The Richmond Kickers soccer club will enter 2010 with a new organization and hierarchy but with an unchanged mission: winning USL-2 championships. For the past nine years, the Kickers’ professional team and a satellite youth soccer organization carrying the same name have existed as related but independent entities. No longer. The pro team has been formally acquired by the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club, a thriving nonprofit operation with more than 6,000 players ranging in age from 3-19.

Tom Depcrynski holds the USL-2 championship trophy his team won this year. Since Depcrynski’s arrival, the Kickers have made 12 playoff appearances and won a pair of USL-2 titles. For the past 13 summers, Tom Depcrynski has served heaping helpings of soccer success to metropolitan Richmond. Soon he might serve something that more closely resembles, well, lunch or dinner.

Change and simmering emotion atop the United Soccer Leagues pyramid seem unlikely to have a significant impact on the way the Richmond Kickers, USL’s reigning Second Division champions, go about their business in 2010. “The thing we’ve always tried to do is provide pro soccer of the best possible quality to the people of Richmond,“ said Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw. “I can assure you, we’re going to continue to do that” despite the turmoil now spilling into public view.

Kickers forward David Bulow reacts during the second half of Saturday night’s USL-2 championship game against Charlotte. Bulow had a goal and an assist as Richmond won 3-1. The Richmond Kickers carried lofty expectations throughout the 2009 USL-2 season. Kickers forward David Bulow did the same when he entered Saturday night’s championship match against the Charlotte Eagles.

USL-2 championship Home, they say, is where the heart is. And heart is what the Richmond Kickers, playing on their home field, displayed in abundance in the USL-2 championship game. Outplayed by a wide margin and trailing by a goal at halftime, the Kickers erupted in the second half last night to defeat the Charlotte Eagles 3-1 and capture their second USL-2 title in the past four years and their third league championship overall.

WHAT: USL-2 championship match WHEN/WHERE: Today, 8 p.m., University of Richmond Stadium TICKETS: $15 NOTABLE: After five months and a combined 43 matches, it comes to this for the Richmond Kickers and Charlotte Eagles—one match, 90 minutes, with the USL-2 championship at stake. . . . The showdown couldn’t be more intriguing. Richmond (12-3-6) has been preparing for this moment since April. It delivered a commanding performance on the field, if not the scoreboard, in last week’s 1-0 double-overtime conquest of Harrisburg in the semifinals. Charlotte, inconsistent in the first weeks of play, has since congealed nicely. The Eagles (10-5-7) are riding a streak of nine games without a loss, including last week’s 1-0 semifinal upset of regular-season champion Wilmington on the Hammerheads’ home field. . . . Charlotte is playing for the championship for eighth time; Richmond, for the seventh. . . . These are familiar foes. Richmond and Charlotte have met 28 times since 1993. This year’s series produced a pair of ties and a 3-0 victory by the Kickers at home July 4. Forward David Bulow scored twice in that contest. . . . Tonight’s match will be the teams’ third playoff collision in the past four seasons. Richmond won 2-1 in the 2007 semifinals and by the same score in the 2006 title match. . . . Five Eagles finished among the league’s top 20 point producers. Leading the parade: midfielders Amaury Nunes (9 goals, 2 assists) and Jorge Herrera (6, 6). . . . The Kickers are led by a pair of high-scoring forwards—Matthew Delicate (14 goals, tops in USL-2) and Bulow (9 goals).

Ronnie Pascale allowed less than one goal per match to earn USL-2 goalkeeper of the year honors. Tomorrow? Next week? A year from now? Richmond Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale isn’t certain. Of this much, however, he is certain: Now is not the time. More than a few onlookers expect Pascale, who will turn 33 next week, to say adieu to a splendid 10-year career with the Kickers following tonight’s USL-2 championship game against the Charlotte Eagles at UR Stadium. He might. Then again, he might not.

Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw says the chances are “50-50, probably,“ that defender Kelvin Jones will be available for tomorrow’s USL-2 title match against the Charlotte Eagles. Jones, who started 66 games for the Kickers between 2006-2008 before moving into a reserve role this year, is nursing a troublesome ankle injury. Cowlishaw said the injury, a high sprain, is requiring “a longer recovery than we anticipated.“

Five members of the Richmond Kickers, who finished second in the USL-2 regular season, were named to the all-league team yesterday with four making the first unit. Richmond goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, who led the league in wins (11) and tied Harrisburg’s Chase Harrison for most shutouts (8), was joined on the first unit by teammates Yomby William (defender), Mike Burke (midfielder) and Matthew Delicate (forward). Richmond defender Sascha Gorres made the second unit.

USL-2 semifinals If at first you don’t succeed . . . well, just ask Richmond Kickers forward Matthew Delicate. Frustrated for 119 minutes by bad luck and brilliant goalkeeping, Delicate, the most prolific goal-scorer in USL-2, punched an 8-yard shot into the net in the 120th minute last night to give the Kickers a 1-0 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders in the USL-2 semifinals.

The Richmond Kickers intend to play mind games from start to finish in tonight’s USL-2 playoff semifinal against the Harrisburg City Islanders. Focus, concentration and vigilance, say the Kickers, will be essential—more so, perhaps, than the speed and stamina that both clubs possess in abundance. “We can’t afford to let our guard down—not even once,“ said Kickers defender Kenny Cutler. “We can’t afford to turn our brains off at any point in the game—not even for an instant. Do that in the playoffs, and you’re asking for trouble.“

With only 20 minutes remaining in the Richmond Kickers’ finale last night at University of Richmond Stadium, they appeared to have a lock on the USL-2 regular-season title. The Kickers were up 2-1 after forward Matthew Delicate punched in his second goal. They, too, had a man advantage after the officials ticketed the Wilmington Hammerheads with a red card that left them short-handed at 69:25.

WHAT: USL-2 professional soccer match WHEN/WHERE: Today, 7 p.m., University of Richmond Stadium TICKETS: $12 adults, $7 youth NOTABLE: This showdown will determine the USL-2 regular-season champion and top seed in the playoffs. The Hammerheads (12-5-2, 38 points) climbed into a first-place tie with Richmond (11-3-5) by defeating Real Maryland on Wednesday. . . . The Kickers and Wilmington have met twice this season, both in Wilmington. Richmond allowed three second-half goals in a 3-2 setback July 22 but made amends by defeating the Hammerheads 1-0 last weekend. Midfielder Joey Worthen scored the Kickers’ goal. . . . Richmond’s defense, which hasn’t allowed a goal since the July 22 match, will be tested tonight. Hammerheads forward Jamie Watson leads USL-2 in goals (12) and points (29). Midfielder Ken Bundy leads the league in assists (9). . . . The Kickers, too, are heavily armed. Between them, forwards Matthew Delicate and David Bulow have 20 goals. Midfielder Mike Burke and defender Sascha Gorres have combined for 11 assists. . . . Tonight’s match will be accompanied by a family fest promotion (food, live music, inflatable games) beginning at 4 p.m. Families arriving before 6 p.m. may purchase a single ticket that admits everyone for $5. . . . Richmond will play host to a semifinal playoff game next Saturday.

The Richmond Kickers appear to have adopted a zero tolerance policy as they turn toward the do-or-die portion of the USL-2 soccer season. The Kickers, who play host to the Wilmington Hammerheads tonight in a game that will identify the USL-2 regular-season champion, haven’t surrendered a goal in their past four matches. Three of those matches, including last Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Wilmington, were played against league opponents.

With one game left on their regular-season schedule, the Richmond Kickers seized sole possession of first place in USL-2 with a 1-0 victory over the Wilmington Hammerheads last night. The Kickers, who came into the game tied with Wilmington for the lead, got a goal in the 55th minute from midfielder Joey Worthen and the third consecutive 1-0 shutout by goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, who registered his eighth shutout of the season.