(Boyds, MD) – March 27, 2010 – Today, the Philadelphia Independence battled the Washington Freedom to a 0-0 tie in its third preseason match of 2010. With windy, cold conditions the team, minus its US National Team players and a handful of international stars, traveled to Maryland for its final scrimmage before rosters are due to the league. This game marks the first time the Independence played a fellow WPS team.

Independence players Amy Rodriguez, Heather Mitts and Lori Lindsey did not join the squad on this trip as they are with the US Women’s National Team participating in exhibition matches against Mexico. International players Holmfridur Magnusdottir and Lianne Sanderson are also playing for their respective countries. Sanderson, who joined England last week for World Cup Qualifiers, already netted a goal and picked up an assist in her game against Austria.

“Obviously were missing a lot of our key players,” said General Manger Terry Foley. “But, this game provides our coaching staff an opportunity to give some other players a second look. We have some things to work on, but overall I’m pretty pleased with our play today.”

The Independence will solidify its final roster on March 31 before facing Penn State for its final preseason game on April 1 in Downingtown.

April 11 marks the opening of the Independence inaugural season when they take on WPS expansion team the Atlanta Beat. Get your tickets now! Single-game, group and season tickets are on sale now!. For package details visit www.wpsphillyindependence.com

WPS Team to Host Two Preseason Exhibition Games and Player Autograph Sessions at Its United Sports Training Home Starting in March

PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 25, 2010) – The Philadelphia Independence is gearing up for its first season of play in the WPS, and the team’s preseason schedule of events leading up to opening day is packed with exciting opportunities for fans to watch team practices and interact with players. The preseason pool of 28 players begins arriving in market on March 1, excluding the handful of National team players that are competing with their respective countries at the Algarve Cup International Tournament. These players arrive in camp a week later. To officially welcome the team to the area, the Independence has scheduled a media day and autograph session at United Sports in Downingtown on March 11th for Club Affiliate members, business partners, and fans.

For those who can’t make the 11th, there are a few other opportunities scheduled during preseason for fans to interact with the players. Additional Meet-and-Greet fan and media sessions are scheduled from 3:30-5:00pm on March 18th and 25th and April 8th. Each of these Thursday afternoon dates corresponds with important milestones in the Independence preseason; the 18th is shortly after the first preseason cuts are made, reducing the roster to 24 players, March 25th follows the first preseason match, and April 8th is just three days prior to the Home Opener against Atlanta. All the fan sessions will be held after team practices at United Sports in Downingtown, and will give Independence supporters a chance to get to know their team off the field.

“One of the major things that sets this league apart from other professional sports organizations is how accessible these athletes are to the fans and how connected the whole organization is to the city” says Owner David Halstead. “These players are not only superior athletes, but are role models that kids can relate to, and they want to be involved with the youth that look up to them. Over the course of the preseason and season, we want to continue to connect with the area’s soccer club affiliates and other supporters in the community, which is why we’ve opened up our United Sports home to the fans.”

More good news for soccer fanatics is the announcement of two home preseason exhibition matches in addition to the 24 regular season games. The Independence will host two exhibition games at United Sports against top college programs to help prepare for the season and will also travel to play a friendly match with fellow WPS team, Washington Freedom. The Independence will first take the field together on Saturday March 20th at 3pm against women’s college soccer powerhouse University of North Carolina. A week later the Independence will travel to Washington to compete against the Freedom, who were strong contenders in last year’s WPS playoff race. The final preseason game will be played at United Sports on Thursday April 1st at 7:30pm against the Penn State Nittany Lions and will be the last opportunity for the Independence to compete together before the season kickoff.

Preseason game tickets are just $10 and available on the Independence ticketing website, but the presale will be limited to 1000 fans. Additionally, all fans who have purchased season tickets prior to March 20th are rewarded with two bonus matches, as season ticket holders will be admitted free of charge to both preseason games. Season ticket holders must present valid ID at gate for admission.

Independence Preseason Schedule Highlights

During the six week preseason, the Independence will be training long hours nearly every day, but will also have some fun in the process! On March 22nd the Independence players will get a real taste of Philadelphia in a team bus tour around the city, stopping at all the hotspots to experience everything the city has to offer. The rigors of training camp will also be broken up with team and media orientations, team and sponsor receptions, photos and publicity sessions, and even a spa visit for the players.

