The 2017 Premier Development League Playoffs are set to kick off on Tuesday with three play-in contests for a place in this weekend’s Conference Championships.
Matches for a place in the Eastern Conference Championship on Tuesday night feature the Seacoast United Phantoms vs. Reading United AC (7 p.m. ET, Amesbury Sports Park) and New York Red Bulls U23 vs. Long Island Rough Riders (7 p.m. ET, Red Bulls Training Facility). Elsewhere, the Portland Timbers U23 host Calgary Foothills FC in a Western Conference Championship play-in match (7 p.m. PT, McCulloch Stadium).
Three conferences – Southern, Central and Western – will play their semifinals on Friday before holding the final on Saturday. The Eastern Conference Championship Semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, while the final will be held on Sunday.
The Michigan Bucks – three-time PDL champions – will host the Central Conference Championship at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich., from July 21-22. The reigning PDL champion will face off against the Des Moines Menace (7:30 p.m. ET, Friday), who finished second in the Heartland Division. K-W United FC, winner of the 2015 PDL Championship, will take on 2017 Heartland Division winner the Thunder Bay Chill in the semifinals (5 p.m. ET, Friday). Five players - Francis Atuahene, Bradley Dunwell, Ken Krolicki, Lucas Stauffer and Dayne St. Clair – on the rosters of the four Central Conference sides were named to the fourth edition of the 2017 PDL Top Prospects list, including University of Michigan talent and No. 1 Top Prospect Atuahene.
South Georgia Tormenta FC will host the 2017 Eastern Conference Championship at Erk Russell Park in Statesboro, Georgia from July 22-23. The Myrtle Beach Mutiny, winners of the 2017 South Atlantic Division, and the Charlotte Eagles will await the winners of the two play-in matches between Northeast Division and Mid Atlantic Division clubs. Seeding of the play-in match winners will be determined by regular season points, with the lower seed facing off against the Mutiny at 6 p.m. ET and the higher seed playing the Eagles at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday evening. The final will take place at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Mississippi Brilla FC, which finished second in the Mid South Division, will host the Southern Conference Championship in Clinton, Miss., from July 21-22. UPDATE: Brilla FC will face off against 2017 Southeast Division winners SIMA Aguilas at 7:30 p.m. CT, while OKC Energy U23 – two-time Mid South Division champions – will play FC Miami City at 5 p.m. CT on Friday. The final will be held at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday.
FC Tucson, 2017 Mountain Division winner, is the host of the Western Conference Championship at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz., from July 21-22. UPDATE: The club will face off against the Fresno Fuego, who finished second in the Southwest Division, at 8 p.m. MT on Friday. The FC Golden State Force, winners of the Southwest Division, will play either the Timbers U23 or Foothills FC in Friday’s second semifinal at 6 p.m. MT. The final is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT on Saturday.
The four conference champions will be reseeded based on total points ahead of the PDL Semifinals on July 29, with total wins and goal differential serving as the first and second tiebreakers, respectively. The PDL Championship will take place on Aug. 5.
2017 PDL Playoffs Schedule
TUESDAY
Eastern Conference Play-In
7 p.m. ET – New York Red Bulls U23 vs. Long Island Rough Riders (Watch Live)
7 p.m. ET – Seacoast United Phantoms vs. Reading United AC
Western Conference Play-In
7 p.m. PT – Portland Timbers U23 vs. Calgary Foothills FC
FRIDAY
Southern Conference Semifinals
5 p.m. CT – OKC Energy U23 vs. FC Miami City
7:30 p.m. CT – SIMA Aguilas vs. Mississippi Brilla FC
Central Conference Semifinals
5 p.m. ET – Thunder Bay Chill vs. K-W United FC
7:30 p.m. ET – Michigan Bucks vs. Des Moines Menace
Western Conference Semifinals
6 p.m. MT – FC Golden State Force vs. Portland Timbers U23/Calgary Foothills FC
8 p.m. MT – Fresno Fuego vs. FC Tucson
SATURDAY
Eastern Conference Semifinals
6 p.m. ET – Myrtle Beach Mutiny vs. New York Red Bulls U23/Long Island Rough Riders/Seacoast United Phantoms/Reading United AC*
8:30 p.m. ET - New York Red Bulls U23/Long Island Rough Riders/Seacoast United Phantoms/Reading United AC* vs. Charlotte Eagles
*Seeds for play-in winners will be determined by regular season points
Southern Conference Final
7 p.m. CT – Semifinal Winners
Central Conference Final
7 p.m. CT – Semifinal Winners
Western Conference Final
7 p.m. MT – Semifinal Winners
SUNDAY
Eastern Conference
8 p.m. ET – Semifinal Winners
About PDL: The developmental leader in North American soccer's evolving tiered structure, the PDL features 72 teams within four conferences throughout the United States and Canada. The PDL has proven to be an important stepping-stone for top professionals, with nearly 70 percent of MLS draftees since 2010 having PDL experience. Nineteen of the PDL's current members are owned and operated by a professional club, or hold a partnership with a professional club. The PDL provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions.
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