Date founded 1994 | ||
Full name Thunder Soccer Club Maryland Pride Stadium Cedar Lane Park, Howard County League Women's Premier Soccer League Grounds Cedar Lane Park, Howard County, Maryland | ||
Maryland pride soccer
The Maryland Pride was an WPSL club based in Howard County, Maryland. The team changed ownership in mid-season 2007 when the Thunder Soccer Club in Columbia, Maryland took over the team.
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The club was originally named the Lady Bays and began play in 1994 when the United Soccer Leagues (USL) organized a pilot season to test the demand for a national women's soccer league. The Lady Bays advanced to the first unofficial national tournament, where they were eliminated by Sacramento, California, the eventual 1994 champion. In 1996, playing as the Pride, the team set a goal of winning the national title. After compiling an 8-1 regular-season record, the Pride rolled to the national title by defeating three opponents by a combined score of 9-0 at the 1996 national championship tournament. Maryland finished an undefeated season in 2001 and won the regular season championship. The Pride have advanced to national playoffs seven times in their 16 years of operation. On January 18, 2011, the team announced that they would not play in 2011 and has been discontinued.