Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

Philly Soccer Six announces new format for its annual spring tournament

The group will use the same pod model created by the Big 5 Classic that will culminate in a championship day at the WSFS Sportsplex on Chester’s waterfront.

Drexel men's soccer coach David Castellanos (left) and the Dragons are one of five city Division I programs participating in the revamped format of the annual Philly 6 Cup held each spring.
Drexel men's soccer coach David Castellanos (left) and the Dragons are one of five city Division I programs participating in the revamped format of the annual Philly 6 Cup held each spring.Read moreDrexel Athletics

The Philly Soccer Six, a consortium of coaches and officials from the city’s six Division I men’s soccer programs, announced a new format for its annual spring round-robin tournament, the Philly 6 Cup, scheduled to kick off Friday.

Taking a page from the Big 5 Classic, five of the city’s six programs, in addition to invitee Rider University, will begin play with the Broncs, La Salle, and Temple in the North pod and St. Joseph’s, Drexel, and Villanova in the South. Each team will play in two pod matches, with the top two teams playing in the cup championship at Chester’s WSFS Bank Sportsplex on April 12.

There was no explanation why Penn, which qualified for the NCAA Division I tournament this past fall, was not a part of this year’s round-robin competition and why Rider was invited.

Consolation games for third and fifth place will also occur on April 12. All three matches are scheduled to begin simultaneously at 8 p.m. at the complex next to Subaru Park.

The tournament kicks off Friday with Rider hosting Temple in the North pod and Drexel hosting Villanova in the South. Both games are at 7 p.m.

The other dates and times are as follows:

  1. March 28: Rider at La Salle, 7 p.m.

  2. March 29: St. Joseph’s at Villanova, TBA

  3. April 4: La Salle at Temple, 7 p.m.

  4. April 4: St. Joseph’s at Drexel, TBA

The tournament’s final day will find games on these fields:

  1. Championship game: Field 4

  2. Third-place game: Field 5

  3. Fifth-place game: Field 6

Historically, on the men’s side, games have been solely a one-day event with teams pairing up simultaneously for a spring game. The new format allows for more games during the schools’ spring schedules.

The new format applies only to the men’s programs. A source with knowledge of the format told The Inquirer that there have been no updates on a plan to modify games for the city’s women’s programs.