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USL Charleston Battery

All-USL Center Back Shawn Ferguson Signs with Battery

January 7, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON - Battery center back Shawn Ferguson -- the team's 2015 Defensive Player of the Year -- will return to Charleston for the 2016 campaign, Battery General Manager and Coach Mike Anhaeuser announced Thursday.

Per club policy, details of the contract were not released

Ferguson's signing is an important step toward building the 2016 Battery roster, Anhaeuser said. "He's a guy forwards don't want to go up against. That's what separates him. And he's grown as a player every year. So he's a key player to get back, because if you want to have success in any league, in any sport, it starts with defense."

Ferguson, Anhaeuser said, "is only improving. And he still has room to get better."

The 24-year-old Rock Hill native and College of Charleston alumni was the only Battery player to earn All-USL First Team honors in 2015, and was also named a finalist for league Defender of the Year. He drew post-season attention from Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer in November after his Battery contract expired.

"Charleston was always where I was going to be if I knew I was going to be in this league," Ferguson said. "I didn't hear much from the MLS side of things, so it kinda made my decision for me. I heard from a couple other teams in the league, too, but I just really liked what we have going on here."

Ferguson joined the Battery in early 2013 after completing his NCAA career in the fall of 2012. At 6-4 and more than 200 pounds he demonstrated surprising speed for a man his size. Yet he was a seldom-used prospect during his rookie year, training only part-time with the Battery while completing his bachelor's degree.

He began his second year in style by winning Anhaeuser's grueling Manchester United Fitness Test on the first day of 2014 training camp, then emerged as a solid full-time starter beside team captain Colin Falvey. In 2015 he anchored a defense that finished with the second-best goals-against record in USL. Along the way he led the team in regular-season starts (27) and minutes (2,385) while contributing two goals and an assist.

By season's end, Ferguson had been named as a starter on the USL Team of the Week four times, and in Week 26 became the year's only defender to win USL Player of the Week without scoring a goal in the match for which he was honored.

Anhaeuser wasn't surprised by his stealthy star's breakout 2015, but deemed himself "happy that Shawn has learned that he has the ability to make it," he said.

"When he first came in, he didn't realize he could be as good as he can be. Now he understands, and he understands that he needs to be more of a leader. He needs to direct, like Colin Falvey, and be the guy in the back. Not just the guy who marks, who just is there as the extra man. He's got to be the guy who takes it on himself."

Ferguson admits to being a bit surprised by his development so far, and credits Anhaeuser "for maybe seeing that potential in me that I didn't know I had."

He expects that "a real majority of the team" will be coming back for 2016, and has high expectations for the season. "Our goal this year, like every year, is to win a championship, and it's been a few years since we have. So we really need to know that we're going to strive to win that championship again, and starting that mentality early is key for us."

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