United Premier Soccer League Announces Los Angeles Highlanders FC as New Expansion Team

LOS ANGELES - Jan. 25, 2017 - PRLog -- The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is excited to announce that Los Angeles Highlanders Football Club has joined the UPSL as a new expansion team and will participate in the Pro Premier Division.

L.A. Highlanders FC will begin play in UPSL's Western Conference beginning with the 2017 Spring Season.

United Premier Soccer League Commissioner Yan Skwara said, "The L.A. Highlanders have a track record of success, they're former PDL champions, and they'll jump into the UPSL Pro Premier Division immediately with some very good pace that opponents will have to be prepared for. The Highlanders know football and they will put together an exciting product on and off the field for their fans and their community. The team is rooted in the Glendale area of Los Angeles, and we're excited about giving this L.A. Highlanders ownership group this opportunity to compete for the UPSL Championship and bring back the magic. We wish L.A. Highlanders FC every success this season and moving forward in the USPL."

L.A. Highlanders FC has a five-member ownership group that includes two investors from the team's 1997 PDL championship run.

Brothers Roubik Mardirosian and Timmy Mardirosian were among the owners then and will be among the group of owners now, along with Aram Thomas, Vardan Adzemian, owner of CustomTShirtPrinting.com, and Philip Hacopians.

Philip Hacopians, 45, is Head Coach of L.A. Highlanders FC. A former amateur player and part of the L.A. Highlanders' PDL title-winning team, Hacopians, also a session musician, enters his fourth year as Highlanders' top coach.

L.A. Highlanders Football Club Head Coach Philip Hacopians said, "This is the re-incarnation of the old L.A. Highlanders team from before. We're bringing that whole atmosphere back because we had a lot of success and we have a really nice bond with the community."

L.A. Highlanders have existed on the Southern California Pro Development scene for nearly two decades, with a number of players moving on to professional clubs across the continent.

The core of this Highlanders team has been together for more than 10 months, Hacopians said, participating in local leagues and traveling for prestigious tournaments both in the United States and internationally.

"We're joining up with the UPSL to see how we compete against the best Pro Development teams in the United States," Hacopians said. "We think that that UPSL is the best way to do that going forward."

The team will play its UPSL games at Glendale Sports Complex (2200 Fern Ln., Glendale, CA 91208).

About L.A. Highlanders FC

L.A. Highlanders Football Club are an American Soccer club based in Glendale, California and a new member of the United Premier Soccer League. L.A. Highlanders FC will compete in the Pro Premier Division's Western Conference.

Contact:
Philip Hacopians
Email: philiphacopians@gmail.com
Direct: (818) 203-2078

United Premier Soccer League

The UPSL was formed in 2011 and currently includes more than 50 teams in California, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Colorado. UPSL is the fastest growing Pro Development League in the USA, with 60-plus teams targeted for 2017 Spring Season. Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated, and is responsible for maintaining UPSL minimum standards.

UPSL teams are all eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the leagues affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).

More information about UPSL can be found at http://www.upslsoccer.com
or by following the league on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer).

Contact UPSL:
info@upslsoccernews.com
Direct: 310-415-5691

Media Relations:
Dennis Pope
dennis.pope@upslsoccernews.com
Direct: 951-675-3963