EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - Under the watchful eye of new Head Coach Richard Simonyi, hopefuls for the pro-am Colorado Pride Senior Women’s team took to the pitch this past week during open tryouts, looking for a spot on the third year franchise’s roster. The Pride are in the midst of final preparations for their inaugural season in the West Conference of United Women’s Soccer (UWS).

Over a dozen Colorado Springs-based players came to the indoor facility while the Rockies front range tried to thaw out from a spring storm that dropped up to a foot of snow in parts of the area. Simonyi - who joined the Pride from the Crossfire Premier Program out of Redmond, WA - was pleased with his first look at the talent.

“We have a lot of potential,” said Simonyi. “There are quality players available to us at each position.”

After running the players through a series of drills and short-sided games, the Budapest, Hungary native hopes to have his selections from the tryout finalized soon. The Pride will announce their returning players that are committed to the 2016 season in the coming days. Most players will make their way into the Springs over the next two weeks as college exams wrap up around the country.

The team hopes to have their first full squad workout over the May 14-15 weekend which will give them one week to prepare for their first match. The Pride’s first contest to defend their West Conference title is on Sunday, May 22nd when they travel to Parker, CO to face off against in-state rival Colorado Storm.

The home portion of the schedule opens on Sunday, June 5th when the Storm make their way to Colorado College’s Washburn Field for the rubber match of the local derby. Tickets will be available through the Pride Club offices or at the gate.

The 11-Team UWS emerged from the now defunct W-League and features a five-team West Conference along with a six-team East Conference. The five squads from the west will play an eight-match home and home intra-conference regular season schedule. The East and West Conference winners will meet for the first UWS league championship the weekend of July 30 & 31, with the West champion slated to host.

Joining the Pride and Storm in the conference are the Santa Clarita Heat, Houston Aces and Real Salt Lake Women.

About United Women’s Soccer (UWS): UWS is a national women’s soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer through the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media can contact UWS Director of Communications Jorma Kansanen by e-mail at Press@UWSSoccer.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. EDP serves as UWS administrators and will be facilitating schedules, disciplinary procedures, etc. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.