PEORIA, IL (May 8, 2022) – Peoria City continues to add to its inaugural USL League Two roster, today announcing the addition of three active student-athletes from New England NCAA Division I programs. Midfielders Daniel Orrego (UMass Lowell) and Gustavo Rodriguez (New Hampshire), join Vermont goalkeeper Edgar Vargas as the latest additions to the 2022 Peoria City roster.
Orrego played the last two seasons at UMass Lowell, where he appeared in 17 games, 13 as a starter, and recorded two goals and three assists for the Riverhawks from his midfield position. From Medellin, Columbia, Orrego prepped at East Boston High School, earning Eastern Mass All-Star honors after helping his team to the city championship in each of his final two seasons.
From Mexico City, Rodriguez was a member of the Mexican U23 National Team and played for Pumas UNAM from 2016-19. He began his collegiate career at NCAA Division 2 power Franklin Pierce University, before transferring to NCAA Division 1 New Hampshire for the 2021-22 school year. Playing in seven games as a sophomore at New Hampshire this past fall, Rodriguez helped the Wildcats to the 2021 America East regular-season title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
From Yakima, WA, Vargas is a reserve goalkeeper at Vermont and completed his junior season in 2021 for the Catamount. In his lone game to date at Vermont, Vargas made two saves in a 1-0 victory against UMass-Lowell March 26, 2021.
Peoria City now has announced 14 players for its inaugural season in USL League Two. Roster additions will continue to be announced throughout the week, leading up to the franchise’s debut game Saturday (7:00 p.m.) versus Minneapolis City SC at Bradley University’s Shea Stadium.
While single-game ($5 GA, $25 premium fieldside) and season tickets ($25/$125) now are available for sale online at PeoriaCitySoccer.com, tickets and t-shirts also will be available for purchase in person during the team’s next Five Bars Fan Event Wednesday (6 o’clock) night at The Fieldhouse Bar & Grill. Peoria City players and coaches also will be on hand for Wednesday’s event.
Peoria City last month announced the formation of the Five Bars Pub Club, an association of five local establishments which will host Peoria City events and soccer-themed promotions throughout the year. The first Five Bars fan event was April 21 at W.E. Sullivan’s Irish Pub & Fare in Peoria Heights and the two additional pub club members are Bearded Owl Brewing and Pour Bros. Craft Taproom.
Following the team’s debut Saturday versus Minneapolis City, the other five Peoria City home games are scheduled for Friday, May 27 (Des Moines Menace); Friday, June 3 (St. Croix SC); Wednesday, June 22 (Des Moines Menace); Friday, July 1 (FC Manitoba) and Sunday, July 3 (Thunder Bay Chill). All six games are slated for 7:00 p.m. CT kickoffs at Bradley University’s Shea Stadium.
Five Bars is a reference to the design of the Peoria City badge, which incorporates six diagonal lines to form the borders of five wider bars. The lines symbolize the six Illinois River crossings into the Peoria city limits, while the five bars represent Peoria’s five city council districts.
ABOUT USL LEAGUE TWO
A part of United Soccer Leagues, LLC, which also operates the USL Championship, USL League One, Super Y League and the new USL Academy, USL League Two is the top pre-professional soccer league in North America, offering a summer platform for aspiring professionals across the United States and Canada. League Two is the defined and proven pathway for players to progress to the ranks of professional soccer, while its clubs become fixtures in the communities where they operate. More than 70 percent of all MLS SuperDraft selections since 2010 have League Two experience, including 66 alumni chosen in 2018 and 61 in 2019. Werder Bremen’s Josh Sargent, Inter Miami CF’s DeAndre Yedlin, and Atlanta United’s Brad Guzan are among the many U.S. National Team players to have competed in USL League Two before making their professional debuts.
