Hammers lose foe as Okanagan drops out of PCSL

Bellingham United lost a foe today as the Okanagan Challenge announced an end to their 23-year run in the Pacific Coast Soccer League. (The Hammers beat the Challenge 5:0 on Mother’s Day 2012 and later topped them 6:2 away.)

The PCSL is adding two new Canadian sides and also earlier announced that Poco City FC would not be invited back this year.  As of now that would make nine clubs in the Men’s Premier Division for 2013.

From the club website: The Okanagan Challenge Soccer Club will not be fielding a team in the Pacific Coast League this coming soccer season. The Board has faced many retirements this year and has been unable to find replacements for those pivotal positions. It has also become more and more difficult to raise the necessary funding required to cover travel expenses, practice fields and equipment in order to stay competitive within the League.

The Okanagan Challenge founded in 1989 has participated in the PCSL for 23 years and is proud of its many achievements – oft-times play-off finalists, winners, league champions, J.F. Kennedy Cup winners, which is a competition among the champions of Washington and Oregon States, and British Columbia. The team’s founder now deceased; Eric Tasker was inducted into The Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 under the Team Builder Category.

The club wishes to thank all the sponsors, businesses, and supporters over the 23 years, and of course appreciate the hundreds of players who have worn the Challenge red and white strip.

The Board regrets their decision for this Season and is hopeful that the soccer enthusiasts of the area will be able in the near future to field an Okanagan team to participate in the Pacific Coast Soccer League, which is the top level of amateur soccer in Western Canada.

Okanagan Challenge Men’s Soccer Club

2012 Board Members

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