5/25/07 -- BUCKS READY FOR TOUGH STRETCH RUN BEGINNING SATURDAY
JAFTA NAMED PDL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Canton, MI (May 25, 2007)- The 2006 North American Champion Michigan Bucks will encounter their first difficult stretch of games when they host last year's Division Champion Chicago on Saturday, then play at Indiana on Monday, before coming back home to take on Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew on Wednesday. If three games in six days were not enough of a challenge early in the season, the Bucks must come away with positive results in both league matches to qualify for their unprecedented seventh US Open Cup in eleven years. Chicago comes into Saturday afternoon's match (5:00 PM Kickoff at Independence Park in Canton) with a record of 2-0-2, having tied the Toronto Lynx earlier today. The Bucks have a great opportunity to not only knock Chicago from the Open Cup race, but can also put some much needed distance between themselves in the standings. Saturday's match is sponsored by Canton Youth Soccer Association and will be played as part of the 25th Annual Canton Cup Memorial Weekend Tournament. Organizers have purchased the entire gate for the huge match between two of the top teams in PDL history so that all the teams participating in the tournament as well as the general public will be able to get in for free. Bleacher seating will be limited and a huge crowd is expected, so organizers are allowing fans to bring their own seats as well. "We plan to allow the fans to sit pretty much around most of the field, so it will be quite an intimate setting for soccer. The kids will be right on the action the whole game," said Bucks GM Dave Morgan.
The Bucks will also be selling tickets to the Wednesday match against the Crew at Hurley Field in Berkley (7:30 kickoff) at the tournament all day Saturday. Tickets for the match on game day are $15 (under 5 free), but the Bucks are having a special pre sale of just $10 on all tickets purchased before Wednesday. Tickets can be bought at one of the Bucks ticket outlets listed below or on the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com. As a special Memorial Day gift to the fans at the Canton Cup, every fan buying a minimum of 2 Bucks/Crew tickets at the Bucks tent will receive a 3" x 5" American flag to help celebrate the special weekend.
For more information, visit the team web site at www.buckssoccer.com.
George's Soccer 3837 Rochester Rd., Troy 48083 248-528-2948
George's Soccer 27051 Southfield Rd., Lathrup Village 48076 248-557-1166
Trading Post 1009 Ann Arbor Rd., Plymouth 48170 734-453-0022
Soccer Plus 37629 5 Mile Rd., Livonia 48154 734-432-0222
Soccer Plus 1952 S. Industrial Hwy., Ann Arbor 48104 734-214-7000
Soccer Plus 2191 Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills 48302 248-758-0222
Soccer Plus 21952 23 Mile Rd., Macomb Township 48042 586-598-8400
Soccer Stop 34356 Utica Rd., Fraser 48026 586-296-5227
Tool Sport & Sign 1060 S. Lapeer Rd., Oxford 48371 248-969-5850
JAFTA NAMED PDL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Michigan Bucks star attacking midfielder Nate Jafta received the highest honor that the United Soccer League (USL) doles out each week, as he was selected PDL Player of the Week from all 63 clubs. In the Bucks first week of action this season, they beat the West Michigan Edge 4-0 on the road and Cleveland 2-0 at home last Friday night. Jafta didn't take long to pick up where he left off last year, as he was the leading scorer in the Premier Development League playoffs with 4 goals and 4 assists in 4 playoff games. Jafta opened the first game with a goal and an assist and then came back in the home opener to set up both Bucks goals against Cleveland. Jafta was the PDL assist leader last year and is off to another great start this year. The sophomore (Lindsey Wilson College) from South Africa would like to have a repeat performance against Chicago on Saturday as he did in the playoffs last year in Des Moines, IA. Although tightly marked by a strong Fire defense, the speedy attacker still managed to score three goals and add an assist in the Bucks 4-1 elimination of Chicago, on their way to their first North American PDL championship.
