LA KISS vs. Philly Soul Arena Football League game coming to Trenton

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LA KISS and Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League matchup is coming to Sun National Bank Center in July.

(Courtesy Philadelphia Soul)

TRENTON - You can thank American Democracy for bringing Arena Football to Trenton.

LA KISS and Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League matchup is coming to Sun National Bank Center in July.

The Wells Fargo Center  -- home of the Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League team - will be undergoing renovations ahead of the Democratic National Convention, leaving the team without a venue for its scheduled matchup against the LA KISS.

So the teams are bringing Arena Football to the Sun National Bank Center for the June 11 game. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

"We think it's a great opportunity to bring Arena Football to Trenton and help expand our brand,'' said Ron Jaworski, part owner of the Soul. "We're really excited.''

The game is being marketed as a "Rock vs. Jocks'' matchup, referencing each team's ownership. The LA KISS is owned by rock legends Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, while the Soul's ownership brags Jaworski along with NFL greats Dick Vermeil, Marques Colston and Jahri Evans.

"This is a phenomenal opportunity to showcase Mercer County and the arena to the Philadelphia Soul fan base," Claudio Oliveira, Sun National Bank Center general manager said.

The LA KISS has struggled in its first two seasons in the league, finishing their 2015 season at the bottom of the National Conference with a record of 4-14. The Soul has the best overall record of any Philadelphia sports team since joining the AFL in 2004 and finished last season with an Eastern Division Championship and a 15-3 regular season record.

Simmons said his team is ready for the Soul.

"We plan on punishing the Philly Soul,'' he said. "In the last season they were very naughty and everyone has their 'Come to Jesus' moment, and I think this is going to be theirs.''

Arena football shares many of the same rules as its NFL cousin, with some notable exceptions: No punting; balls that bounce off end zone nets are still live and receivers only need one foot inbounds for a fair catch.

And the game is played on a 50-yard field - half the size of an NFL field - with the same dimensions of an NHL hockey rink. The result is a faster-paced, higher-scoring game.

"The action is so close,'' Jaworski said. "It is rock-n-roll football.''

On that point, Simmons agreed.

"It absolutely is rock-n-roll football,'' Simmons said. "We love the NFL and they do a great job. But once the ball isn't being thrown or isn't in someone's arms, everyone's whispering into the camera, the game's dead. In Arena Football there's no time for all that talking."

The league was founded nearly 30 years ago but took the 2009 season off to restructure its business model, and has been gaining steam largely due to television coverage by CBS, ESPN and the recent addition of Univision, Jaworski said.

"We know we're not the Philadelphia Eagles or the New York Giants,'' Jaworski said. "We have to do things better, make our players our stars. We don't have millions to throw around, so we have to do it the old-fashioned way.''

Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Wednesday, starting at $15. They're available through www.sunnationalbankcenter.com. Group tickets and limited "Rock vs. Jocks" packages that include signed "Rock vs. Jocks" footballs by the celebrity owners featured in this game can be purchased by calling 888-879-SOUL or by going to www.PhiladelphiaSoul.com.

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

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