Independence preseason is an important time for the team to prepare for the rapidly approaching season, get acclimated to the area, and begin forming connections in the community. There will be several great opportunities for fans to get involved with the Independence, meet the players, and begin supporting the Independence as the team gears up for its inaugural season!

Visit www.independencetix.com to capitalize on a great opportunity to see the team compete before the season begins! Stay connected for more information on upcoming Independence events, player signings during preseason, and a full season game schedule at www.wpsphillyindependence.com.

About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
Headquartered in San Francisco, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the world’s premier soccer league for women with eight teams across the United States featuring the best players from around the world. WPS completed its inaugural season in August 2009 as Sky Blue FC of New Jersey became the first-ever WPS Champions. In 2010, eight teams will each play 24-game schedules from April 10-September 12 including six original WPS teams – Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) and Washington Freedom – and two expansion teams Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. For more information visit the WPS official website at www.womensprosoccer.com.

Team Introduces “Ticket Plan for Every Fan”

PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 18, 2010) The Philadelphia Independence officially announced its full game schedule for the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer season. The Independence will play a total of 24 games during the regular season, with the opportunity to play an additional three matches in the post season. During the regular season, Philadelphia will host twelve home games at their 2010 venue, West Chester University’s John A. Farrell Stadium. The season will kick off on April 11th with the franchise’s inaugural match against the Atlanta Beat at 6pm, with the final regular season game played on September 12th. All Independence home games are played on weekends, with the bulk of the matches on Sunday evenings and three Saturday games, the majority of which are played at 6pm. Highlights of the season also include an “Independence Day” home game on July 4th and a home match against FC Gold Pride on June 13th where the Independence will face 4-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, Marta. A bonus for true Philly soccer fans is that there are no schedule conflicts between Independence home games and Union home games. Time to get your tickets!!

Click for more details on the full season schedule

The Independence, in an effort to make its games accessible to all fans, introduced today, Ticket Plan for Every Fan. This program, which provides a variety of ticketing options, looks to make professional soccer accessible to everyone in the Philadelphia region. Some of the unique plans include on-field seats giving hardcore soccer enthusiasts the opportunity to sit a just a few feet from the action (think courtside seats at an NBA game!), group tickets which provide youth teams once-in-a-lifetime in-game experiences with players, flex plans which give Independence fans a chance to customize their own packages, and of course, seasons and individual tickets.

Packages include:

Season Tickets

Show your Philly pride at EVERY Independence home game! Season ticket holders will receive a discount off the gate price, a guaranteed same seat for 12 Philadelphia Independence home matches and exclusive invitations to team events. Additional benefits include savings on parking and Independence merchandise, as well as an inaugural member gift and access to game notes and weekly recaps.

Seating upgrades are also available – 18 yard line, just off center, center line, VIP on-field

“Flex” Your Independence

Can’t make it to ALL the games, but still want to come out and show your support? Not sure what your ever-changing schedule is going to be like a month from now? The flex plan will allow Independence fans to customize their own ticket packages! Fans can purchase vouchers for any combination of games and redeem them game-day at the Philadelphia Independence box office. Flex plans can be purchased in packs of 20, 10 and 6.

Group Tickets

Looking for a fun activity to share with friends or teammates? The Philadelphia Independence offers some attractively priced group packages to those who are looking to spend a fun night out with their friends, co-workers, organizations or teammates! Bring out your church group, scout troop, school, club, or just get some of your friends together for a great night with the Philadelphia Independence.

Interested in having your group serve as player escorts or part of the high-five tunnel? Has your son or daughter ever wanted to be a ball kid for a game? Call the ticket office to find out group ticketing in-game opportunities and book now! In-game opportunities are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
*Discounted packages are available to groups of 20 or more.

Special Events

Looking to motivate your staff & customers — Why not bring them out for a night of soccer in one of our unique corporate hospitality tents? Looking to celebrate your daughter’s birthday? Invite a few of her friends out for an Independence party and receive a complimentary signed mini-ball delivered by one of our players, not to mention other Independence surprises.
Individual

Now that the games are set, grab them while they’re hot! With 12 games this season, you get to see your favorite Independence players take on WPS superstars all season long. Pick and choose which games you want to attend!

Don’t miss out to see the some of the best women’s soccer in the world. Visit www.independencetix.com or contact us at 1-877-WPS-PHIL.

