Kaw Valley, Union Dubuque visit Menace
Heading into the last weekend of June, the Menace needs to win one more PDL match to seal a playoff spot and the division title.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Thursday, June 28, 2018 – A Des Moines Menace victory tomorrow would mean payback, a postseason berth and the division crown.
Opening a Friday-Saturday doubleheader, the Menace gets another shot at Kaw Valley FC, which returns to Valley Stadium six days after derailing Des Moines’ perfect start to the Premier Development League season. The Menace hosts Union Dubuque FC in an all-Iowa exhibition the next night.
The 9-0-1 Menace needs to win one of its four remaining league matches to claim the Heartland Division championship.
Kaw Valley (5-4-2) has climbed into second place in the division. The first-year club from Kansas is on a three-game unbeaten streak that includes last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against the Menace.
On the horizon for head coach Alen Marcina’s Menace are a couple more Friday-Saturday doubleheaders and hopefully the franchise’s fifth straight appearance in the PDL Playoffs.
Related link: Fans’ Gameday Guide
KAW VALLEY FC at DES MOINES MENACE
DATE and TIME: Friday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m.
VENUE: Valley Stadium (artificial-turf field) in West Des Moines, Iowa
COMPETITION: Premier Development League regular season
LIVE STREAM: https://CISN.tv
LIVE UPDATES: https://twitter.com/MenaceSoccer
PRESENTED BY: CBRE Commercial Real Estate/Hubbell Homes
UNION DUBUQUE FC at DES MOINES MENACE
DATE and TIME: Saturday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m.
VENUE: Valley Stadium (artificial-turf field) in West Des Moines, Iowa
COMPETITION: Exhibition
LIVE UPDATES: https://twitter.com/MenaceSoccer
PRECEDED BY: 4:30 p.m. Women’s Premier Soccer League match, Kansas City Courage at Des Moines Menace
ABOUT THE MENACE
- 9-0-1 – tying Reading United AC for the best record in the PDL.
- Has outscored foes 26-4 – 7-0 before halftime and 19-4 after halftime.
- Tied with New York Red Bulls U23 for the league’s best goal differential (+22).
- Has not trailed a PDL opponent this season; not counting 0-0 beginnings, has been tied for 18 total minutes in league play.
- Kino Ryosuke has scored 11 goals, just one behind PDL leader Samuel Villava (FC Golden State Force).
- First-year head coach Alen Marcina is assisted by Dario Pot and goalkeeping coach Devala Gorrick.
- Entered the franchise’s 25th season with an all-time record of 267-154-37 (237-126-37 regular season; 16-16 PDL playoffs; 14-12 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup).
- Five-time PDL Heartland Division champion (2002, 2009, 2014-16).
ABOUT KAW VALLEY FC
- 5-4-2 (second place in the Heartland Division), coming off a 2-0, inter-conference win at Oklahoma City Energy U23 on Tuesday.
- First-year club and a developmental partner with Sporting Kansas City.
- Head coach Istvan Urbanyi played for the 2001 Menace team that reached the PDL Final Four. Urbanyi played in more than 400 pro matches, including time in the 1997 Major League Soccer season with the San Jose Clash (led by Laurie Calloway, who was the head coach of the 2001-02 and 2010-12 Menace).
- Tucker Stephenson, who played for the 2017 Menace, leads the Cranes with seven goals in eight matches. He scored against his former team in the second half of Des Moines’ 2-1 win on June 1.
- Roster features Nic James and Lucas Bartlett, who were also part of the 2017 Menace.
ALL-TIME SERIES: MENACE vs. KAW VALLEY
- The Menace leads 1-0-1, and this is the teams’ last scheduled meeting of 2018.
- Kaw Valley rallied to force a 1-1 tie last Saturday (June 23) at Valley Stadium.
- In the teams’ first-ever meeting, the Menace won 2-1 on June 1 at Rock Chalk Park on the Kansas University campus.
ABOUT UNION DUBUQUE FC
- 1-4-0 in the United Premier Soccer League.
- First-year club that competes in the UPSL Midwest Conference – Central Division.
- On a three-match losing streak since a 2-1 win at Joliet United SC on May 27.
- Hosted the Menace in a lightning-shortened friendly on May 19; Des Moines won 6-1 in its only preseason tune-up.
PDL HEARTLAND DIVISION STANDINGS
- MENACE – 9-0-1, 28 points
- KAW VALLEY FC – 5-4-2, 17 points
- Chicago FC United – 5-3-1, 16 points
- Thunder Bay Chill – 4-4-0, 12 points
- St. Louis Lions – 2-3-2, 8 points
- WSA Winnipeg – 0-11-0, 0 points
RECAPPING LAST SATURDAY’S 1-1 DRAW
- The Menace settled for a tie with Kaw Valley FC at Valley Stadium.
- Des Moines took the lead in the 78th minute, thanks to Audi Jepson’s fourth goal of the season; Kaw Valley’s Prichard Sibanda equalized in the 84th minute.
UP NEXT: TWO MORE FRIDAY-SATURDAY DOUBLE-DIPS
- The Menace hosts Chicago FC United July 6-7, starting with a Fireworks Friday.
- Des Moines wraps up its schedule July 13 (St. Louis Lions) and July 14 (Aurora Borealis).
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