Michael Creswick (9) and Jamal Lis-Simmons (17) are part of the Stockade squad taking on Newtown Pride FC in a preseason friendly.
KINGSTON, N.Y. -- The NPSL season might not start until May, but Kingston Stockade FC will give local fans a preview of the second-year club this month.
Stockade FC announced its first home date of the season, as the Hudson Valley club will host a friendly against Newtown Pride FC from Connecticut on Saturday, April 22 at 3 p.m. ET at Dietz Stadium.
The match will present local fans with their first look at the new squad, as well the chance to see first-year head coach David Lindholm make his first appearance on the touchline.
Lindholm sees the friendly as a chance for both the fans and himself to see how the new team performs in a match-type atmosphere.
"This match is a perfect opportunity to play a quality opponent and continue to prepare for the season opener on May 6," said Lindholm. "We'll be able to test our fitness, see players in different positions, and get a sense of how we'll play during the season."
Club founder Dennis Crowley sees this as a chance to build some early buzz for what he thinks will be a great sophomore campaign.
"We're incredibly excited for our second season," said club founder Dennis Crowley. "This will be a great chance for our fans to get a look at our new team while spending an afternoon with friends and family watching some great soccer."
Established in 1998, Newtown Pride FC is based in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. The club plays in the Connecticut Soccer League, and are reigning league champs, having won the league's 2016 playoff. The club has played multiple community exhibition games with some of the top clubs in the US raising over 50,000.00 for local charities.
Equally impressive, Newtown is also in the U.S. Open Cup, having qualified through the state level.
Newtown Pride coach Mike Svanda sees this as a great chance to both give his team an early run-out while spreading the word about his club.
"We're really excited to play a club like Stockade," said Svanda. "They've done some great things down here and have really generated some positive buzz already. It's great to be a part of."
Newtown captain Mauricio Turizo echoed Svanda's sentiments about Stockade being a club that's quickly generating buzz in American soccer.
"Even though it is just a preseason game you can't help but get a little extra fired up to visit one of the newest hottest clubs in the U.S.," said Turizo.
The match will be open to the public and free of charge (no tickets required). Stockade FC will be selling both merchandise and season tickets for their 2017 season.
Stockade FC will also play a second friendly vs. Marist (Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie) on Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. ET, and then Kingston's first official match of the season is on Saturday, May 6 at 5 p.m. ET at Dietz Stadium against Hartford City FC.
For more information on Newtown Pride FC, the club can be followed on Twitter and Facebook.
Kingston Stockade Football Club is a men's semi-professional soccer team based in Kingston, N.Y. Stockade FC represents the Hudson Valley in the NPSL, which is the 4th division of the U.S. soccer pyramid. For more information on Kingston Stockade FC, visit http://stockadefc.com. You can also follow the club on both Twitter and Instagram at @StockadeFC and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stockadefc