http://blog.pennlive.com/upper90/2011/03/more_from_city_islanders_train.html Bryant Rueckner is one of the keepers in camp. He played under Union coach John Hackworth on the U.S. U-17 squad. Also played for the U-20 team and UC Santa Barbara in college. Philip Tuttle is also there training. He joined the team after spending the MLS pre-season with the San Jose Earthquakes who picked him in the 2011 MLS supplemental draft.
San Diego Sockers fan here. Sounds like you are getting one of our best players. Ze Roberto tore it up this season in the PASL - All league first team selection. I remember him playing outdoors, and if he is half as good outdoors as he has been for us this year then you will have a solid veteran to build on. I think we Sockers fans are going to have to adopt the Islanders as our USL Pro team this year.
Ze Roberto made his pre-season debut against Saint Francis. I believe he is #23 in the photos and videos in the link below. http://blog.pennlive.com/upper90/2011/03/news_from_around_the_league.html Hopefully he impresses the staff and earns a contract. Thanks for your input and support from out west!
Com'on dudes, gimmee some info. Season starts in a month and only 11 under contract - we got a back line and GK, a couple midfielders and no scorers. Coaches can't expect to fill the squad with walk-ons, trialists. We need some athletic midfielders and forwards. Any leads on players available that may not be in camp but could bolster the team. Think the Union may throw some candidates our way. Rochester, Richmond, and Charleston will be powerhouses.
You are right. A solid starting keeper and a strong backline is a good start but what about the rest of the club? Harrisburg is a team that develops their team late in the pre-season as they wait for the trickledown effect from MLS clubs. Also though, they are much like many other teams in that they are quiet about who they have training currently. Also, they are a team who does not announce player signings UNTIL THEY are USL and USSF approved. Some team announce signings "pending approval" right away. Harrisburg likes to wait until it is official before announcing so they may even have guys contacted but not announced yet. I know Paul Robson from Crystal Palace has impressed (another defender though) and I think he would be a great signing. Erik Hort is with the team. He was impressive at camp last week (think he was the guy who scored the goal in my one video) and he scored in the scrimmage against Saint Francis. He has spent time with the U.S. U-20 squad, Chicago Fire, Sparta Praha, Tel Aviv in Israel, and in Puerto Rico. If he fits the system and is signed he would be an immediate impact player.
I had a good conversation with the Auggie and Battery president Andrew Bell in Feb about players they are looking at and they said they have been trying to be tight lipped about them as well. It seems some teams (MLS USL and NASL) tend to find out who is doing well in some trials or camps and then come in and "poach" them.
Thats why all but 1 or 2 Kickers pre season games are closed door matches. Which kind of suck to be honest. Even if we sneak in, we aren't allowed to say anything about the games
I am torn between wanting to know more info and sharing it on the blog with the HCI fans and not trying to mess up anything player wise for the team. Guess it is the nature of the beast. Speaking of Heins... I saw he scored last night for the Kickers. Usually by the time the pre-season matches come around the City Islanders are not as hush hush about the players but leading up to camp in the late winter months when they are still in talks with guys or when they invite guys to train with the team in Jan./Feb. they are quiet about it. ALL THE MORE REASON WE NEED THE REGULAR SEASON TO START!!!
Derek, Thanks for all the updates on PennLive. As fans, it's great to know some of the players in camp and how the roster if shaping. I understand how sensitive player signings can be, so it makes sense that teams are secretive about it. I think Harrisburg really addressed their defensive woes, although I still wonder if they have someone who can consistently put the ball in the net up top. Time will tell. Is it April 16 yet?!?!
Hax, thanks for the comments and I am glad you enjoy Upper 90. I agree. On defense we are top notch. Harrison in goal, Bixler, Marshall, Thayer, Calvano in the back (plus more solid guys coming) makes for an awesome defense. With the backline solidified that may allow Bloes to play up further which is good. Sainey Touray could be a goal scorer we need and I know they have another guy or two that could put the ball in the net in the works. I plan on being at the match saturday taking pics and vids.
