the PASL season after a tough forth quarter for Springfield.
A night later, Springfield hosted the Evansville Crush. While holding the ball and keeping almost all of the possession during the first half, the Demize cruised to a 5-0 lead at halftime. Coming into the second half, the 12 man Evansville team noticeably began to weaken as the game carried. The 17 men dressed for Springfield ran over the Crush to a 13-0 run, before the away team managed to squeeze a rocket blast past the Demize. The game ended in a trilling 16-1 home win for the Demize as a packed Lake Country stand watched on.
Sunday January 8th’s US Open Areana Cup game was going to be a tough task for the Demize. It was their third game in as many days and it was also drawn against the 2009 PASL Premier National Champions, Vitesse Dallas. A hard fought game for the Demize was not enough for the home team as they lost a lead in the 4th quarter. The final was 5-7, enough for Dallas to progress to the Quarter finals of the 2012 US Arena Open Cup.
On January 14th, the Demize left Springfield for a two game road trip. The first match was against Louisville Rayo. A first half red card saw player/assistant coach Julio Reyes sent off. Unable to complete a second half comeback, the Demize fell in Kentucky, 8-6.
The team traveled to the west Kentucky to rematch the Paducah Pumas. The first meeting was a close encounter with both teams working out defensive schemes after the Christmas break. The Demize lead 5-4 in the fourth quarter before having a 2 minute penalty called against them. During the man-down situation for the Demize, Bradley Stillwagon won the ball with skill and beat the Paducah defense. That goal secured the win for the Springfield Demize to end the road trip with a hard earned win and improved their PASL regular season record to 2-1-1.
The last game of January was a home game on the 20th. It was a fast paced and entertaining match that saw a noticeable increase from the home support. One of the tensest matches this year saw the Illinois Fire and Springfield accumulate many early fouls. After working well on man-down situations defensively the weekend before, the Demize was scored on twice with a man advantage. The Springfield lead began in the 1st quarter and continued into the 4th quarter. The goalkeeper for the Fire was called with a few minutes remaining in the game. On a quick transition and goal the Demize were able to score on the empty net left by Illinois’ 6th Attacker. That goal pushed the Demize onto a second consecutive home win to remain undefeated in PASL league play at home and a 3-1-1 overall record.
The Springfield Demize return to action on Friday Feburary 3rd for their final PASL home game of the season against Futskilz Fusion. Kickoff at Lake Country is at 8pm!
Springfield Demize Opening Weekend
The Springfield Demize will enter their first weekend with a slew of games in their opening weekend of the 2012 Premier Arena Soccer League Season.
The Demize open their 2012 calendar against Paducah Premier on Friday, January 6th. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 PM at Lake Country Soccer at the Dome. The Demize will turn around the next day to play against Evansville Crush in another home game as they play the second game of their weekend triple header. The Crush game is scheduled for a 7:30 PM kick off and will be again played in front of the Demize home fans at the LCS Dome.
The weekends soccer madness will end with a Round of 16 visit from former PASL Premier Champions Vitesse Dallas. The southwest Dallas were the 2008/2009 National Champions at the PASL Premier level and will make the seven and a half hour trip to Springfield. With a win, the Demize are in the Quarter-Finals of the US Arena Open Cup. The winner will take on the winner of PASL Premier clubs Denver Dynamite and Colorado Blizzard in late January.
The Demize will have another back to back weekend on January 14th and 15th as Louisville Rayo and Paducah Premier welcome the club on a two game road trip.
Springfield Demize Opening Weekend
The Springfield Demize will enter their first weekend with a slew of games in their opening weekend of the 2012 Premier Arena Soccer League Season.
The Demize open their 2012 calendar against Paducah Premier on Friday, January
6th. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 PM at Lake Country Soccer at the Dome. The Demize will turn around the next day to play against Evansville Crush in another home game as they play the second game of their weekend triple header. The Crush game is scheduled for a 7:30 PM kick off and will be again played in front of the Demize home fans at the LCS Dome.
The weekends soccer madness will end with a Round of 16 visit from former PASL Premier Champions Vitesse Dallas. The southwest Dallas were the 2008/2009 National Champions at the PASL Premier level and will make the seven and a half hour trip to Springfield. With a win, the Demize are in the Quarter-Finals of the US Arena Open Cup. The winner will take on the winner of PASL Premier clubs Denver Dynamite and Colorado Blizzard in late January.
The Demize will have another back to back weekend on January 14th and 15th as Louisville Rayo and Paducah Premier welcome the club on a two game road trip.
