LISBON, MD (02/04/09) - Thunder Soccer Club is pleased to announce that the TSC Maryland Pride of the East Conference of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) has hired a new General Manager and Head Coach for the Summer 2009 season. The new G.M. will be Tony Corbett, who has been a long time coach in the Maryland area and will continue to serve as the Director of Coaching for all of Thunder's youth teams, as he has since 2001.

"I want to thank Sam Haddad and Mike Raffael (previous GM & head Coach) for all their hard work with the Pride over the past two years," said Corbett. "They have done a fine job with the team and undoubtedly, they have laid the foundation so the team can go from strength to strength."

As part of the re-organization, the Howard County based club has also been interviewing for a new Head Coach and after an extensive search, they are very pleased to announce the appointment of Blackpool, England native Steve Knapman. The 33-year-old former professional has been coaching and playing in the Maryland area for the past 12 years.

"Once Steve's name was mentioned as a possible coaching candidate, I knew that was who we needed to help write the next chapter in the Pride history," said Corbett. "Steve has an outstanding background in the professional game, and is full of bright ideas to take this team forward. And when I met with him, it was very apparent that this was just the opportunity he has been craving and waiting for."

Steve's professional playing career began in England at age 16 with Oldham Athletic - where he played against the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville - before moving on to Wigan Athletic, Runcorn and then on to Hong Kong where he played in their professional First Division. Here in the United States, Knapman was a member of the professional Maryland Mania team in 1999 and also played for the Richmond Kickers and Boston Bulldogs.

"I'm very pleased to have been given this opportunity to work with such a wonderful organization and fantastic league," said Knapman. "My aim is to create a successful, winning team that will be a credit to both the Women's Premier Soccer League & Thunder Soccer Club.

"The prospect of being able to work with & coach many of the most talented young female players in the Maryland, D.C. and Virginia area is something that is very exciting and a new challenge that I look forward to. No doubt, the season ahead will not be easy but with solid preparation and a clear set of goals, I'm sure we can achieve great success."

The "Maryland Pride" was originally formed in 1994 and was a founding member of the W-League (USL), winning the National Championship in 1996. The ownership and management of the team transferred to Thunder Soccer Club in 2008 and for more information, please visit http://www.mdpridesoccer.com or contact their G.M. Tony Corbett by e-mail at tclondon@comcast.net. Thunder SC of Howard County has been serving Central Maryland since 1991 and for more information, please visit their official website at http://www.thundersoccerclub.org.

The WPSL is a 50-plus team national women's soccer league with five conferences and is considered one of the top women's soccer leagues in the world. The WPSL's mission is to provide the highest level of women's soccer while simultaneously providing affordable, quality family entertainment and positive role models for our youth. For more information, visit our official website at http://www.wpsl.info, phone us at 1-800-854-0913 or contact us via email at media@wpsl.info.