Pair Of Tryouts Upcoming For Ocean City Nor'easters Soccer Team

OCEAN CITY, NJ - The Ocean City Nor’easters men’s soccer team is hosting a pair of tryouts for the upcoming season. Tryouts will be held on Saturday, Dec. 22, and Saturday, Jan. 5. Both events will be held at Carey Stadium and will begin at 11 a.m.

The Nor'easters are looking to fill roster spots for the 2019 USL League Two team, as well as the Under-23 and Under-20 teams. There are also some roster spots that have opened up due to college seniors moving on to play professionally.

“We are excited to announce our tryouts for the upcoming season,” Nor'easters General Manager Giancarlo Granese Jr. said. “As a club, we are looking to build off another successful year in the US Open Cup and take the next step in league play and make it back into the playoffs and win a championship. We are hoping that we can find a few players from these tryouts to add to our roster for the summer to help us achieve that goal.”

Out of the more than 70 teams in North America, the Nor'easters have the seventh-best record in USL League Two since 2003 (and the eighth-most wins in the all-time history of the league). They expect to challenge for a league title in 2019. The club is also hoping to be a part of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a national tournament where Ocean City has upset five professional teams all-time.

Tim Oswald, one of the winningest coaches in club history is returning to the Nor'easters sidelines after spending the last two years in Ocean City's front office. From 2012-16, Oswald led the Nor'easters to a pair of appearances in the league semifinals, and a third round appearance in the 2013 US Open Cup. In that tournament, the club narrowly lost to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. Oswald is on the lookout for fresh talent to continue to grow the club's national reputation.

“The open tryout has always been an excellent way for us to identify top talent to finalize our roster,” Oswald said. “Each year we find hidden gems that come out and surprise us, and we expect that trend to continue.”

“Tryouts have been a huge source of talent for us during my time with the club,” Nor'easters Sporting Director Kevin Nuss said. “They've helped to provide players a pathway to our first team and beyond. I am excited to see the talent in attendance and to find some undiscovered players.”

During Oswald's time as head coach, he worked with Nuss to recruit more than 40 players to Ocean City who moved on to play professionally. This includes 2013 league MVP Chevy Walsh and 11 players who were selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

Ocean City Nor’easters alums playing professionally include Tyler Miller of Los Angeles FC, John McCarthy of the Philadelphia Union, Brendan Hines-Ike of KV Kortrijk (Belgium) and Tony Donatelli of the Baltimore Blast. A comprehensive list of Nor’easter alums currently playing professionally can be found here.

All student-athletes must confirm eligibility to participate with their respective college, university or the NCAA. Players who are interested in trying out should fill out the online form HERE.
For any additional questions, contact the Ocean City Nor'easters team office at 609-432-8371, or email tryout@oceancityfc.com.

Image via Shutterstock