The season will kick off on April 11th with the franchise’s inaugural match against the Atlanta Beat, with the final regular season game played on September 12th. The Independence will play a total of 24 games during the regular season, hosting 12 and traveling everywhere from Atlanta to San Francisco for the away matches. All Independence home games are played on weekends, with the bulk of the matches on Sunday evenings and three Saturday games, the majority of which are played at 6pm. Highlights of the season also include an “Independence Day” home game on July 4th and a home match against FC Gold Pride on June 13th when the Independence will face 4-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, Marta.

A bonus for true Philly soccer fans is that there are no schedule conflicts between Independence home games and Union home games. “It’s an exciting year for the Philadelphia soccer community with the arrival of both WPS and MLS, and the schedule works out perfectly so that fans can support both the Independence and the Union franchises” says Foley. “Soccer enthusiasts will get the best of both worlds, and we are glad they have the opportunity to get behind Philadelphia professional soccer on every level.”

The WPS playoffs will follow the same format structure as last season. Four teams will make the playoffs in the unique format that rewards the team that finishes atop the WPS Regular Season. The top team during the regular season will become WPS Regular Season Champion and earn an automatic spot as host of the WPS Championship, the league’s championship game. The First Round of playoffs will be played on September 19, with the No. 4 team in the regular season facing off against the No. 3 team. The second place team in the regular season will receive a bye into the Super Semifinal and host the winner of the First Round on September 23. The winner of the Super Semifinal will then travel to the top-seeded team for the WPS Championship on September 26.

“Our home opener is just eight weeks away and the release of the full schedule makes the excitement of the season even more tangible” says Louise Waxler, Director of Operations and Associate General Manager. “Our home stadium allows us to create a fan experience like none other, where every fan is close to the action and can take part in the excitement. Through in-game opportunities, fans will have the closest possible access to professional athletes, and with our on-field seats, it is like sitting court side at a basketball game. We are so excited for the games to begin and for women’s professional soccer to be back in Philadelphia.”

Tickets to all are on sale now at www.independencetix.com! Learn more about the opportunities to purchase seasons, flex plans, groups, or single game tickets and support Philadelphia’s own Women’s Professional Soccer team. Players arrive in market on March 1 and fans will have lots of opportunities to get involved in Independence training camp, so stay tuned to learn more about the full preseason schedule of events!

WPS Expansion Teams to Battle in 2010 Season Opener

PHILADELPHIA, PA (December 18, 2009) The Philadelphia Independence Women’s Professional Soccer Team will host its inaugural match on April 11th at West Chester University’s John A. Farrell Stadium against fellow expansion team, the Atlanta Beat. For the team’s second WPS match of the 2010 season, the Boston Breakers will host the Independence on April 18th in a nationally-televised Fox Soccer Channel broadcast.

“The league’s announcement of our first two matches couldn’t be more exciting for our franchise” said General Manager Terry Foley. “Opening day against Atlanta at our home venue gives us the opportunity to get our WPS season kicked off in proper form in front of the Philly fans, with lots of hometown fanfare. This will be followed a week later when former Boston players Heather Mitts, Amy Rodriguez, and Sue Weber all return to Boston with the rest of the Independence to play the Breakers in the Sunday evening televised WPS match. These first two weeks of play provide the fans with back-to-back opportunities to watch the national and international talent we’ve assembled for our inaugural WPS season.”

With this announcement of its opening game, Independence fans are invited to purchase a $25 single game ticket to the home opener. This purchase will guarantee a spot between the 18-yard lines and entry to the home team’s inaugural match festivities at West Chester University. This offer is a 1-day Home Opener Ticket promotion that ends Saturday, December 19th at 6pm. For more information on this offer, visit: www.independencetix.ticketleap.com/2010-Home-Opener/t/WPS-League-Site.

The Independence is one of four teams hosting on the weekend of April 10-11, and it will be the first time ever that four WPS games take place over one weekend. The 2010 league kickoff has been set two weeks later than last year’s start date in order to accommodate warmer weather and avoid playing on the Easter holiday weekend. The remainder of the 2010 WPS and each team’s 24-game schedule has not been announced by the league but should be released in the upcoming weeks.

Stay tuned at www.wpsphillyindependence.com for additional Independence ticketing, player, and community partnership information.

About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the premier women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women’s professional sports are measured. The Inaugural Season kicked off in March 2009 with seven WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. The league’s eighth and nine franchises, Philadelphia and Atlanta, will begin play in the 2010 WPS Season, which kicks-off March 2010. For more information and tickets, visit www.womensprosoccer.com