OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma City Barons opened the 2013-14 season Friday evening with a 3-2 loss to the Charlotte Checkers at the Cox Convention Center.
Brody Sutter scored the game-winning goal at the 14:44 mark of third period to give the Checkers the win.
Justin Peters earned the win in net for the Checkers, while Richard Bachman picked up the loss for the Barons (0-1-0-0).
Charlotte took an early lead with Chris Terry’s goal just 49 seconds into the game. Bachman recorded had two great saves against Nicolas Blanchard and Matt Marquardt, but Mark Flood put the Checkers up 2-0 at 11:51.
The Checkers led the Barons in shots 15-6 at the first intermission.
It just wasn’t in the cards for the Edmonton Oilers, the NHL parent club of the OKC Barons, when they came to town for a preseason game against the Dallas Stars Friday night.
The fans were out in waves, including a large number of Stars fans.
The game was off to a quick start when former OKC Baron Arcabello excited the crowd with a near miss on a breakaway mid-way through the first.
Local soccer fans prepare for the USA vs. Mexico World Cup qualifying match Sept. 10 at Wes Welker’s Bar & Grill in Oklahoma City. The watch party was hosted by the OKC NASL soccer franchise. The club was represented at the event by soccer consultant Chris Taylor and owner Tim McLaughlin. OKC NASL gave away branded club merchandise. The team, which begins play in 2015, recently unveiled its temporary team crest. It can be viewed at www.okcnasl2015.com. Thursday, September 19, 2013
Here is the text of a question and answer session with team spokesman Alex Freedman.
EastWord: What is the atmosphere around the franchise as this is the first playoff berth since 2010?
Freedman: Very good. Everyone here is excited. Since joining the PCL in 1998, we have never won a title, and the last time Oklahoma City won a baseball title was in 1996 in the old American Association. We finished with the league’s best record during the regular season, and we feel we have a team that can win it all.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Major League Soccer veteran and Oklahoma City native Chris Taylor has joined the city’s North American Soccer League franchise as a consultant, leading the efforts to reach out to soccer fans and soccer players.
Taylor was a high school and college standout in Oklahoma before being drafted by the MLS, where he played for the Portland Timbers. He was the 22nd pick overall in the 2011 MLS Super Draft and led the 2011 Portland reserve team in minutes played. Taylor played for Portland from 2011 to 2013.
The ongoing legal dispute between the owners and operators of OKC FC and the United Soccer Leagues (USL) may be decided outside of the court room.
According to a document filed July 26 in US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, “the parties are currently considering whether alternative dispute resolution may provide a solution to their dispute.”
Additionally, sources with knowledge of the situation, who are not authorized to publicly comment, advised Eastword News the dispute is being mediated by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
Preparation and due diligence appear to be buzzwords for the people behind Oklahoma City’s USL PRO soccer team.
The people, also known as Prodigal LLC, have been making preparations for the upcoming 2014 USL PRO season since the franchise was formally announced on July 2 in a press conference at the Devon Tower.
On July 19, the Oklahoma City Redha-wks’ home field, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, was named one of the country’s best minor league ballparks by USA TODAY’s Travel Media Group.
To celebrate the contest, Eastword News visited the Redhawks home game on July 26 to find out what fans love most about the team and its home stadium.
Plans are underway to build a riverfront soccer-specific stadium in Downtown Oklahoma City, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation have confirmed to Eastword News. Sources have advised Eastword News that the stadium will be built by the owners and operators of local soccer team, Oklahoma City FC (OKC FC), and other partners as part of a bid to bring the North American Soccer League (NASL) to Oklahoma City. Thursday, July 25, 2013
