BOULDER RAPIDS RESERVE TO HOST PDL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL ON AUGUST 3

Affiliate Club Seeks First Championship Berth on Saturday at Pleasant View Field

DENVER (Wednesday, July 31, 2002) - The Colorado Rapids top Premier Developmental League affiliate, the Boulder Rapids Reserve, will host a national semifinal match at Pleasant View Field in Boulder on Saturday, August 3 at 5:00 p.m. when they take on the Southern California Seahorses, it was announced by the United Soccer Leagues.

The Rapids Reserve made a late-season surge in the standings to qualify for the PDL Playoffs, where they defeated the Great Lakes Division champion, the Chicago Fire Reserves, 3-1, on July 26.

The Rapids Reserve, led by head coach and Colorado Rapids assistant Mike Seabolt, feature several future stars of American soccer, including Eastern Illinois University sophomore Jason Thompson, who was selected recently to travel with the United States Under-23 National Team on their four-game trip to England. Thompson registered 12 goals and two assists in 13 games during the 2002 PDL regular season.

The Boulder Rapids Reserve, having recently completed its third season, competes in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference in Premier Development. The PDL was established in as an opportunity for players to compete in a professional atmosphere without forfeiting their collegiate eligibility or amateur status.

The team began as the Boulder Nova in 2000, and formed a relationship with the Major League Soccer Rapids just prior to the 2002 season. Boulder joins the Chicago Fire Reserves as the only PDL teams with a direct affiliation to their MLS clubs.

Tickets for the semifinal match against Southern California, priced at only $5, are available at Rocky Mountain Soccer (on the corner of Iris and 28th in Boulder) or by calling the Rapids Reserve hotline at 303-431-9126.

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