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AC Connecticut Named USL Academy League Founding Member

By AC Connecticut, 10/20/20, 11:45AM EDT

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13 Clubs To Compete In Northeast Division In 2021

TAMPA, Fla. - The United Soccer League (USL) confirmed on Tuesday the founding members
of the USL Academy League’s Northeast Division. The inaugural season of Academy League
play is due to kick off in spring 2021, and will provide clubs in all three of the USL's senior
divisions with an elite youth development and competition platform.

The structure of the USL Academy League provides USL clubs a progressive model to develop
local players for their Senior Team, at a lessened cost of traditional pre-professional academies.
Doing so will also enable far more clubs and communities to participate, allowing for the
regional division format which limits travel demand to teams and families.

The 13 clubs set to compete in the Northeast Division of the inaugural USL Academy League are as follows:

• AC Connecticut: Danbury, CT (USL League Two)
• Black Rock FC: Lake Placid, NY (USL League Two)
• Boston Bolts: Boston, MA (USL League Two)
• Cedar Stars Academy: South Hackensack, NJ (USL League Two)
• FA Euro New York: New York, NY (USL League Two)
• Hartford Athletic: Hartford, CT (USL Championship)
• Ironbound SC: Newark, NJ (Part of the New York Red Bulls’ player pathway)
• Long Island Rough Riders: Long Island, NY (USL League Two)
• Morris Elite: Madison, NJ (USL League Two)
• Queensboro FC: New York, NY (USL Championship)
• Seacoast United: Portsmouth, NH (USL League Two)
• Westchester Flames: Westchester, NY (USL League Two)
• Western Mass Pioneers: Ludlow, MA (USL League Two)

Clubs participating in the USL Academy League will field one elite youth team, made up of the
top U15-U19 prospects in their organization. With a set of league-mandated standards in place,
the league will ensure players’ exposure to a high level of competition and development result
from direct ties to the organization’s USL Senior Team.

The launch of the USL Academy League will help all USL clubs identify top prospects, and
provide more players with the opportunity to compete against professionals at a younger age.

For more information on the USL Academy League, visit usl-academy.com/academy-
league.

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