Can you tell us who you are and your role with Lancaster Inferno?

My name is Francisco Cleaves and I am the president of Inferno Soccer Corp. I have also been the head coach since we acquired the team in 2014. We are a 501 (c) 3 organization with a mission to provide our fans and players with the highest level of amateur women’s soccer in Central PA.

From where do you draw your players? Do you tend to stay local?

We attract players from Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania (Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, Harrisburg) . Some players commute two hours to our practices held in the Lancaster area. We are growing our local recruit pool with our second team that plays in UWS League Two.

Tell us about a few of the players from the team that we should know about for the upcoming season.

This will be a transition year for us as players have gone pro such as two-time UWS East Goalkeeper of the Year Kelly O’Brien, competing in the topflight in Hungary. We do have our captain and former professional with Ottawa Fury Teresa Rook, who earned All-UWS First Team honors last season. Also returning are defenders Marissa DiGenova (Temple University), Adalee Broadbent (Maryland University) and midfielders Ryelle Shuey (Lehigh University), Jackie Richards (Xavier University), and former professional Kendra Jones (FC Bulleen Lions and Bayside United FC of the Women’s National Premier League in Australia).

Which clubs do you consider to be your biggest rivalry games?

We have always had a big rivalry with the New England Mutiny but feel we also have good rivalry with all the teams that are closer to us like NJ Copa FC and Long Island Rough Riders.

Having switched from WPSL and UWS in 2016, how would you compare the two leagues? What ultimately was the reason for changing leagues?

We had started the process of applying for a W-League franchise because we saw the need for better standards and organization. After that league folded we were contacted by some former W-League teams to see if we wanted to be part of a new league that was forming (UWS). UWS maintains the professional standards in respect to rules, facilities, and organization. Our belief was that we wanted to play in a league that would eventually prepare us to field a professional team.

In 2018 your team joined Rush Soccer but decided not to continue that relationship after a year. Is being independent an important part of your club?

Our main purpose for that alliance was to tap into their player pipeline. Also, when they were involved with the local USL team (Penn FC), there were synergies that we could have taken advantage of, such as sharing facilities and playing venues. Once Rush Soccer’s relationship with Penn FC ended, it no longer made sense for us to continue that relationship. We continue to look for other organizations that share our commitment to growing and supporting women’s soccer.

What are the biggest challenges to operating an independent women's soccer club?

There are two: one is ensuring you have a player pipeline, and the other is ensuring that you have enough financial support to operate the team. Each year we try to improve on those two fronts. This year we are attacking these by having a reserve team that will play in UWS League Two, which gives the younger players an opportunity to experience a higher level of play. And we’re also connecting with local coaches in addition to our college recruiting.

We’ve been fortunate to have acquired some excellent corporate sponsors and some faithful individuals that have supported us and our mission from the outset. But looking at other ways for us to raise funds is something we continue to work on. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our good friend Roger Sandt (supporter and sponsor of the Inferno since 2014). We have many small local businesses that support us and last year added another multiyear uniform sponsor (Listrak). This year we will be holding more summer camps/clinics and are working to maintain a year-round presence in the community.

Talk about the support the club receives from the local community.

We’ve received great support from youth clubs and have worked to develop a loyal following through our social media effort, youth soccer camps and providing and focusing on the game day experience for the fans. The local newspaper (LNP) has always provided great coverage and we are working to get more consistent coverage from the local TV stations. It’s a challenge because we have a short season (10 games plus play-offs). Last year we had a USWNT watch party at one of our sponsors (Mad Chef Craft Brewing) and it was packed, so we will continue to have events in addition to youth soccer camps. We also have a long-term agreement with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Sports Medicine that provides physicals, trainer services and educational programs to our players.

There has been talk about someday having a Women's Open Cup in this country. If this came to fruition, do you see your club participating?

That would be awesome, and we would participate if given the opportunity. At the coaches’ convention, our league’s team owners had the opportunity to bring it up to Carlos Cordeiro. We have also had discussions with John Motta (USASA) regarding this. I believe they are supportive, but we need to get some traction to make it happen.

Where do you see your club going in the future? Is going professional something you envision?

We are exploring ways to grow and believe that we’ve built a great platform that’s focused exclusively on women’s soccer. I think as lower pro-divisions are formed, we would be interested but need the financial backing from local supporters willing to invest in that venture, which I think would be great for our area.