2/26/09 - The first ever Copa America tournament will crown a champion tonight at Arena Monterrey at 8:45pm. The Saskatoon Accelerators will become the first professional Canadian indoor team to face a Mexican pro indoor team when they face off against the Monterrey La Raza.
The tournament ran concurrently with the PASL-Pro season and Monterrey's own NISL season. Five PASL-Pro teams, all three CMISL teams and Monterrey rounded out the field of teams.
Monterrey had the run of play with a 5-0 record. Stockton came the closest to defeating them, rallying from a six-goal deficit to take a one goal lead, only to fall 12-11 in overtime.
Saskatoon is led by goalkeeper Travis Hatzel who has kept the PASL-Pro's lowest scoring team in every game. Saskatoon remains in the playoff race with a 5-5 record, including a 2-0 mark against the PASL-Pro's American teams. The Accelerators too steps to shake off their low voltage image with a rousing 18-2 win over the Wenatchee Fire Sunday.
Jordan Schidlowsky tied a PASL-Pro record with six goals in Sunday's wild affair.
Tonight's game is also all or nothing for Saskatoon. If they lose, not only do they cede the Copa America trophy to Monterrey, but they will also be eliminated from qualifying for postseason play. If they win they will be Copa America champions and have a chance to finish in a three-way tie in the CMISL Canadian Division where they would compete in an elimination tournament March 8 in Calgary.
"The Copa America got a test run this year and the results were very exciting," said PASL-Pro Commissioner Kevin Milliken. "Our teams got to test themselves against a very experienced La Raza team, which will raise our level of play going forward and in just our first year we were able to put together a truly international tournament with pro teams from Mexico, the US, and Canada all represented."
Representing the PASL-Pro in Monterrey will be FIFRA President Sergio del Rio who will award the Copa America trophy to tonight's winner.
Monterrey is currently second in the NISL with a 7-5 record.