Any one know where Nick Zimmerman is - think he might end up in H'burg? He's still young and needs a place to play in hopes that an MLS club might pick him up later in the season. Think we'll see some signings after the Sat. scrimmage. Couple of oldies and couple of newbies?
I would love to see Nick in Harrisburg but I am not sure it will happen. I think he joined a team after being released by the Union and may sign with them. He and JT Noone would be good additions. I think we will see player signing news soon. A few new guys have been brought in and may play this saturday. I do know we will see more regulars in the line up saturday also.
I compiled a list of trialists for the City Islanders from Derek's blog and articles by Michael Bullock on PennLive. I gathered these players' positions and latest club from the web, my apologies if some of them aren't 100% correct or current. Is Brandon Poltronieri still trying out with the club? I haven't read about him for a while, but he was reportedly invited to camp a while back. There are some quality players in this list, does anyone have things to add/edit or thoughts about them? Goalkeeper Chad Becker (AC St. Louis – NASL) Jay Herford (Crystal Palace Baltimore – NASL) Clint Irwin (Elon – NCAA) Bryant Rueckner (UCSB – NCAA) Philip Tuttle (Notre Dame – NCAA) Defense Stephen Basso (Crystal Palace Baltimore – NASL) Erik Hort (Hapoel Ra'anana – Israel) Richard Kentish (Southern New Hampshire – NCAA / NH Phantoms – PDL) Paul Robson (Crystal Palace Baltimore – NASL) Doug Schmitt (Seton Hill – NCAA) Midfield Jason Hotchkin (Harrisburg – USL2) Joseph Niouky (New England Revolution – MLS) Geoff Pezon (Messiah – NCAA / Reading United – PDL) Brandon Poltronieri (Brujas FC – Costa Rica) Karl Reddick (Boston College – NCAA / Ocean City FC – PDL) Mitch Walters (Slippery Rock – NCAA) Ryan Zabinski (Harrisburg – USL2) Ze Roberto (Rochester – USL1) Forward Tishan Hanley (Harrisburg – USL2) Idrsissa Kone (unknown club? - Mali?) Morgan Langley (Swarthmore – NCAA) Sainey Touray (Carolina Railhawks – NASL) Andrew Welker (Seton Hall – NCAA) Add Basso, Hort, and Robson to Bixler, Bloes, Calvano, Marshall, and Thayer in the back, with Herford and others backing up Harrison, I love our depth defensively. Ze Roberto and Hotchkin offer some good skill in the midfield, while Brandon and Niouky would be experienced defensive mids and Reddick seems to have good potential. Derek really likes Touray, but the forward position still stands out as the weak link for the Isles. I don't know a lot of these players well though, so I could easily be wrong. I've seen a bunch of the NASL and higher level college guys, but others are a mystery to me.
The City Islanders defeated Robert Morris University 3-0 last night on goals by Geoff Bloes and Geoff Pezon, plus an own goal. Derek reported the identity of two more trialists, forwards Jose Angulo and Jordan Seabrook. Seabrook most recently played for Crystal Palace Baltimore, while Angulo turned professional directly from an All-American high school career, landing trials with MLS, but ending up in the PDL last season. Of note is that Angulo tallied 10 goals for the Central Jersey Spartans in 2010, the same team of recent signing Nelson Becerra (who registered 8 assists last season). Reports from the exhibition: http://blog.pennlive.com/upper90/2011/03/city_islanders_vs_robert_morri.html http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2011/03/city_islanders_clip_robert_mor.html The updated list of trialists: Goalkeeper Chad Becker (AC St. Louis – NASL) Jay Herford (Crystal Palace Baltimore – NASL) Clint Irwin (Elon – NCAA) Bryant Rueckner (UCSB – NCAA) Philip Tuttle (Notre Dame – NCAA) Defense Stephen Basso (Crystal Palace Baltimore – NASL) Erik Hort (Hapoel Ra'anana – Israel) Richard Kentish (Southern New Hampshire – NCAA / NH Phantoms – PDL) Paul Robson (Crystal Palace Baltimore – NASL) Doug Schmitt (Seton Hill – NCAA) Midfield Jason Hotchkin (Harrisburg – USL2) Joseph Niouky (New England Revolution – MLS) Geoff Pezon (Messiah – NCAA / Reading United – PDL) Brandon Poltronieri (Brujas FC – Costa Rica) Karl Reddick (Boston College – NCAA / Ocean City FC – PDL) Mitch Walters (Slippery Rock – NCAA) Ryan Zabinski (Harrisburg – USL2) Ze Roberto (Rochester – USL1) Forward Jose Angulo (Central Jersey - PDL) Tishan Hanley (Harrisburg – USL2) Idrissa Kone (unknown club? - Mali?) Morgan Langley (Swarthmore – NCAA) Jordan Seabrook (Crystal Palace Baltimore - NASL) Sainey Touray (Carolina Railhawks – NASL) Andrew