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PASL-Pro Reaches Agreement with CMISL, Liga Mexicana The Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) announced joint operating agreements with the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League (CMISL) and Liga Mexicana de Futbol Rapido (LMFR) that will mark the first time a professional arena soccer league has had divisions in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The CMISL has operated as a four-team league the last two seasons and consists of the Edmonton Drillers, Winnipeg Alliance, Saskatoon Accelerators, and Calgary United. LMFR currently features Universidad Veracruzana, MRCI Oaxaca, and Caballeros de Hidalgo and is in negotiations with additional markets for the 2008/09 season. The addition of the CMISL and LMFR teams brings PASL-Pro’s roster of affiliated teams to 17, including today’s joint announcement of 10 US based teams. The announcements underscore the PASL’s new vision for arena soccer. Within PASL-Pro’s umbrella of leagues there are teams from the CMISL, LMFR, MISL (Stockton), PASL-Premier (Wenatchee, Detroit, St. Louis), AISL (Cincinnati), as well as venerable names from the NASL and CISL (San Diego Sockers) and NPSL (Edmonton Drillers). "From Day 1 we’ve tried to maintain an inclusive approach," said PASL-Pro Commissioner Kevin Milliken, "and we’ve made a point of reaching out far and wide to all sectors of the arena soccer planet. The PASL, CMISL, and LMFR=2 0are all members of, and partners in FIFRA with a focus on doing what’s right for the good of our sport of arena soccer." CMISL Commissioner Mel Kowalchuk was equally enthusiastic. "Kevin approached me several months ago and we began talking about interleague play," said Kowalchuk, "and the more we talked the more I felt we had in common and the more it made sense to mov e forward together." Each CMISL team will play a 16 game schedule that will include 2 home games and 2 road games against US-based PASL-Pro teams. While the LMFR teams will not participate this season in interleague play both the CMISL and LMFR regular season champions will compete for the PASL-Pro Championship in Stockton in March. PASL-Pro is a new professional arena soccer league whose inaugural season kicks off October 25, 2008 when the Stockton Cougars host the Colorado Lightning. PASL-Pro consists of 8 US teams, the CMISL, and LMFR. The San Diego Sockers and a yet-to-be-named team in Utah have been added for the 2009/10 season. PASL-Premier just completed its 10th season as the nation’s top amateur arena soccer league. PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier are members of Federacion Internacional de Futbol Rapido (FIFRA). Sydney Nusinov, Director of Media Relations
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