It is with great pleasure that J&K Soccer announces their continued partnership with the Springfield Demize of the Premier Development League and PASL-Pro Indoor team. In cooperation with the Demize, J&K Soccer is promoting Demize soccer and offering product for sale on www.jandksoccer.com. Players and fans can purchase Demize branded apparel at http://www.jandksoccer.com/index.php/demize-page.html . J&K Soccer will also offer a 20% discount to Demize rostered players on outdoor footwear for the 2011 season.
Springfield Demize PASL Video Highlights
The Sprinfield Demize finished their season with a high learning curve in their first ever foray into the Professional Arena Soccer League having been promoted into the Frontier Division after two stand out years in the Premier Arena Soccer League. The Demize went 3-3-2 over Premier teams, with two of their losses coming from the opposition winning by only one more goal than the Demize.
The Demize went on a late run after a dissappointing opening run with two loses to PASL-Pro competition Illinois Piasa, but bounced back with back to back draws against Evansville Crush at home before Piasa FC came to Lake Country Soccer. The Demize were able to get their winning edge right with a home win over Paducah in a history making weekend, playing in the first ever three game weekend in PASL history. The Demize won their first of their three games, but suffered a heavy handed loss against PASL-Pro team Illinois Piasa. Tired legs won out on Sunday with the Demize giving up a very late goal, losing 6-5 in the last minute.
The Demize started February with a 10-6 win over Piasa FC but lost narrowly away at Evansville Crush 7-6 after a back to back game. The Demize travelled to Paducah Wildcats to end their season with a convincing 8-3 victory.
Demize vs Piasa FC
Demize vs Paducah Wildcats
For more DemizeSoccer video’s visit our YouTube page. PASL Video Highlights edited by Justin Ferguson.
Springfield Demize Opening Night
US Open Arena Soccer Championships Round of 16
12/8/10 - The nation’s largest pro/am arena soccer tournament is once again underway. The United States Open Arena Soccer Championship has completed several qualifying tournaments across the country. The winners earned the right to face teams from the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) and Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier).
The Springfield Demize will face Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) local rivals Illinois Piasa Saturday at Lake Country Soccer, with kick off scheduled for 8:00PM.This will be the first ever United States Open Arena Soccer game hosted in Springfield, Missouri, with the Demize pre-qualifying for the Round of 16.
Any US team, pro or amateur can enter the US Open. Last year the San Diego Sockers defeated the Louisville Lightning, 11-7 to claim the trophy. In 2008/09, the St. Louis Illusion beat the Detroit Waza 8-3 in the final to win the first ever tournament. Like the outdoor Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the US Arena Open is conducted as an in-season tournament, separate from the league championships.
The Cincinnati Kings and the California Cougars have already progressed out of the round of 16, narrowing the selection down from the Cup’s original 49 qualifiers. This year’s first qualifying tournament was held in Evansville on October 9. The final qualifying tournament will be held this Saturday and Sunday in San Diego.
PASL-Premier teams have not generally fared well against PASL-Pro teams, but the Tacoma Stars (then of the PASL-Premier) advanced to the US Open Semifinals in 2008/09 and Vitesse Dallas made it to last year’s Semifinals. Not coincidentally those two teams are the last two PASL-Premier season champions. No independent team has yet advanced past the Round of 16.
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – F.C. New York of USL PRO today announced its affiliation with the Springfield Demize of the Premier Development League. The two clubs will exchange best practices, while Springfield will act as a feeder club for F.C. New York.
"From our inception we have wanted to establish a number of affiliates through all levels of soccer, both in the United States and abroad," F.C. New York Technical Director Matt Weston said. "Our vision is to have a network of clubs that share a common soccer philosophy while building both brand awareness and scouting the best young talent.
"Chris Hanlon shares many of our ideas and has a great work ethic. He has built a fantastic program in Southwest Missouri and together we will continue to build both brands and ultimately offer soccer players the dream of one day playing professional soccer. The top Demize players will have the opportunity to try out with F.C. New York."
Demize General Manager Hanlon said: "The Demize is the only soccer organization in Southwest Missouri that provides a straight path from the U5 academy players all of the way to the Premier Development League. The partnership with F.C. New York goes on to show the natural progression of the Springfield Demize for amateur players to the professional level. The partnership will allow the top Demize players the chance to prove themselves on the professional stage in USL PRO."
The affiliation agreement will also include the exchange of both players and staff, allowing for representatives of each franchise the chance to spend time at each other’s facilities during the USL season. That hands-on approach will be the catalyst for ideas and future development in order for each organization to reach its full potential.
