Friday, February 22, 2008
ATHENS, PA -- The Northern Tier Athletic Foundation, a non-profit organization developed to benefit youth athletes in Bradford County, PA, is proud to announce the inclusion of a professional friendly match between the Rochester Raging Rhinos and the nearby Harrisburg City Islanders to their soccer weekend being held on Friday April 18th and Saturday April 19th in Athens, PA.
The pro friendly will kick off the premier weekend of soccer with a Friday match beginning at 7:15 PM. On Saturday, eleven men’s college teams will hit the pitch at Athens Alumni Stadium. Those college teams are the Bucknell Bisons, East Stroudsburg Warriors, Gettysburg Bullets, Hartwick Hawks, Hofstra Pride, Lock Haven Bald Eagles, New York Institute of Technology Bears, Penn State Nittany Lions, St. Bonaventure Bonnies, Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks, and the York (PA) Spartans.
“The pro friendly is a match that we have been discussing for a couple of years now,” said Northern Tier Athletic Foundation President Brian Marshall. “We have spoken with many USL teams from the First Division to PDL and we are extremely excited about two powerhouses meeting up in Athens.”
Even though the match is only a friendly, Marshall feels the game will be highly competitive and a game neither team will want to lose. “Harrisburg won the Second Division last year and Rochester is a main stay above the top of the table in the First Division. Both squads have upset MLS teams in the US Open Cup. This match will be filled with intensity and passion.”
More information on both the professional friendly and the Athens Collegiate Showdown can be found at www.athenscollegiateshowdown.com. Tickets for the professional friendly are $15 for box seating and $5 for general admission. These tickets go on sale through the Athens Area High School box office March 17th. Pre-sale tickets will be available through the Northern Tier Athletic Foundation through the contact us feature. Send in your information for special e-mail notices about the pre-sale.
