Portland Hearts of Pine Sell Out Women's Season Ticket Deposits in Under an Hour

The Portland Hearts of Pine launched ticket deposits for their forthcoming women's team on Thursday, and within 60 minutes, every one of the 5,000 available slots had been claimed. Each deposit cost $25 and was non-refundable.

The response signals extraordinary early enthusiasm for the USLW women's preprofessional squad, which is scheduled to begin play in May and June of 2027 at Fitzpatrick Stadium, the same Portland venue where the Hearts of Pine's men's team has already shattered attendance expectations.

Hannah Sirois, the club's vice president of fan experience, called the pace of sales "totally, absolutely unprecedented for a preprofessional club." She added that the organization's ambition runs deeper than filling seats. "How we want to continue to look at it is to help build a foundation for women to be supported here in the state of Maine," Sirois said. "Similar to our men's team, we want to be best in class."

A Rapid Sellout

Deposits went on sale at noon, and roughly 3,000 had already been purchased within the first five minutes. The remaining 2,000 vanished before the one-hour mark passed. Sirois described the moment in two words: "Unreal. Totally unreal." She continued: "We didn't necessarily know what would happen. We just continue to be blown away by the support of this community."

Once converted, those deposits are expected to become full season tickets priced at $90, or roughly $15 per match for an anticipated six-game home schedule.

Building Toward Launch

The women's team represents the realization of a goal the franchise has publicly discussed since its early days. The Hearts of Pine, now in their second year of existence, announced last October that they were exploring the addition of a women's side. Since then, the club has hosted town hall forums, organized an online discussion featuring U.S. women's soccer legends Michelle Akers and Sara Whalen Hess along with current national team star Sam Coffey, and formally committed to the project earlier this month.

According to Sirois, the club plans to reveal the women's team branding — including its name and crest — in late summer. That same window will likely bring announcements about the coaching staff and the transition of deposits into actual ticket sales.

A League of Their Own

The USLW operates as a national league divided into regional divisions, with a compact 10- to 12-game schedule concentrated in May and June, followed by playoffs. This year the league includes 95 teams across 14 divisions. Vermont Green FC, a new expansion franchise, joined a newly created Northeast Division this season.

The league is designed primarily for college-eligible players, functioning much like baseball's wooden-bat summer leagues. It offers high-level competition and exposure opportunities while preserving athletes' NCAA eligibility.

Attendance figures within the USLW are not officially reported, but most clubs draw under 1,000 fans per match. Minnesota Aurora FC is one of the few consistent exceptions, reportedly averaging more than 5,000 spectators. If Portland's women's team replicates even a fraction of the men's side's draw, it would immediately become one of the league's best-attended clubs.

How the Numbers Compare

For context, the recently completed 2025–26 USL Super League professional women's season averaged 2,634 fans per match across the league, with only Sporting Jax (7,494) clearing 3,200. At the top of the professional pyramid, the NWSL — now including expansion side Boston Legacy FC — averaged 10,669 fans per club in 2025. Eight of the league's 16 teams are currently averaging more than 11,500 fans per game, with Boston drawing 12,012.

The Hearts of Pine men's team, meanwhile, has become something of a phenomenon in its own right. After setting USL League One attendance records during its inaugural year, the club has sold out every match at the 5,500-seat Fitzpatrick Stadium and is now averaging 6,201 fans per game.

A Stadium Deal in the Works

The club's expansion plans depend in part on a pending amendment to its Fitzpatrick Stadium lease. Portland's Housing and Economic Development Committee has already recommended approval of a proposal that would add eight dates to the soccer club's annual allotment, allowing room for both men's and women's home fixtures.

Under the current arrangement, the city offers the team 40 potential dates from which it selects 25 for men's games. The proposed amendment would keep that 40-date pool but permit the club to choose 33 dates spanning both squads. Should the change pass, the organization would pay market rate for facility use during women's matches and any additional practices. The men's team currently pays no rental fees, a concession tied to the club's roughly $3 million investment in stadium improvements, including artificial turf installed in 2025 and upgrades to lighting and sound systems.

The Portland City Council is expected to take up the lease amendment at its meeting on Monday.

"We're feeling good about the relationship we have with the city and with the parks and recreation department," Sirois said. "We're part of Monday's agenda, and how we're looking at it is, it's just an opportunity to make it official."