Houston, TX – Sunday Oct. 09, 2016: Western New York Flash celebrate after a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Championship match between the Washington Spirit and the Western New York Flash at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Western New York Flash win 3-2 on penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 tie.
The Western New York Flash have officially announced the sale of their franchise to the North Carolina Football Club with team operations in their new location to being “effective immediately”. The former Flash club will be relocated to Cary, North Carolina where they still plan to be a part of the 2017 NWSL season. While the sale means the end of professional women’s soccer in New York, the WNY Flash Academy and Sahlen’s Sports Park will remain open.
Below are statements from the official press release of the WNY Flash regarding the sale:
Sahlen Family
“Unfortunately, it has become apparent that the Western New York market is not the right fit for the NWSL and the future direction of the league. We know that the North Carolina market will provide what the players deserve and we are excited to see the team continue to compete at the highest level. The NWSL has been an incredible platform for the top women’s soccer players to perform in and we are proud to have been a founding member. We wish the NWSL and our other fellow ownership groups – as well as US Soccer – the best of luck and would like to thank them for the past four years.
Our dedication and support of the game will remain strong at the grass roots level through the WNY Flash Academy and Sahlen’s Sports Park. We are wholly committed to our Academy and we look forward to developing future collegiate and NWSL-caliber players.
Thank you to all of our former and current players for their efforts on and off the field and who always wore the Flash brand with pride.
We are eternally grateful for all of our front office staff over the past seven years who worked to make this vision into a reality. All current employees have been offered opportunities within our entities and we hope they continue to work with us for many years to come.
Lastly, we want to thank the Western New York area for welcoming us into their community for the past seven years and helping us celebrate five trophies throughout four different leagues in Professional Women’s Soccer. It has been an incredible journey and we will cherish these memories for a lifetime.”
NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush
“We truly appreciate all the Sahlen family has done to foster the growth of the women’s game in their area and will continue to do in the future. To all the fans, we want to thank you for your support of the Flash and continued support of the league. The Flash will always play an important role in the history of NWSL, and for that we are grateful to everyone in Western New York who were part of it.”
Soccer will remain in Western New York through the operations of the Western New York Flash Academy and Sahlen’s Sports Park. The Flash are committed to continue to grow the game in the area and make a meaningful and positive impact in our community.
