NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The USCAA has announced the West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) as the host of the 2013 and 2014 USCAA Men's and Women's Soccer National Championships. The upcoming championships will be held in Charleston, WV, about 30 minutes from the WVU Tech campus.
"We are very pleased with our opportunity to bring our soccer championships to Charleston," says USCAA Associate Director Matt Simms. “Frank Pergolizzi and his staff at WVU Tech have displayed the utmost professionalism and attention to detail in preparing a bid to host our soccer championships. We look forward to the growth the championships can experience through our mutual efforts."
Games will be played at Schoenbaum Stadium in Charleston's Coonskin Park and at the Trace Fork Soccer Complex in South Charleston. The 2013 USCAA Soccer Championships are scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 2, while the 2014 event is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 5-8.
"We have excellent support from the local Convention and Visitor's Bureau, great downtown hotels and excellent soccer facilities," says WVU Tech Athletic Director Frank Pergolizzi. "We are confident that the entire community will get behind this event."
WVU Tech takes over hosting duties from Warren Wilson College, who held the annual championships in Asheville, NC in 2011 and 2012. The Golden Bears men's soccer team finished as runners-up to Briarcliffe College in the 2012 tournament, their first appearance in the championships since joining the USCAA in 2011.
Pergolizzi also looks forward to the opportunities a city like Charleston has to offer, helping WVU Tech increase their involvement in the USCAA.
"WVU Tech is very excited about it's membership with the USCAA," adds Pergolizzi. "Hosting the soccer tournament is an excellent way for us to be full and active members of the USCAA. The city of Charleston is a strong soccer community with excellent facilities. We felt that we could do an excellent job and offer all of the participating teams an outstanding experience."
With both tournament sites within minutes of downtown hotels, dining and shopping, Charleston looks to be a prime destination for competitors and spectators alike. The facilities are also conducive to potential growth of the soccer championships.
"As the USCAA grows, we continue to look for ways to involve as many member institutions as possible," says Simms. "Soccer is a growing sport, not only in this country but in the USCAA. It was important for us to have a site that would be able to accommodate us should we need to expand the tournament."
Both the men's and women's tournaments feature eight-team, consolation brackets. WVU Tech will receive automatic host bids for both the men's and women's soccer tournaments in 2013 and 2014.
For more information about the USCAA and hosting championship events, please visit www. theuscaa.com.