Gulf Coast Premier League

Gulf Coast Premier League
Founded 2014
Country  United States
Confederation CONCACAF
Number of teams 11
Level on pyramid 5
Domestic cup(s) Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Current champions Motagua New Orleans
(2017)
Most championships Motagua New Orleans (3)
Website gcplsoccer.com

The Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) is an United States Adult Soccer Association affiliated Amateur Elite League that includes teams from Louisiana and Mississippi. The regular season of the GCPL runs from November to March and consist of 12 teams from around the gulf coast region. The top two in the table after each season of the GCPL receive a bid in to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Open Division qualifying track.

History

The LPL was formed in 2014 by the Louisiana Soccer Association's Adult Committee with the assistance of Pool Boys FC manager, Jeremy Poklemba. The recent success of a similar formatted competition,[1] administered by the LSA, in the spring of 2014 and the emergence of newly formed clubs, Pool Boys FC and Cajun Soccer Club, along with the interest from Motagua New Orleans from the ISLANO league, offered an opportunity to create a statewide elite amateur league. On March 8, 2016 the Louisiana Premier League was granted Elite Amateur Premier League status by the United States Adult Soccer Association.[2]

As of August 1, 2016 the Louisiana Premier League, sanctioned and operated by the Louisiana Soccer Association, has folded to make way for the newly formed Gulf Coast Premier League. The league will now operate as its own entity as a non-profit organization while expanding itself to clubs outside of Louisiana along the gulf coast.[3]

Motagua New Orleans won the inaugural season, defeating Cajun Soccer Club in the finals, 4-2.

Motagua New Orleans claimed the 2015-2016 title topping the table with 17 points.[4]

In January 2017 the league announced three expansion teams, expanding the league's territory to cover Alabama and Florida.

Teams

Current teams

Team City Stadium Founded Inaugural season Head Coach
Cajun Soccer Club Lafayette, Louisiana Clark Field 2013 2014 United States Dave Lapeyrouse
Pool Boys FC Alexandria, Louisiana Johnny Downs Sports Complex 2014 2014 United States Arick Lassiter
Motagua New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana Pan American Stadium 1984 2014 United States Tony Martinez
Boca Knights FC Shreveport, Louisiana Cargill Park 2015 2015 Liberia Francois Browne
Louisiana Fire SC Kenner, Louisiana Lions Field 2016 2016 United States Jonathan Rednour
Biloxi City FC Gulfport, Mississippi Herbert Wilson Stadium 2016 2016 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sinisa Vukadin
Shreveport Rafters FC B Shreveport, Louisiana LSUS Soccer Fields 2016 2016 United States Brett Barker
Lake City Gamblers [5] Lake Charles, Louisiana Lagrange Soccer Complex 2013 2014/2017 England Brendan Ledgeway
AFC Mobile [6] Mobile, Alabama Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex 2015 2017 United States Nathan Nicholas
Baton Rouge SC [7] Baton Rouge, Louisiana Burbank Soccer Complex 2016 2017 Honduras Russel Cacho
Gulf Coast Texans [8] Pensacola, Florida Ashton Brosnaham Stadium 2013 2017 United States Nic Cardosa
Gaffa FC Jackson, Mississippi Freedom Ridge Park 2016 2017 United States Phillip Buffington

Expansion teams

Team City Stadium Founded Inaugural season Head Coach
Central Texas Lobos FC Kyle, Texas Gregg-Clarke Park 2015 2018 United States Jose Ramos

Former Teams

Team City Joined Left
Nicholls State Club Thibodaux, Louisiana 2014 2015

Seasons

As of March 6, 2017[9]
Season Winner Runner-up Highest goalscorer
2014–15 Motagua New Orleans Cajun Soccer Club Steven Morris (Motagua New Orleans) 12
2015–16 Motagua New Orleans Boca Knights FC Joel Amos (Lake City Gambers)

Leonardo Ferriera de Barros (Motagua New Orleans)

 6
2016–17 Motagua New Orleans Shreveport Rafters FC Reece Wilson (Motagua New Orleans) 18

References

  1. ↑ "2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Cajun SC to face CD Motagua in Louisiana final (updated) -".
  2. ↑ http://www.lplsoccer.com/louisiana-premier-league-granted-elite-amateur-league-status-by-usasa/
  3. ↑ "Gulf Coast Premier League". 1 August 2016.
  4. ↑ http://www.lplsoccer.com/early-red-card-sets-boca-fc-back-in-the-last-game-of-the-season-motagua-wins-second-league-title/
  5. ↑ http://www.gcplsoccer.com/gulf-coast-premier-league-announces-summer-season-adds-3-new-clubs/
  6. ↑ http://www.gcplsoccer.com/gulf-coast-premier-league-announces-summer-season-adds-3-new-clubs/
  7. ↑ http://www.gcplsoccer.com/gulf-coast-premier-league-announces-summer-season-adds-3-new-clubs/
  8. ↑ http://www.gcplsoccer.com/gulf-coast-premier-league-announces-summer-season-adds-3-new-clubs/
  9. ↑ "2014 Standings". Louisiana Premier League. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
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