Harrisburg City Islanders Hold Try-Outs 12/01/04
by Brian Shea
The central Pennsylvania weather in the first week of January didn’t qualify as soccer weather. But that didn’t stop around 50 players from showing up in East Petersburg, Pa., to try out for the Harrisburg City Islanders, one of the new entries in the Pro Select League.
City Islander coach Bill Becher led the tryouts, which drew locals as well as players from Ivory Coast, Ghana and Morocco. After two days at the LANCO Fieldhouse, Becher invited close to 20 players back for a closer look.
“We appreciate the turnout we saw today,” said Becher. “It was great to get out on the pitch and watch some truly talented players. In the coming weeks, we’ll have some tough decisions to make as we continue to shape our roster.”
The Islanders have already signed three players for their inaugural season. David Bascome, Mike Feniger and Mike Henning all joined the team in late 2003. Henning helped with the evaluation earlier this week.
Former Hershey Wildcat and Montreal Impact coach Bob Lilley, and former Harrisburg Heat players Richard Chinapoo and Mark Pulisic also were on hand for the tryouts, which drew Jeremy Olsen, the younger brother of D.C. United star Ben Olsen. He was among those invited back.
The City Islanders will bring soccer back to central Pennsylvania for the first time since 2000 when the Hershey Wildcats folded after finishing second in the A League. The new team already has a solid midfield under contract with Bascome, Feinger and Henning.
“Our roster has begun to take shape very quickly,” said Becher. “We’re working hard to put a highly competitive team together, and I’m encouraged by what we’ve accomplished so far.”
Bascome, who currently plays indoor for the Baltimore Blast, first played for the Bermuda National Team at 18, but hasn’t represented his country as much lately because of he has played primarily indoors in recent years. He played with the Heat until they folded. Besides his indoor play, he runs a soccer school in Harrisburg.
“The biggest reason I’ve signed with the City Islanders is to keep the game in Harrisburg,” said Bascome. “It was hard to leave after I’d played here for so long, and now I want to give something back and enjoy myself. There is a strong base of support for soccer here in Harrisburg, and it’s good to expose the youth players in the area to professional players.”
Feinger and Henning will join the team after playing for several local pro teams. Both played for Hershey. Henning played indoor for Baltimore and Harrisburg while Feninger spent last season in the PSL with the Reading Rage, who will drop to the Premier Development League in 2004.
“Like David Bascome, Mike Feniger and Mike Henning embody the traits we are looking for in City Islanders players,” said Islanders President Eric Pettis. “They are more than proven, talented professionals. Both have displayed a commitment to the community, and we place a high value on that.”
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