FC Buffalo is proud to announce the entry of a second team into the United Women’s Soccer landscape with our acceptance into UWS League Two.
The team builds on the accolade-collecting achievements of the coaching staff and players of our inaugural team, which won the East Conference regular season and came within a win of the national semifinals.
We’ll announce details on our second team — name, coaches, evaluation opportunities, schedule — in the coming weeks and months, but here’s what we can tell you:
- UWS2 — and these are our words — is a breakthrough program for development at the level as it is travel-tamed and cost-conscious while delivering high-level play that prepares players for our first team in UWS as well as their next steps in club and college soccer.
- The season runs in the same window as UWS, which was allow FCB to keep a wider pool of top players engaged and growing as we build on our 2021 East Conference regular season championship.
- We are extremely pleased that our longtime men’s Erie County derby rivals, Erie Commodores, will be joining us in UWS2.
- A minimum of two other clubs will join us in the Lake Erie Conference and you’ll be very pleased by their identities. UWS2 does include “second teams” of UWS1 clubs but also independent clubs introducing themselves to the standards of United Women’s Soccer
Here’s the UWS press release on the launch of the Lake Erie Conference, and below is a quote from club owner Nick Mendola on the decision to form the conference under the leadership of Stephanie Cleaves.
“UWS League Two is one of the best-designed, club-conscious, and player-beneficial ideas we’ve seen in our 13 years as a club, and we’re very excited to give our talent-rich city an even bigger showcase while helping in the development of future UWS stars and coaches,” said FC Buffalo co-owner Nick Mendola. “Our offseason has seen the blossoming of some terrific relationships which will undoubtedly aid the landscape of Western New York soccer.”
Don’t hesitate to contact wolf@fcbuffalo.org with any questions on UWS, UWS2, and opportunities within the club.
