Dayton, OH, January 31, 2018 - Dayton Dutch Lions FC has made the decision to not field a Womens Premier Soccer League team in the 2018 season. The Lions will take a one-year hiatus, but look to feature a WPSL squad again in 2019. Dayton has played at the highest level of women's amateur soccer since its start in 2011.
"The women's team has been a regular part of our summer program for the past six years and it was a difficult decision to not have a squad this summer," shared General Manager Ric Campbell. "We played our first four seasons in the W-League and the past two in the WPSL with much success, but felt the need to regroup after a tough off-season."
"We have always provided a top-notch experience for our players and we did not believe that we could do that for this summer. As this decision is not easy, it is the right one for now. The women's program has had outstanding success and is the standard at which we want to operate. This short break will allow us to insure that high level of operation again in 2019."
The program has yielded great results with the team being honored with the USL W-League Fair Play Award in both 2011 and 2013, as well as being awarded the USL W-League Organization of the Year in 2013. The team also earned Conference Championships in 2013 and 2016, which provided an automatic berth in the playoffs.
Individually, the development of former players such as Rose Lavelle, Claire Falknor, Emilie Fillion, Alex Warren, Brittany Persaud and Sylvia Nooij, led to their signing of professional contracts in Europe.
~ On January 12, 2017, Lavelle was selected as the number one overall draft pick at the 2017 NWSL draft by the Boston Breakers. Lavelle started her professional career well, scoring 2 goals in 8 games. She also made her first appearance for the United States National Team on March 4, 2017, during a match against England at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. She was named Player of the Match following the team's 1–0 loss. She has joined the Washington Spirit in the NWSL for the 2018 season.
~ Centerville native, Falknor signed with Bayern Munich (Germany) in January, 2016. She made her professional debut on February 13, coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute against Koln. On February 24, 2017 Falknor signed with the Houston Dash of the NWSL and will continue with them this year.
~ Emilie Fillion signed with FC Twente (Holland) on February 7, 2014. While playing with Dayton in 2013, she scored on a bicycle kick that was on ESPN's Top Ten and has just under a million views on DDL YouTube. She moved to the German Bundesliga and played for Duisburg in 2015 before returning to Canada.
~ Sylvia Nooij was the first alumni to ink a professional contract when she signed with ADO Den Haag (Holland). She played six seasons for Den Haag winning the Dutch National Championship and Dutch CUP twice. She also played six games for the Dutch National Team. Unfortunately she passed away this past summer at the age of 32.
"Our women's program has proven to be the most successful part of the Dutch Lions FC vision of being "The Gateway to Professional Soccer", as numerous alumni have and are enjoying professional and international success," said Club Founder, Mike Mossel. "We are proud of their accomplishments and the part that we played in the development of Women's soccer in the Dayton region and look forward to picking that back up next year."
The club will utilize the next 12 months to prepare for the 2019 season, but also will provide greater focus to the Select Youth Academy and the Men's USL PDL team.
The Dayton Dutch Lions FC Youth Academy offers a training program combining the technical skill and game knowledge the Dutch are known for with the American sports mentality. This winning combination ensures us that every player playing for the Dayton Dutch Lions FC Academy will develop their skills and tactical knowledge to the fullest of their ability.
The Men's USL PDL team, led by new coach Dan Griest, will play start playing again in May. The roster is being worked on currently and player signings will be forthcoming.
For more information, please visit our website www.ddlfc.com or contact us at 937-530-2123.