Stockton to host soccer all-star event

STOCKTON
November 2, 2005 2:58pm

Stockton to host soccer all-star event

The city of Stockton and the Stockton-based California Cougars indoor soccer team will host the Major Indoor Soccer League’s 2007 all-star event, the city and team announced Wednesday.

The event will be held at the city new waterfront indoor sports arena. Details of the February 2007 weekend are still being worked out.

“When they come here, they’re going to know they’ve been in Stockton,” says Ed Chavez, mayor of the city. “They’re going to play in one of the finest arenas in this state and we’re going to roll out the red carpet for them.”

The promotion is designed to bring new fans to the sport, which is played indoors on carpet in a rink roughly the size of a hockey rink.

Mr. Chavez says the new Sheraton hotel will be headquarters for the event. Privately held Regent Development of Sacramento, whose owners also own the Cougars, is building the hotel. It is located adjacent to the indoor arena.

The California Cougars are in their first season. They will play their first games of the season this month on the road as the indoor arena undergoes final construction.

“This is an honor for our young team and speaks highly of the city of Stockton and the surrounding communities,” says Darrell Petray, a co-owner of the club.

The team also announced Wednesday that Toyota’s Northern California dealership group has signed up as a Cougars’ “gold” sponsor. The three-year agreement will see Toyota’s logo on team jerseys and its commercials on telecasts of the games.

The Cougars will have five of their 2006 home games telecast by Comcast Corp. on its systems in the Central Valley and in Northern California. The games will also be uplinked to Comcast systems serving the communities of visiting teams.

Other corporate sponsors are: Food-4-Less/Rancho San Miguel (gold); Richland Communities and PennySaver (team sponsors); Comcast (title sponsor), and, Blue Cross of California (soccer camps sponsor).