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Open tryouts for the California Cougars a success in Manteca
Monday Sep 10, 2007
Stockton, CA – Sept. 10, 2007 -- More than 30 athletes attended the California Cougars open tryouts on Saturday, September 8, at Big League Dreams in Manteca.
Most of the athletes made the trip from local cities in the Valley region. Including six from Manteca, five from Tracy and two from Sacramento.
However, many of the attendees were from Southern California including Erez Azulay from Los Angeles.
The 34 year old Azulay is originally from Israel, he played professionally in his home country between 2000 and 2001. Azulay said he was not worried about trying out because he is used to playing in front of twenty-thousand people in his home country. He drove all night from Los Angeles to Manteca and felt his lack of sleep affected his performance on the field. Azulay did make the final cut of the day and is invited to return to the next tryout session.
The Cougars also attracted a player from outside California. Mike Goodman from Brookfield, Wisconsin attended the tryouts. Goodman had also traveled to Orlando to tryout with the Sharks back on August 8, 2007. He will also try out for the Milwaukee Wave in the upcoming weeks. Goodman has worked with a trainer for the past 8 months to prepare him for his tryout tour.
Fontana resident Pablo Carrillo was playing on very little sleep after making the trip to Manteca. “I’m going to be honest with you I couldn’t sleep last night. It’s is a whole different level (of soccer). I’m real excited. I’m here to get the best out of myself and I hope I get a chance to prove that I can do a lot better for the coach out here,” said Carrillo.
Former Notre Dame de Namur forward Anthony Marinic tried out for the team last season. He made the reserve crew but opted to finish school instead. Marinic came out to the tryouts in attempt to make the Cougars reserve squad again.
Head coach Bernie Lilavois looked over the tryouts. “We are very pleased with the quality of players that we have seen at both the Manteca and Chico tryouts. These open tryouts were originally designed for local players, but we have had players from all over the world sign up to showcase their talents with the hope of becoming a California Cougars player. I’m looking forward to the next three tryout opportunities we have scheduled for Turlock, Sacramento and Sonoma to see if there are any more potential players we may discover,” said Lilavois.
The next scheduled tryout is September 15 at Turlock Indoor Soccer in Turlock. Tryouts run from 9:00AM to 1:00PM. The Sacramento tryout session is on September 22, at Estadio Azteca. The final tryout is on September 23, at University Sports Complex in Rohnert Park.
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The Cougars open training camp on September 24, 2007 at the Stockton Arena.
About the California Cougars:
The California Cougars are a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The MISL is a single-entity organization that features a coast to coast presence across North America including soccer talent representing players from 31 different countries. The Cougars made their competitive debut in November of 2005, after being announced on February 28, 2004. The team makes its home at the state-of-the-art Stockton Arena, in Stockton, California. The Stockton Arena opened in December 2005, and is an integral part of the cities developing waterfront district. For additional information please contact Greg Young, Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting, by phone: 209-373-1559, or by email: gyoung@californiacougars.net. You can also visit the Cougars’ official website at http://www.californiacougars.net.
About The MISL:
The Major Indoor Soccer League is a single-entity organization with a coast-to-coast presence comprised of seven teams located across the United States, and features the finest indoor soccer players representing 31 countries around the world. In February of 2004, the League announced an expansion team in Stockton, CA, that began play in 2005-06 as the California Cougars. In May of 2004, the League announced plans for an expansion team in Newark, NJ, that will begin play in 2007-08. On Sunday, April 30, 2006, the MISL announced that MISL Orlando had been approved to begin competition for the 2007-08 season. The 2007 MISL Championship Series concluded live on Versus and before a sell out crowd at Compuware Arena in Detroit on Saturday, April 21, 2007, with the Philadelphia Kixx winning their second MISL Championship Series, beating the Detroit Ignition 13-8 in the final. For more information on the MISL, visit the League’s official website www.MISL.net.
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