Shorthanded CyberRays open training camp Nov. 1

Published on October 25, 2002 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Jose CyberRays News Release


SAN JOSE (Oct. 25, 2002) – The San Jose CyberRays will open their two-week off-season training camp Friday, Nov. 1 without seven players, missing either because of injury or national team duty.

But the camp will mark the first appearance of newly acquired forward Mandy Clemens, obtained in an Oct. 1 trade with the Philadelphia Charge. And the CyberRays will have four invited tryout players in camp hoping for roster sports for the 2003 season beginning in April.

``A lot of fans didn't realize how banged up we were last season,'' CyberRays coach Ian Sawyers said of his team, which slipped to fifth in the final WUSA standings last season. ``The first and foremost goal of our off-season camp is to get healthy again, but we've got new players to evaluate, and we want to decide how we want to play next season and tune up to play that way.''

Camp will be conducted without six players – Katia, Sissi, Kim Clark, Kelly Lindsey, Megan Horvath and Linnea Quiñones – who are injured, and one, captain Brandi Chastain, who is playing with the U.S. Women's National Team, which is in the midst of qualifying play for next year's Women's World Cup in China.

Katia (bone bruise in her right knee), Clark (ankle surgery), Lindsey (knee surgery), Horvath (knee surgery) and Quiñones (ankle) all are still dealing with the after effects of injuries suffered during the 2002 season. Sissi injured her shoulder recently when she tripped over a youngster while leading a girls' soccer clinic in Modesto.

Clemens, a three-time all-American at Santa Clara University, was one of Philadelphia's three originally allocated players. Invited as tryout players are Christina Bell, a two-year CyberRays forward who was waived to make roster room for Clemens, former Notre Dame midfielder Lindsey Jones, defender/midfielder Joanie Gerpheide of Washington State and defender/midfielder Tennli Ulicny of Cal State Fullerton.

``We will be able to achieve what we want (despite the missing players),'' Sawyers said. ``We know what those guys can do.''

Training camp will be held Friday-Nov. 14 at West Valley College in Saratoga except for Nov. 7 and 8, which will be days off.

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