Ohio Valley Premier League
Founded2019
CountryUnited States
ConfederationCONCACAF
Number of teamsMen - 22; Women - 12
Domestic cup(s)U.S. Open Cup
National Amateur Cup
Current championsOhio Premier (Summer 2023)
Most championshipsKings Hammer SC (1); Ohio Galaxies FC (1); Evansville Legends FC (1); Valhalla FC (1); 1927 SC (1); Ohio Premier (1)
Top goalscorerFin Sallows (24)
TV partnersYouTube.com
Websiteovplsoccer.com
Current: N/A

The Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) is a USASA-affiliated league through US Club Soccer that includes teams from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The regular season of the OVPL runs May through July. It is the only premier U23 adult amateur league in the region.

The men's division was announced in November 2019 and the women's division was announced in February 2020. Both were due to begin play in summer 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer season was cancelled and a fall season was started. In 2021, the OVPL also hosted a spring season.

Background

The OVPL is a competitive soccer circuit to offer the only amateur competition throughout the Ohio Valley (Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia) region.[1]

The Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) has received sanctioning from US Club Soccer and is set to kick off in May 2020. A first of its kind in the region, the OVPL will seek to provide a competitive league for players of all ages, beginning with a competitive amateur men's division.

As a league, the OVPL will operate within Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to help local communities grow the beautiful game through competitive matches and local soccer culture. The amateur men's division allows for players as young as sixteen (16) years old to compete in a structure that provides an opportunity for competition in the country's longest-running tournament in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Due to the structure of the OVPL, no players will jeopardize amateur status within their youth clubs, high schools, or universities.

With the sanctioning of the OVPL through US Club Soccer, the regionalized league is a first of its kind for the Ohio Valley area.

Clubs

Current

Men's Division[2]

Team City Stadium Founded Joined OVPL Head coach Other Affiliation
Indy Saints FC Indianapolis, IN Cardinal Ritter High School 2017 2020 TBD WPSL
Lexington Landsharks Lexington, KY Transylvania University 2019 2020 TBD N/A
Cincy SC Cincinnati, OH TBD 2015 2020 TBD N/A
Valhalla FC Milford, OH Milford High School 2018 2020 TBD N/A
Cincinnati Swerve Fairfield, OH Fairfield High School 2015 2020 Rudy Argueta PASL
Ohio Premier Soccer Club Plain City, OH OP Training Facility 1993 2020 TBD ECNL
Croatia Juniors Mentor, OH Mentor High School 1957 2020 TBD GLA/NPL
Ohio Galaxies FC Dayton, OH DOC Stadium 1974 2020 Arturo Rodriguez USL2
Hoosier FC Noblesville, IN TBD 2003 2020 TBD N/A
Cincinnati Saints SC Crestview Hills, KY Thomas More University 2020 2020 TBD N/A
Clermont County FC Batavia, OH TBD 2020 2020 Tim Farrell N/A
Dana Gardens FC/Xavier Club Norwood, OH Xavier University 2020 2020 Steve Abbenhaus N/A
Northern Kentucky FC Highland Heights, KY Highland Heights Soccer Field 2015 2020 Sean Eubanks N/A
Cleveland Force SC Willoughby, OH Lost Nation Sports Park TBD 2021 Bill Lawrence USL2
Soccer Field Academy Grove City, OH Grove City Christian School 2016 2021 James Field Super Y League
Century United Pittsburgh, PA Century Field 1984 2021 John Lichina WPSL
Blast FC Marengo, OH Highland High School 1986 2021 TBD TBD
Evansville Legends FC Evansville, IN Old National Bank Field 2021 2021 Jesse Sharp TBD
Club Ohio Dublin, OH TBD 1997 2021 TBD TBD
Wheeling Highlanders FC Wheeling, WV East Wheeling Turf Field 2021 2021 Ryan Wall N/A
Old Bhoys SC Indianapolis, IN Cardinal Ritter High School 2017 2021 Steve Bushre N/A
University of Cincinnati Men's Club Soccer Cincinnati, Ohio Gettler Stadium 2001 2021 Randy Anderson Midwest Alliance Soccer Conference
Ambassadors FC Ohio (AFC Ohio)[3] Macedonia, Ohio Pioneer Park / CVCA Stadium 1990 (as Ambassadors in Sport) / 2021 (as AFC Ohio) 2022 Ryan Dean[4] NOSL

