MAJOR ARENA SOCCER COMES TO DANBURY

by Matt Svanda

3/7/24

DANBURY ICE ARENA TO WELCOME “SPICE CITY FC”, MAJOR ARENA SOCCER TO DANBURY THIS WINTER

Season Tickets On Sale Now; Arena Will Put Down Turf To Accommodate Indoor Soccer & Welcome Teams From Baltimore, Orlando

DANBURY CONN – The Danbury Ice Arena alongside partners of Spice City Futbol Club, LLC have announced Danbury’s newest professional sports team – Spice City FC. The team will participate in Major Arena Soccer League (M2) and will play seven home games on turf at the Danbury Ice Arena beginning in winter of 2024.

The organization will add to the existing ice arena offering of Hat Tricks Hockey while celebrating Danbury’s multicultural flavor and delivering family friendly, affordable entertainment.

The Danbury Ice Arena, like most arenas across the country, are preparing an operations team that will flip the switch from ice to turf overnight to bring soccer to the forefront of the 3,000 seat arena.

The name, Spice City, and its playful jalapeno logo, is a nod to the multicultural city with an edge; a spice. A simultaneous sweetness; and hotness, that consistently delivers a welcoming, fun – yet surprising experience.

“I’m so excited to welcome the Major Arena Soccer League and Spice City FC to Danbury,” said Mayor Roberto Alves. “Every day we’re looking for ways we can forge new partnerships to bring more arts and culture, and entertainment to our city to enhance our quality of life, boost our local economy, and reinvigorate our downtown, and this is a perfect example.”

Matt and Adriana Svanda, also owners of Newtown Pride FC in Newtown, Conn, have spearheaded the effort in Danbury. In a statement, Matt Svanda, owner and general manager of Spice City FC, stated “Bringing a fast paced, energy driven brand of soccer to Danbury is something we think is a perfect fit for this city. The game of soccer is a true passion of ours and we try and use it as a catalyst of good. We’re confident that in partnership with the Danbury Ice Arena, we will be able to bring an incredible experience and different brand of soccer to fans both new and old.”

In 2023, Newtown Pride FC who last year captivated the soccer world with their win in the inaugural TST tournament in Cary, NC. The Pride will be partaking in this years TST tournament in June to be aired on ESPN.

Herm Sorcher, Partner of Diamond Properties who owns the Danbury Ice Arena, stated, “Spice City FC will offer a great compliment to Danbury Hat Tricks hockey while giving fans an opportunity to not only see great hockey on ice; but also a great brand of soccer on turf! We are committed to private partnerships that will advance our space; bring more people to the arena and prove that our arena is multidimensional and can pivot to accommodate opportunities like this one.”

Kyle Lyddy, President of Operations for the organization, said “Partnering with Herm Sorcher & The Danbury Ice Arena is the perfect setting to launch our brand to bring people together. What better place than Danbury; bringing a global game to a city with a diverse set of individuals and cultures. Our mantra “You Belong Here” is a call to excite people to get in the building to witness high energy goals and a fast-paced brand of soccer we can all rally around.

Our team is planning to create an atmosphere that is one of the best in minor league sports – it is our commitment that you won’t just be coming to a soccer game - but an event. And while the M2 will bring us to cities like Rochester, Utica, Baltimore & Orlando; we’re excited to add Danbury to the East to showcase our home turf and fans.”

Chris Economides, Commissioner of M2, said in a statement, “We’re excited and proud to welcome Spice City FC to our M2 family. There are some incredible teams in the East division, and we’re anxiously awaiting Spice City FC’s first goal in Danbury this winter. We’re more intrigued to see how their front office puts together a team that’s competitive in a league that boats organizations like the Rochester Lancers, Utica, Baltimore & Orlando. We know that Spice City FC is committed to excellence both on and off the field and we’re confident they’ll be strong stewards of our league.”

Onua Obasi, was announced as the Head Coach of Spice City FC. Obasi, who has extensive experience within the MASL as a player, is committed to Spice City FC. “I’m thankful for the Svanda family for trusting me in this role and am excited to get to work. My commitment is to building a team that our city can be proud of, and deliver a brand of soccer that fans will be excited to be in their seats at kickoff for.”

Tickets are on sale now at SpiceCityFC.com with season ticket options available for just $79 for a seven-game season package. Single game tickets and official schedule will be announced at a later date.

#YouBelongHere

Instagram @SpiceCityFC

Twitter @SpiceCityFC

Facebook Spice City FC

Media Contact:

Kyle Lyddy

203-521-2606 (cell)

spicecityfc@gmail.com