AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — The 37th Annual Aim Cup, the 125-team Amherst soccer tournament has been canceled due to extremely soggy field conditions. The main eight fields at the North French Soccer Complex are soupy and the tournament has been canceled for two reasons: to prevent player injury and conserve the complex's longevity.
“We just shouldn’t be playing on these fields, for safety, these kids could get hurt," President of Amherst Soccer, Todd Loomis, said. “Over the past few weeks we kind of had a feeling something was going to happen.”
Loomis says the league has already canceled 40 to 50 travel games this season. The cancellation will cost the soccer club nearly $60,000 in revenue before tournament expenditures. Loomis says league officials plan on meeting with the town in the near future to discuss installing a possible irrigation system.
“People say, ‘oh I’ve played in the rain before, the wet grass before,’ this is different, this is a really soft surface we’re dealing with right now," Loomis said. “Like you’re just walking on a big cushion.”
Teams across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Canada were expected to compete.