Women's Division

Team City Stadium Founded Joined OVPL Head coach Other Affiliation
Lexington Fillies Lexington, KY Transylvania University 2019 2020 Jim Borman N/A
Cincinnati Sirens FC I Fairfield, OH Fairfield High School 2016 2020 Jake Morrison WPSL/PASL
Cincinnati Saints SC Crestview Hills, KY Thomas More University 2020 2020 TBD N/A
Cincinnati Saints SC II Crestview Hills, KY Thomas More University 2020 2020 TBD N/A
Cleveland Ambassadors FC I Macedonia, OH Nordonia High School 1990 2020 TBD WPSL
Club Ohio Dublin, OH TBD 1997 2021 TBD TBD
Empire FC Bridgeport, WV Bridgeport Recreational Complex 2018 2021 Hannah Abraham TBD
Ohio Premier Soccer Club Plain City, OH OP Training Facility 1993 2021 TBD ECNL
Cincinnati Sirens FC II Fairfield, OH Fairfield High School 2016 2021 TBD PASL
Ohio Galaxies FC Dayton, OH DOC Stadium 1974 2021 Javier Iriart WPSL
Croatia Juniors Mentor, OH Mentor High School 1957 2021 TBD GLA/NPL

Former

Team Founded Joined OVPL Left OVPL Other Affiliation Notes
Cincinnati Dutch Lions 2013 2020 2020 USL League Two Club folded
FC Pride 2001 2020 2021 WPSL Hiatus
Kings Hammer SC 2012 2020 2021 USL2/USLW Hiatus
1927 SC 1927 2022 2022 N/A Moved to Midwest Premier League

Champions

Season League Champions River Division Valley Division
2023 Summer Ohio Premier Valhalla FC Spire Academy
2022 Summer 1927 SC 1927 SC Wheeling Highlanders FC
2021/22 Fall/Spring Valhalla FC N/A N/A
2021 Summer Evansville Legends FC Evansville Legends FC Ohio Premier
2021 Spring Ohio Galaxies FC N/A N/A
2020 Fall Kings Hammer SC N/A N/A
2020 Summer Pandemic cancelled N/A N/A

Summer season is split into Valley and River Divisions.

Notable players

Notable former players

References

  1. ^ "OVPL to begin play in 2020!".
  2. ^ "Ohio Valley Premier League". ovplsoccer.com. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  3. ^ "Ambassadors Football Club". Ambassadors Football Club. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Ryan Dean - Men's Soccer Coaching Profile". LinkdIn. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "Men's Soccer Alum Adjei Called up to USA 6 National Team". April 9, 2019.
  6. ^ "Kalu Abass".
  7. ^ "Risers late rally short circuts BC Swerve in M2 season opner in Cincinnati".
  8. ^ "Andrew Norman".
  9. ^ "Ryan Gray".
  10. ^ "Sean Eubanks".
  11. ^ "Triumph SC Signs Defender Jacob Goodall". March 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "Maxwell Miller | FC Cincinnati".
  13. ^ "Register". Retrieved September 14, 2023 – via linkedin.
  14. ^ @ADChalatenango (January 9, 2023). "Register" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "Homegrown talent Diallo Irakoze signs with Lexington Sporting Club". www.lexsporting.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  16. ^ "Abubakar Kasule Returns To Express". www.the-sportsnation.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  17. ^ "Charlie Trout Toma El Mando De La Selección Masculina En Puerto Rico De Cara A Las Próxima Ventana De La Liga De Naciones". www.fpfpuertorico.com (in Spanish). Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  18. ^ https://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/2024/draft-tracker

External links

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