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Established in 1994, the MPS Crusaders have played
at both the amateur and professional ranks within the USL. On October 10th, 2003
the USL announced the Crusaders' induction into the USL Hall of Fame. The club
was honored for their ten years as a franchise and for services and
contributions to the sport of soccer.
The Crusaders are a part of Mass
Premier Soccer ( MPS ) whose mission is to cultivate the experience of young
players in Massachusetts. MPS also operates the MPS Renegades, 2001 & 2002
National Champions of the W-League. The
club has an extensive youth program from the School of Excellence and Super Y-
League all the way through to the senior teams.
In 2007 Mass Premier Soccer will be
introducing some exciting changes to the 1st team set-up. The top of
the pyramid will now involve a U19 team and a U20 team that both feed
directly into the PDL Team. Both the U19 and U20 teams will train
alongside the PDL team for at least part of the season.
PDL Team
Players interested in trying out for the PDL team should contact Head
Coach, Paul Baber directly at
pbaber@mpsbr.com. Attendance at the
W-League try-outs is by invitation of the Head Coach only.
U20 Team U20 team will play in
the new USL Super 20 League which will feature some of the best younger teams in
the country. For more information on the Super 20 league go to
www.uslsoccer.com.
The U20 season will also run from early May through the end of July with the
National Finals being played the first weekend in August. The U20
Crusaders
team will feature players that have come through the MPS system. There are also limited spaces
available for some of the best college sophomores to participate in this team.
Players need to be committed and of a very high caliber to be selected for
this.
Players interested in trying out for the U20 team should contact Head Coach,
Joe Bradley directly at
jbradley@mpsbr.com. Attendance at the U20
try-outs is by invitation of the Head Coach only.
U19 Team The U19 team will play in the
local EMMSA and also in State Cup. The U19 season will also run from early May
through the end of July and will culminate with the League Final on Monday,
August 6th. The U19 Crusaders team will also feature players that have
graduated through the MPS system and is suitable for the very best college
freshmen.
Players interested in trying out for the U19 team should contact Head Coach,
Joe Bradley directly at
jbradley@mpsbr.com. Attendance at the U19
try-outs is by invitation of the Head Coach only.
For more information on any of these programs you can also contact James
Hamblin at
jhamblin@mpsbr.com. The Crusaders' success over the years
was built on an ability to draw players from some of the top colleges in the
country ( Dartmouth College, St John's University, Boston College, Franklin
Pierce College, Providence College, University of New Hampshire, University of
South Florida, Cornell University, University of Rhode Island, Harvard
University, Fairfield University, Bowdoin College, Wheaton College, Brown
University, Trinity College and Coastal Carolina among others ). As well as
helping to develop some of this country's top college players the Crusaders has
provided a platform for players to showcase their talent and develop before
moving on to professional careers in MLS and overseas. ( Francis Okaroh of the
Chicago Fire, Kevin Wylie of the New England Revolution, Nicola Chicco, US
Triotina, Serie B Italy).
The Head Coach of the Crusaders is Paul Baber ( Brunel
University College '95) assisted by Richard Burden and Jay Woodward. |
