WATERLOO — K-W United FC has pulled the plug on its W-League team for the upcoming season.

Team president Barry MacLean confirmed the decision on Tuesday, saying the team has taken a "leave of absence" from North America's longest-standing women's soccer league after learning Ontario franchises in London, Toronto and Ottawa had ceased operations.

K-W United would have had to compete against teams from Quebec City, Laval, Que., New York City and other U.S. cities to stay in the league, said MacLean, making it logistically and financially untenable.

"We've taken a leave of absence, but we have not folded. We'll see what happens with the W-League moving forward and we're strategizing on how we salvage it because we definitely don't want to give up the women's team," said MacLean.

Meanwhile, said MacLean, it is business as usual for K-W United's men's under-23 team, which competes in the Professional Development League. That squad will compete in the seven-team Great Lakes Division starting in early May.

MacLean has yet to contact all his players about the decision to suspend operations but is hopeful he can find another league for them to play in this year. He said there is talk of the Ontario Soccer Association starting a women's league this year but said nothing was definite.

Last year's team boasted 11 players with ties to this area and reached the second round of the playoffs before losing the Central Conference final to Ottawa.

MacLean is hopeful the suspension of operations will not have an impact on K-W United FC's relationship with the Kitchener Soccer Club.

The association contributed $37,000 to K-W United FC last year in return for tickets that were distributed to youth players.

K-W United FC came into existence in early 2013 with hopes of establishing a supportive fan base in Waterloo Region.

Speaking at the franchise's media launch in February 2013, MacLean said he was expecting to see crowds of more than 1,500 for both teams at University Stadium. Those crowds never materialized despite both teams making huge strides in their first two seasons. The men's team reached the Central Conference semifinals last year before losing a penalty-kick decision to the Des Moines Menace.

The W-League and PDL both operate under the United Soccer Leagues umbrella.