Newcomers help St. Louis Lions Defeat Rochester Thunder in Home Opener

Newcomers help St. Louis Lions Defeat Rochester Thunder in Home Opener

St. Louis, Mo. (May 11, 2009)- Newcomers scored both goals for St. Louis as the Lions defeated the Rochester Thunder 2-1 on Sunday night in their home opener at the Tony Glavin Soccer Complex in Cottleville, Mo.

St. Louis came out and pressured Rochester early, earning four corner kicks in the first six minutes of the match. The sustained pressure paid off when the Lions got on the board first with a header from newcomer and midfielder Stuart Wark that came off a cross from Olly Dyson.

Following the goal, the pressure from St. Louis continued and the Lions scored again in the 36^th minute on their 10^th shot of the half when forward Steven Beattie set-up newcomer Stephen Brocks to make it 2-0 in favor of St. Louis.

"We're counting on a lot of new players (Wark, Beattie & Brocks) to play key roles on the team this year and I'm very pleased with they way they stepped up today," said Lions Head Coach Tony Glavin.

Rochester added a goal off a corner kick in the 47^th minute when, but it was their only score of the match and St. Louis went on to win the match 2-1.

With the victory, the Lions improve to 1-0-0 on the season and in U.S. Open Cup qualifying. Meanwhile, the Thunder, who are in their first season in the Premier Development League, fall to 0-2-0. The Lions' next match will be Friday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. against the Springfield Demize.

For more information about the Lions and upcoming matches, visit www.stllions.com.

The St. Louis Lions are set to begin their fourth season as a member of the United Soccer League's (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) where players have the ability to compete throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest-levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment within their city. The PDL consistently sends players into the professional ranks with several playing in the USL First and Second Professional Divisions as well as 39 players with PDL experience chosen in the 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. In just three prior seasons the Lions have competed in the U.S. Open Cup(2008), PDL playoffs(2007), won the Rookie Franchise of the Year Award(2006) and currently have five former players playing professional soccer.

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Colin Pennington

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colin.pennington@brightonusa.com