The Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) today announced its 2009/10 regular season schedule.  Each team will again play 16 games (8 home, 8 away) that count in the standings, plus US Arena Soccer Open Cup and special exhibition games.

The PASL-Pro and its partner league, the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League (CMISL) have both expanded for the upcoming season.   The additions of the San Diego Sockers, Louisville Lightning, and Ohio (Canton) Vortex will see the PASL-Pro grow to nine teams, while the return of Winnipeg and a new team in Prince George will raise the CMISL to a five-team circuit for the first time as they head into their fourth season. The Colorado Lightning disbanded and the Wenatchee Fire will continue to field a team in the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier) and play a limited pro schedule. 

The Texas Outlaws move to the Western Division with the Sockers and Denver Dynamite.  The reigning PASL-Pro champion California Cougars round out the four team division and will celebrate their fifth anniversary this season.

The Eastern Division features the Lightning, Vortex, St. Louis Illusion, Detroit Waza and the division champs are back with a new name as the 1790 Cincinnati Express.

The CMISL champion Edmonton Drillers, Calgary United, and Saskatoon Accelerators all return to join Winnipeg and Prince George.

PASL-Pro teams will again play interleague games with the CMISL beginning on January 2 when Winnipeg comes to Detroit.  The rest of the 12-game CMISL schedule will be released soon.

All eyes will be on the Lightning as they host the 1790 Express on opening night on Friday, November 13.  The Sockers, who won 10 indoor titles in a prior life, open up on the road at Denver on November 14.  The Vortex also open that night at Detroit.

The season wraps up on March 6 with St. Louis playing a doubleheader at Winnipeg.

Evenly distributed throughout the schedule are games against "provisional" teams.  These are generally PASL-Premier teams that are geographic rivals, are considering turning professional, or both.  Revolucion Tijuana of the Liga Mexicana Futbol Rapido will play seven games, while Wenatchee, the Tacoma Stars, Kansas City Kings, Ft. Collins Fury, Las Vegas Knights, Springfield Demize, Alamo City Warriors, Edwards Freedom, and West Virginia Quantum Force all dot the schedule.

Following the qualification rounds, the St. Louis Illusion will open defense of their US Arena Soccer Open Cup title in mid-December.

The league playoffs, featuring the top finishing teams from the PASL-Pro, CMISL, and LMFR will take place on the weekend of March 12-14.

"Operationally we are in a much better place than we were our first year," said PASL-Pro Commissioner Kevin Milliken.  "The new teams we brought in are all going to make positive contributions to our league.  While other leagues are losing teams or folding altogether, we are going against the tide by getting stronger."