Eagles to Play in WPSL's New-Look 'Valley' Division

Columbus Eagles FC will play in the Valley division of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) in 2018, the club announced Wednesday.

The Valley looks quite different than it has in years past. Columbus’s division now includes teams from five states – Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York – and has expanded from five to nine teams.

The map above showcases the width of the division. Defending Great Lakes division winner Motor City FC (Detroit) will join Ann Arbor FCÂ as the Valley’s Michigan representatives. Ambassadors Cleveland moves into the division after its second-place finish in the Great Lakes in 2017. Indy Saints FC are a first-year team from Indianapolis, one of many new clubs across the league in 2018. Steel City FC (Pittsburgh) and Empire United (Rochester, NY) are the last of the new teams the Eagles will face in 2018.

FC Pride (Indianapolis)Â and Cincinnati Sirens FC are the holdovers from last year’s Valley. TheÂ Eagles finished thirdÂ in the division, the best-ever finish for the club. The Dayton Dutch Lions have decided to take the season off, with plans to return in 2019.

Each team will play each other once during the season, with the winner advancing to the regional playoff round. The WPSL is comprised of more than 100 teams in 16 divisions across the country. Last year’s national champion was Fire & Ice SC, which played in the Valley division against the Eagles.

Columbus’s full 2018 schedule will be released on Thursday as a part of the league’s overall reveal. Last season, the Eagles finished 3-4-1 in the Valley and set records for wins, points, goals scored, and fewest goals conceded.

CEFC also announced Wednesday that it would once again play the majority of its home matches at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. This marks the third year in a row that the Eagles will call Otterbein’s Memorial Stadium their home field.