MLS New England Revolution

Revs to kick off 2010 preseason training with entrance physicals on Monday

Published on January 28, 2010 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution will begin preseason preparations for the upcoming 2010 Major League Soccer season on Monday, Feb. 1, when all players will report to Gillette Stadium for entrance physicals. The club will begin daily training on Tuesday, Feb. 2, with a 10 a.m. conditioning session at the Dana-Farber Field House on the grounds of Gillette Stadium.

NEWS & NOTES

REVOLUTION SET TO BEGIN HISTORIC 15TH SEASON

With the New England Revolution's 2010 preseason training camp set to open next week in Foxborough, the club and league have reached a historic milestone, as this year will mark Major League Soccer's 15th season since firstkicking off in 1996... the Revolution - one of the league's inaugural members - is one of just eight teams to have participated in each of the previous 14 MLS seasons... the Revs have reached the playoffs in 10 of their first 14 seasons, including each of the last eight years under the guidance of head coach Steve Nicol.

ROSTER SHAKEUP: REVS MAKING MOVES THIS OFFSEASON

The current offseason has been one of much activity for the Revolution, as two players have already been acquired via trade and another five were added through the 2010 MLS SuperDraft... meanwhile, several players who were on the club's roster at the end of the 2009 season will not be with New England when preseason camp opens next week... the following is a timeline of roster moves made by the Revolution since the end of the 2009 season:

* Nov. 25, 2009 - GK Brad Knighton selected by the Philadelphia Union in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft; Waived F Stephane Assengue

* Dec. 2, 2009 - D Jay Heaps announced his retirement from professional soccer

* Dec. 8, 2009 - Re-signed F Kheli Dube, M Kenny Mansally and M Sainey Nyassi

* Jan. 14, 2010 - Traded D Chris Albright to the New York Red Bulls in exchange for the 31st and 48th overall selections in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft; Drafted F Zack Schilawski, D Seth Sinovic, M Zak Boggs, M Jason Griffiths and D Adam Welch in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft

* Jan. 22, 2010 - Acquired GK Preston Burpo, D Cory Gibbs, allocation money and a third-round selection in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for the rights to M Jeff Larentowicz and M Wells Thompson

REVS ADD FIVE AT 2010 MLS SUPERDRAFT

The Revolution selected five players at the 2010 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, which was conducted at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Thursday, Jan. 14... with the ninth overall selection, the Revs picked Wake Forest forward Zack Schilawski, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 14 goals and added seven assists in his senior year... also chosen were Creighton defender Seth Sinovic (second round, 25th overall), South Florida midfielder Zak Boggs (second round, 31st overall), Kentucky midfielder Jason Griffiths (third round, 48th overall) and Lehigh defender Adam Welch (fourth round, 57th overall)... New England entered draft day with only three selections, but acquired both the 31st and 48th overall picks from the New York Red Bulls in exchange for defender Chris Albright on the morning of the draft.

REVS DRAFT PICKS GRIFFITHS AND WELCH TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL

2010 Revolution draft selections Jason Griffiths and Adam Welch will remain in school to earn their degrees before joining the team to begin their tryouts in May... Griffiths, a 22-year-old midfielder from Kentucky, was selected in the third round (48th overall) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, while Welch, a 21-year-old defender from Lehigh, was drafted in the fourth round (57th overall)... both players are set to graduate this spring and will have their chance to earn a roster spot when they join the team for training after graduation.

U-DUB KEEPER HAWKINS INVITED TO CAMP

The Revolution has invited University of Washington goalkeeper Rylan Hawkins to participate in the club's 2010 preseason training camp as a non-roster invitee... a four-year captain for the Huskies after earning the starting goalkeeper spot his freshman year, Hawkins recorded 16 shutouts and maintained a 1.04 goals against average in 49 appearances (47 starts) during his time in Washington... the move gives the Revs three healthy goalkeepers in camp, as Hawkins joins the recently-acquired Preston Burpo and second-year keeper Bobby Shuttleworth... starting goalkeeper Matt Reis is expected to miss the beginning of the 2010 season following offseason shoulder surgery.

REVS TO OPEN 2010 SEASON AT LA GALAXY ON MARCH 27

The Revolution will open the 2010 season on the road against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, March 27, while the club will play its 2010 home opener on Saturday, April 10, against Eastern Conference foe Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium... the Revs and Galaxy will meet at The Home Depot Center at 11 p.m. ET, in a match that will be nationally televised by Fox Soccer Channel... the Revolution will then travel to face bitter rival D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, at RFK Stadium, before returning to Foxborough for the home opener against TFC at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 10... the complete 2010 MLS schedule is slated to be announced sometime in the next week.

NICOL TO BEGIN 2010 SEASON TWO WINS SHY OF CENTURY MARK

Head coach Steve Nicol finished the 2009 season with 98 career wins and will begin the 2010 campaign needing just two wins to become the third coach in MLS history to record 100 career victories... Nicol guided the Revolution to 11 wins in 2009, marking the seventh time in his eight-year career that he helped the Revs to a double-digit win total... the Liverpool legend is currently third on Major League Soccer's all-time wins list, behind only Seattle Sounders FC's Sigi Schmid (125) and current U.S. National Team head coach Bob Bradley (124)... Nicol has taken the Revolution to the playoffs in each of his eight seasons at the helm, including six Eastern Conference Championship appearances and four MLS Cup appearances.

BUSY OFFSEASON TAKES ALSTON TO SOUTH AFRICA, U.S. NATIONAL TEAM CAMP

Kevin Alston has racked up plenty of frequent flyer miles in recent months, as the second-year defender spent much of his offseason training with the Generation adidas team in South Africa and the U.S. National Team in Carson, Calif.... Alston joined the Generation adidas team for a training trip to South Africa from Nov. 27 - Dec. 8, although he was unable to train for most of the trip after suffering a hamstring strain in the first session... shortly following his return to the U.S., Alston was named to the 30-man roster for the U.S. Men's National Team's first training camp of 2010, which ran from Jan. 4-23 at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.... although he was again hampered by a hamstring strain, he did return to full fitness by the end of the camp.

TIERNEY SPENDS MONTH IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH GRASSROOT SOCCER

Kevin Alston wasn't the only member of the Revolution to journey to South Africa this past offseason, as Chris Tierney also traveled to the site of the 2010 FIFA World Cup from Nov. 24 - Dec. 22 to help Grassroot Soccer, a non-profit organization which uses soccer to help fight the HIV and AIDS epidemic in South Africa... the Wellesley, Mass., native spent much of his time in Cape Town - where he attended the 2010 FIFA World Cup Draw - but also traveled to several area townships and attended the opening of the first Football for Hope center in Khayelitsha.

BANFILL ASSISTS COACHING STAFF AT U.S. U-20 NATIONAL TEAM CAMP

Revolution equipment manager Brian Banfill was recently honored for his exemplary work with an invitation to join the U.S. Under-20 National Team for its training camp from Dec. 16-23 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.... Banfill, who was named the 2009 MLS Equipment Manager of the Year, served as the equipment manager for the U-20s during the week-long camp... now entering his fifth season as the Revolution's equipment manager, Banfill has previously been selected to serve as the equipment manager for both the 2007 and 2008 MLS All-Star Teams.

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