2011 USL PRO Season - Wilmington vs. Rochester Pregame

On the eve of the Wilmington Hammerheads first game since being dropped from the league, a lot has to be on the mind of both the players and Head Coach David Irving.  Ivan Becerra and Paul Nicholson have been named team captains for the 2011 season and Nicholson had some great things to say about the mindset of the team going into their first game - you can here more from Becerra and Coach Irving here.

4/16 - Wilmington Hammerheads vs. Rochester Rhinos - 7pm @ Legion Stadium

Tickets: $10 of adults, $8 for seniors (65+) and $6 for children

Watch the game free online at www.usllive.com

Want to meet the players, but don't have time to check out a game yet. Take a look at the finalized roster along with player bios and pics below. The Hammerheads organization looked at hundreds of trialists and feel like the squad they have, even though they're young, are quite ambitious and talented enough to compete with the best in the league.

2011 Wilmington Hammerheads - Player List and Bios

Expect Head Coach David Irving to implement a 4-3-3 lineup which he's used quite frequently in the preseason. After the recent signings and final preseason match against Hurricanes FC I've come up with a lineup I think we could see tomorrow night, with a few minor tweaks here and there. Obviously Jyler Noviello had an impressive preseason so if he's healthy you might see him inserted somewhere at the attacking end.  Luke Mulholland has a cast on his right hand so if he's cleared to play expect to see him on the field, but if he's not, you might see Richard drop back into a central midfield role where's he's played most of his career. I think GK Kyle Pollack will miss the first game so look for Brock Duckworth to get the start in goal. Other notable players that will probably see some playing time are: Alex Grendi, Tanner Wolfe, Tom Taylor and Chris Banks.

F - Andres Cuero (10)   F - Andriy Budnyy (11)   F - Richard Jata (9)

M - Manny Guzman (6)   M - Paul Nicholson (19)   M - Luke Mulholland (8)

D - Chris Spendlove (3)   D - Ivan Becerra (5)   D - Gareth Evans (23)   D - Dylan Riley (17)

GK - Brock Duckworth

The whole organization is looking forward to an exciting and successful season.  With the brand-new turf field recently installed at Legion Stadium and a lengthy selection process of developing a solid squad, I'm expecting good things to come for the city of Wilmington. I hear that the anticipation for tomorrow's match is quite high and emotions from fans, players, coaches and owners should make for a very entertaining environment.  I really wish I could be there to see it all transpire, but I can't, so I have some friends checking it out for me.  Hopefully I'll have some great pics(possibly some video clips) to share with you on Sunday or early next week sometime.  From what I understand there's a special treat planned for the fans who attend tomorrow night's game.