LOCAL SOCCER STANDOUTS FIRST TO SIGN WITH HARTFORD CITY FC

HARTFORD (October 1, 2015) – Hartford City FC, competing in its first year in the Major Arena Soccer League, made two natives their first two official player signings. Patrick Boucher (Cromwell High School, Class of 2007) and Hami Kara (Wethersfield High School, Class of 2008) were both 1st-team All-State selections before moving on to college and professional soccer.

PATRICK BOUCHER Boucher is the all-time scoring leader at Cromwell High School with 93 goals and 45 assists. In 2007 he was named state Player of the Year by Gatorade, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, and the Hartford Courant, as well as being named to the Adidas/COSIDA All-America team.

From there Boucher went on to shine at the University of Hartford as a four-year starter. He’s since played professional soccer for the CFC Azul and most recently the Western Mass Pioneers, where he was named to the ASL All-Star team.

Hartford City FC head coach Paul Wright: “Pat is a dynamic player whose strengths are suited to the indoor game. We feel he will contribute right away with his 1v1 attacking abilities and the intensity he brings.”

HAMI KARA

A three-year starting goalkeeper at Wethersfield High School, Kara holds the school record with 50 career shutouts. Fifteen of those clean sheets came in the 2004 season, when the freshman goalkeeper’s efforts helped Wethersfield to a CIAC Class L state championship. As a senior in 2007, Kara again managed 15 shutouts, earning All-State and All-New England honors.

After high school, Kara experienced a stint with the reserves for Turkish elite club Fenerbache. He then played the 2009- 2010 seasons at Manchester Community College, where he was named to the All-America 1st Team in 2009 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America after leading his defense to 16 shutouts over a 20-game season. Kara transferred to the University of Pittsburgh and become a regular starter over the course of the 2011-2012 seasons.

After college, Kara returned to Turkey for trials with Kartalspor, Giresunpor and Istanbulspor throughout 2012-2013, including featuring in a 1-0 shutout victory over Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray. After returning to the United States, he spent the 2013 preseason with the Columbus Crew of and has since played for the Western Mass Pioneers of the ASL.

Coach Wright on Kara: “Hami is an excellent shot-stopper and he’s very comfortable with the ball at his feet. He could be very successful in this league.”

Hartford City FC will open its inaugural season Nov. 8 at the XL Center against the Chicago Mustangs. Individual and season tickets are available at http://www.hartfordcityfc.com. For group ticket sales information, please call 1-844-HCITYFC (424-8932).

ABOUT THE MAJOR ARENA SOCCER LEAGUE The MASL was formed in 2014 by teams from the Professional Arena Soccer League and Major League. The league represents the highest level of professional indoor soccer in the world, and features 24 teams across North America, with teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico.

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Hartford City FC Media Contact: Shawn Mecchi E-mail: [email protected]