Tucson’s Women’s side resumes play after year-long hiatus; WPSL Desert Division Coach of the Year Kelly Pierce returns as Head Coach
TUCSON, Ariz. (April. 27, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today that the club’s women’s side, FC Tucson Women (FCTW), will return to play for the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) 2021 summer season. With this announcement, the club looks to build its roster through a player trials event led by Head Coach Kelly Pierce.
“After a year-long hiatus, we are delighted to make this long-awaited announcement of FC Tucson Women’s return to action,” said Amanda Powers, President of FC Tucson. “Our women’s side is a major piece of our club and I can’t wait to see much more success for Kelly Pierce and her staff. This club is committed to growing the game at all levels and this commitment would not be possible without FC Tucson Women.”
FC Tucson Women returns to play after the WPSL’s April of 2020 decision to forgo the 2020 season due to COVID-19. FCTW will kick off its 2021 WPSL campaign at Kino North Stadium against El Paso Surf on Friday, June 4 at 7 pm MST, followed by three home matches and four away matches in WPSL Desert Conference play.
The club will build its roster through a player trials event that will be held on Sunday, May 16 at the Kino Sports Complex.
Former FC Tucson Women player and captain, Kelly Pierce, will return as the club’s head coach. The Tucson native was first named the club’s head coach ahead of the 2019 season and earned WPSL Desert Division Coach of the Year honors in her first year at the helm. In 2019, Pierce led FCTW to a 6-1-1 record, tied for first atop the Desert Division. Charlie MacCabe will serve as the team administrator, having led FCTW’s team operations since the team’s inception in 2013. MacCabe was one of the key figures in the development of Tucson’s Women’s Premier Soccer League franchise and brings soccer coaching experience from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Tennessee.
“Our whole staff and everyone behind the scenes is very excited to come back,” said Kelly Pierce. “The WPSL hiatus was unfortunate but it was the safest thing to do at the time. We are excited about the coming season and have every expectation that we will be bringing some quality women’s soccer to Kino Stadium again this year.”
FC Tucson will compete in their sixth season WPSL season and currently hold an overall 26-11-8 record. During the 2018 season, FC Tucson only recorded one loss in the regular season and reached the WPSL Regional Finals for the West Region after finishing second in the regular-season conference standings.
Interested players should register for the May 16 tryout at https://www.fctucson.com/fctwomentrials. Contact Team Administrator Charlie MacCabe at charliemacc2@msn.com/520-405-6535 for additional information.
The full 2021 WPSL schedule can be found at wpslsoccer.com/schedule. Information on WPSL regular season tickets and match-streaming will be released at a later date.
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About FC Tucson Women
FC Tucson Women, Arizona’s Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) franchise, was founded in 2013 by the Tucson Soccer Academy (TSA). In 2015, the team came under the umbrella of FC Tucson. This is the only WPSL franchise in Southern Arizona. FC Tucson Women play in the six-team Desert Conference of the WPSL. The team consists of high-level youth, college, and adult players primarily from Southern Arizona.
About WPSL
WPSL was formed in 1998 as an independent league with a focus on creating a venue for the development of high-level women’s soccer. More than 70 teams from across the country compete in a season that runs from May 1 to August 1, culminating in a league championship tournament the final weekend in July. The WPSL is affiliated with the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). For more information on the WPSL visit wpslsoccer.com/home.
