2017 Premier Development League (PDL) Playoffs
The 2017 PDL Playoffs are underway as teams continue their goal of reaching the PDL Championship held on August 5th. 2016 Champions Michigan Bucks return for another run in postseason play along with other standout clubs looking to bring home a title in the coming weeks.
PDL Soccer News: The 2017 Premier Development League (PDL) Playoffs will continue to play on Friday with three play-in contests set during this weekend’s Conference Championships.
Three conferences – Southern, Central and Western – will play their semifinals on Friday before hosting 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, Michigan, from July 21-22. The reigning PDL champion will take on the Des Moines Menace (7:30 p.m. ET, Friday), who finished second in the Heartland Division. K-W United FC, the winner of the 2015 PDL Championship, faces off against the Thunder Bay Chill, the 2017 Heartland Division winner, 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.
Mississippi Brilla FC, which finished second in the Mid South Division, will host the Southern Conference Championship in Clinton, Miss., from July 21-22. Brilla FC will face off against 2017 Southeast Division winners SIMA Aguilas at 5 p.m. CT, while OKC Energy U23 – two-time Mid South Division champions – will play FC Miami City at 7:30 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, Arizona, from July 21-22. The club will face off against the Fresno Fuego, who finished second in the Southwest Division, at 6 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 8 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 29th, with total wins and goal differential serving as the first and second tiebreakers, respectively. The PDL Championship will take place on August 5th.
2017 PDL Playoffs Schedule
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
8 p.m. MT – Fresno Fuego vs. FC Tucson
Saturday
Eastern Conference Semifinals
6 p.m. ET – Myrtle Beach Mutiny vs. Long Island Rough Riders
8:30 p.m. ET – Seacoast United Phantoms vs. Charlotte Eagles.
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.
