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 Cortland Regional Sports Council Brings the 2006-08 New York State Girls Soccer Championships to Cortland.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) has awarded the girls soccer state championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008 to the Cortland area, the Cortland Regional Sports Council (CRSC) announced today.
"This is a feather in the cap for Cortland County," said Machell Phelps, the CRSC executive director. "Practically every school district in New York State has a girls soccer team and, for the next three years, the best teams will be competing to make it to the championship matches played right here in Cortland."
The contests will take place at SUNY Cortland, Tompkins-Cortland Community College and Homer High School.
"Beyond the prestige for the local community, there is also an economic benefit," added Phelps. "There will be 20 teams coming here, along with their families, friends and soccer fans from Buffalo to Long Island and from the Adirondacks to the Southern Tier. They will fill our hotels and eat in our restaurants."
The tournament falls on the third week of November. This year's championships will be held on Nov 16-18, 2006. There are 10 matches on Friday and five matches on Saturday with teams vying in Classes AA, A, B, C and D. A banquet will be held in Cortland on that Thursday evening for all the teams that make the tournament.
The Cortland Regional Sports Council, which helped to bring the Lumberjack Festival to the McDonald Sports Complex and American Junior Legion baseball championships to SUNY Cortland last year, worked closely with SUNY Cortland, Homer High and Tompkins-Cortland Community College in securing the soccer championships.
I think this truly shows the potential in partnering for sports related events," added Phelps, whose organization brought more than $1 million into the local economy in 2005."The possibilities are endless."
Phelps also credited Peter Lautensack, the Section Three Soccer Committee chair, as a key figure in assisting the CRSC throughout the process.
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