Welker (Seton Hall – NCAA) It looks like the NASL's demise could be the City Islanders' gain, with 4 former CP Baltimore players and an AC St. Louis vet on trial. Some of the attacking players have promise but are a young and unproven group: Seabrook (23 years), Tishan Hanley (20), Idrissa Kone (19), Sainey Touray (21). While some were much celebrated prospects, Angulo was once touted as one of the most skillful high schoolers in Jersey history, this is a green group. I wonder how prepared some of these players are for the physicality of the USL. Nonetheless, it seems like a good move to bring in some of these guys. Harrisburg has a good track record of landing similar diamonds in the rough, Shipalane and Williams pop to mind, might Touray and Angulo follow in their footsteps to MLS contracts? Time will tell...
I enjoy blog and regular articles in PennLive. You guys do a great job with not only the Islanders but other sports in the area. It's nice to keep up on what's going on in the area after moving away. (I can't believe I moved away almost 14yrs ago). They Islanders always seem to put a solid team on the field and usually find that one or two diamonds in the rough. Also, I think they may get 1 or 2 more players down from MLS in the next month. And I may have missed his name on the various lists, but I guess Kai Kasiguran is done. I thought he was a decent player at this level, not a star but a good role player.
I have not heard anything about Kasiguran. He was a great player and a nice guy but I think I remember him having an injury that hampered his play a while back. As for Brandon Poltronieri... your guess is as good as mine. I have not heard anything lately. I did not see him at the match Saturday. I know he was training with the club during Monday night workouts before but I never actually saw him at camp or in a pre-season match. I think we will hear some player signing news soon. Usually about half way through pre-season they make some key decisions and offer contracts. Then the second half of the season usually turns from tryouts to fine tuning the contracted guys. Touray is my pick for the diamond in the rough if he makes it. He needs to make sure he can handle the physical stuff to survive up front but if he does, he will be strong. I also thought Angulo had some nice blasts Saturday night. Andrew Marshall is the real deal btw... this guy will be great in the back with Bixler. The two of them together will be a great central defensive pairing. Chase.... well, what can you say... top notch. Midfield... I agree. We will be solid. Some returning guys, some new guys, and a nice split of defensive mids and offensive mids. I am also hearing that Nelson Beccera is really working out well and will be an impact player in 2011. Up front.... again the questionmark. One thing to remember, with the backline solidified maybe now Bloes can go upfront and be an offensive threat more. The team has tried him up front in pre-season and Open Cup play and he has responded well. Kevin Coleman is a guy to add to the list. He is a solid defender who played 2 seasons for the KiXX in indoor soccer. I also think the Islanders have another forward they feel will do well. Should know more soon...
Nice mix of prospects, but don't forget limitations (7?) on international players. Coaches may be checking green cards, etc.
Was not there in person but just posted some cool tidbits from the Temple match. Jason Herrick... this kid is supposed to be the real deal up front. He was a goal scoring machine the last 2 seasons for University of Maryland. He was a draft pick of the Fire and was with them training for a while. Guess he was just released and just joined Harrisburg making an impact right away. Sainey Touray.... scored again. Drew Yates is another Fire draft pick. Played last year with FC Tampa Bay. Just returned from a trial over in the Czech republic. Jose Angulo also scored. Harrison played all 90 and got the clean sheet. http://blog.pennlive.com/upper90/2011/03/city_islanders_vs_temple_match.html
The City Islanders signed two players yesterday: defender Stephen Basso and forward Jason Herrick. I think these are great signings, Basso further cements what should be a terrific back line of Bixler, Marshall, Calvano, Harrison, etc. In Herrick, the team gets a forward who can score goals and hold the ball while building possession. Herrick is the type of forward the team has lacked since Chad Severs left two seasons ago. Two weeks until the Isles' season opener, can't wait!!