About F.C. New York – Bringing the greatest sport in the world to the greatest city in the world is the theme for our organization. As the newest member of United Soccer Leagues (USL) we will start professional play in 2011.
Springfield Demize Announces First Team and Reserve Team Rosters
2010-11 Rosters now available
The Springfield Demize will be entering it’s first foray into the world of professional soccer this upcoming season as it enters the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro). The Demize will compete in the Frontier Division with other up and coming teams that wish to secure a permanent spot in the PASL-Pro after seasons in the PASL-Premier amateur division. The Demize had over 40 athletes come to the November try-outs.
11/9/10 - The Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) kicks off its third season this Friday with six new teams and and an influx of talent.
The Louisville Lightning host the Cincinnati Kings on Friday as last year’s top two Eastern Division teams lock horns again. Louisville has added Boyzzz Khumalo from DC United and Othaniel Yanez from the Columbus Crew. The Kings counter by bringing back Kwame Sarkodie from the Colorado Rapids and Kenney Bertz from the Rochester Rhinos.
What’s new in the PASL-Pro is the Tacoma Stars, Revolucion Tijuana, and the Frontier Division which includes the Kitsap Pumas, Wenatchee Fire, Illinois Piasa, and Springfield Demize.
Six teams return including the Lightning, Kings (who played last year as 1790 Cincinnati Express), defending champion San Diego Sockers, California Cougars, Detroit Waza, and Ohio Vortex. The Kings have moved into the spacious Cincinnati Gardens and the Cougars and Vortex are back full-time at Stockton Arena and Canton Civic Center, respectively, after playing at multiple venues last year.
The PASL-Pro now has 12 teams and will play an interlocking schedule with the three team Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League for the third straight year.
Saturday’s opening weekend festivities include the return of professional arena soccer to Tacoma for the first time since 1992. Stars player/coach Greg Howes returns to pro soccer as well for the first time since a brief stint with the Cougars in 2008/09. Howes won three MVP awards with the Milwaukee Wave in the MISL when he was widely considered the best player in the sport. Kicking off the festivities for Tacoma will be American Idol icon Sanjaya Malakar singing the national anthem.
"We have seen a sharp rise in media coverage and interest from potential owners," said PASL-Pro Commissioner Kevin Milliken. "We are achieving growth that our sport hasn’t seen in many years, while keeping our teams’ financial risk to an absolute minimum."
Applebees and Springfield Demize PASL Partnering
Applebees Halftime Shoot-out to offer fun for everyone
Come out to see your 2008-2009 Springfield Demize PASL team and maybe get a shot at soccer glory. The Applebees Halftime Shoot-out will offer fun and prizes for only the ones that can handle the pressure and score goals. It is your chance to get on the field and show everyone what you got.
PASL Season Review
A look into the 2008-2009 season
Take an in depth look at the 2008-2009 Demize’s first season in the PASL-Premier.
The Springfield Demize will be joining a new division inside of the PASL structure, the Professional Frontier Division. The following teams make up the new conference: Wenatchee, Kitsap, Tecate, Illinois, Springfield, Texas, Tulsa, and Vittesse. The Demize has participated in the Premier Division during the last two seasons, and was granted Provisional Professional status in in their last campaign.
Now granted full Provisional Professional status for the upcoming season, the Demize will take on a 12 game season, with six home games mixed with six away games. The Demize will travel to their normal opposition in Saint Louis against Piasa FC as well as the Saint Louis Illusion, while traveling to Kansas City to take on the Kansas City Kings. New opponents will be added to the schedule to make up the extra games as the Demize will face teams from Illinois, Texas, and Oklahoma. On of the exciting aspect of the division is the winner of the Pro Expansion get a playoff spot in the PASL Pro Division.
" The Demize are one of the teams that will keep its Amatuer status and play against various professional teams this season in a effort to continue to raise the level of play each year for our players and fans to be exposed to the indoor game," said Springfield Demize General Manager Chris Hanlon. "This move means a high caliber of competion and better venues for the Demize to play in and against. I realize that in some cases we are at a disadvantage because we are playing against professional players and teams but the level of development and exposure for our local players is what the Demize is here in Southwest Missouri for. "
As always, the Demize will once again call the Lake Country Soccer Dome home, located at 2334 E Pythian Street in Springfield, Missouri. All 2010-2011 Springfield Demize games are FREE ADMISSION.
"From our inception we have wanted to establish a number of affiliates through all levels of soccer, both in the United States and abroad," F.C. New York Technical Director Matt Weston said. "Our vision is to have a network of clubs that share a common soccer philosophy while building both brand awareness and scouting the best young talent.
