Richmond, VA – (Wednesday, April 8, 2009) – The Richmond Kickers return to the University of Richmond Stadium (just off the Downtown Expressway) on Saturday, April 18th to host the Harrisburg City Islanders and College Night. College students can present their college identification at the gate to purchase tickets for just $5.00. Additionally, college students are invited to attend a Pre-Game Party at New York Deli in Carytown, 5:00pm-6:30pm. The first 500 fans through the gate will receive a Richmond Kickers t-shirt, courtesy of Dr. Babik and Crossridge Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, the official dentist of the Richmond Kickers.
The Kickers opened the 2009 season with a 1-0 victory over USL First Division side Carolina RailHawks on April 4th. After nearly finishing with a scoreless draw, Kickers forward Matthew Delicâte celebrated his return to Richmond with a 90th minute game-winner. Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale’s gallant efforts in the net earned the Kickers a clean sheet and a victory to kickoff the 2009 campaign.
The regular season officially opens on April 18th when the Kickers host USL-2 rivals Harrisburg City Islanders. Over the past three seasons, the Kickers hold a narrow 3-2-2 record over the Islanders. The heated rivalry continues as Richmond has not forgotten the 2007 USL-2 Championship match when Harrisburg stripped the defending champions of their title after nine-rounds of nail-biting penalty kicks.
Join Kickers fans for the Pre-Game Party at New York Deli in Carytown before the game and take advantage of discounts and specials from 5:00 pm until 6:30 pm on Saturday, April 18th. Mention the Kickers for half-price burgers and $.35 chicken wings. After the game, meet and mingle with the players at the Post-Game Party at Home Team Grill in the Fan.
Richmond Kickers 17th Season
The Richmond Kickers enter into their 17th season as a member of the United Soccer Leagues family since 1993. Over the past 16 seasons, Richmond has qualified for post-season play 13 times, including six Championship appearances. The Kickers reached the title match in 2007 for the fourth time in the past six seasons, narrowly missing their second consecutive league title after nine rounds of penalties. Richmond’s five previous league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006) include winning the Premier League title in 1995, a shoot-out loss to Seattle in the USL First Division final in 2005 and taking the USL Second Division crown in 2006. In 2008, the Kickers fell short of another Championship berth after falling 1-0 in overtime to the eventual champions, Cleveland City Stars.
