Bethlehem Steel FC announced today the club has acquired Jamaican forward Cory Burke via loan ahead of the club’s inaugural 2016 season. Burke is under contract with Rivoli United of the Red Stripe Premier League and will occupy an international spot upon his arrival with the club.

“A player with a recent goalscoring record and skill set like Cory's has us hopeful that he will make a quick transition to USL,” Bethlehem Steel FC head coach Brendan Burke said. “We are confident in his ability to make an immediate impact for the club and we’re happy to have him on board.”

Burke, 24, joins from Rivoli United, where he has 12 goals and is currently the second-leading scorer in the Red Stripe Premier League. He’s been a driving force for Rivoli (who has scored just 19 team goals this year), while trying to keep the club above the relegation zone. In addition, Burke’s 23 goals over the last two seasons are good for third most in the league since the start of the 2014-15 campaign. He also had 11 goals during the 2014-15 season, good for a tie for fifth place. Overall at Rivoli, Burke has scored 25 goals in three seasons.

Burke will occupy an international spot with Steel and will join Boluwatife Akinyode, Amoy Brown, James Chambers and Seku Conneh on that list. Along with this arrival, the club’s inaugural roster now stands at 14 players. A detailed list can be seen below.

Bethlehem Steel FC will start their inaugural season on Friday, March 25, at FC Montreal and officially open their doors at Lehigh University’s Goodman Stadium the following week on Sunday, April 3 against FC Cincinnati with a scheduled 3 p.m. kickoff. Fans can have a first look at the club during preseason with matches at the Philadelphia Union Training Center on March 6 and March 20. Both games are free and open to the public, with the March 20 date coinciding with the Union’s home opener.

Full season member packages start at $176, while smaller plans start at just $50. Group tickets (groups of 15 or more) and individual game tickets are also on sale. As of today, individual game tickets purchased in advance of game day range from $13-$25 with day-of-game pricing an additional $2 ($15-$27). For season member packages or group tickets, visit www.bethlehemsteelfc.com or call 1-844-STEELFC.

Bethlehem Steel FC Current Roster

Goalkeepers (1): Samir Badr.

Defenders (5): Nick Bibbs, Michael Daly, Raymond Lee, Ryan Richter, Ken Tribbett.

Midfielders (5): Boluwatife Akinyode, James Chambers, Gabe Gissie, Josh Heard, Derrick Jones.

Forwards (3): Amoy Brown, Cory Burke, Seku Conneh.

ABOUT BETHLEHEM STEEL FC

Bethlehem Steel FC joined the United Soccer League officially on Oct. 27, 2015 and will begin its inaugural season in 2016. Based in Bethlehem, Pa. in the Lehigh Valley, it is the official USL affiliate of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. Also owned and operated by Keystone Sports and Entertainment, LLC, the team will start their inaugural season at Lehigh University’s Goodman Stadium. For more information about Bethlehem Steel FC, visit www.bethlehemsteelfc.com.