The City Islanders continue to fill out their roster, re-signing last year's leading scorer Jason Hotchkin and inking GK Phil Tuttle (Notre Dame) and F Morgan Langley (Swarthmore) to new contracts. Harrisburg's roster now looks like this: 1 Phil Tuttle GK 3 Dustin Bixler D 6-3 185 12/21/82 Mechanicsburg, PA 4 Geoff Bloes M 6-1 180 6/3/85 Harrisburg, PA 5 Andrew Marshall D 6-0 1/17/84 Winfield, Illinois 6 Jeritt Thayer D 6-1 175 5/3/86 California 8 Brian Ombiji M 5-9 160 8/17/82 Eldoret, Kenya 9 Jason Herrick F 10/05/87 10 David Schofield M 5-9 160 10/15/81 Preston, England 11 Jason Hotchkin M 13 Stephen Basso D 6-1 170 08/22/87 15 Morgan Langley F 17 Nelson Becerra M 5-10 150 7/20/87 Lima, Peru 22 Jason Pelletier M 5-10 180 4/24/85 Middletown, PA 23 Anthony Calvano D 5-7 165 1/8/82 Manassas, VA 32 Chase Harrison GK 6-3 4/2/84 Huntington, WV
Good bets for next signings: Yates (F), Seabrook (F/M), Touray (F), Angulo (F) . Here is the speed, scoring punch needed to complement Ombiji, Herrick. Also Pezon fits well in midfield. Looks like some room still open for international players? Another defender needed: Maybe Reddick (D) or Welker (D/M)? Where's Hort? Third keeper? - Becker, Reucker?
Just thinking out loud I would say they might not go with a third keeper this season. That is just opinion not fact but having Dave Kern available being that he is the keeper coach I would bet if a big injury came along and they needed a third keeper to fill in for the back up role maybe they would just use him. Again just speculation. They may have a third guy train with the team you never know. For defenders I know they liked Welker alot. For one reason or another Hort is no longer with the team. Maybe he went somewhere else, maybe he just didn't fit the system, or it just didn't work out, who knows. Seabrook is a very good bet to sign IMO, I agree with you. Same with Yates, Angulo, and Touray. I would bet it is just a matter of working out details and clearing paperwork. I know there is a lot involved with some of the players from overseas and getting their work visa straight and all of that good stuff. I am very happy with the roster so far. I think the defense is great. Keeper is top notch. Midfield is soilid, and if the forwards can put the ball in the net we will be good to go. Guess it sounds easier said then done but I do think we will look good. I like the usllive.com coverage if HCI is able to stream each match. I also hope INVICA can re-air the matches tape delayed like they have done in the past. Also, it was mentioned on another forum that Fox Soccer Channel may broadcast a bunch of USL-PRO matches this season. All good stuff. Anyone headed to the kick off party? I can not make it but it sounds like fun. I have been to the last few and they are great.
As expected, the club signed MF Drew Yates (FC Tampa Bay), F Jordan Seabrook (Crystal Palace Baltimore), MF Andrew Welker (Seton Hall), and F Jose Angulo (Central Jersey Spartans). Their profiles are already up on the team's roster, look for the official press release tomorrow. No word on Sainey Touray yet, hopefully it's just a matter of time. I really like this roster so far, I just hope the club can afford some of these players as a few were in the NASL last year and mind command larger salaries at the result of the USL-PRO restructuring. Club press conference for next week, where they reveal the new kits, etc. Can't frickin' wait!
Just wanted to say best of luck to our sister team in Harrisburg! Hopefully we'll see you guys in both a friendly and the US Open Cup this year!