Turlock, CA – Last Saturday marked the start of Academica’s 2020 NPSL season as the club held open tryouts at Academica Field. The two-day event had over 60 players coming from as far as the Bay area. Players were looking to impress the staff in order to join AC’s 3rd season in the NPSL. While some were familiar faces most were new to the coaches and made sure to make a good first impression.
“We are always excited for tryouts since we get to see the best the area has to offer. While we have a pretty good idea of the local soccer landscape, we always find a surprise at this event”, said Club President Simon Bettencourt. “It’s also great to get the guys together after a break since the fall.”
Attendees were put through their paces as the first day of tryouts saw new players show off their fitness and technical capabilities. The level of competition was high as players knew that coaches were keeping a close eye on them. Head Coach Sergio Sousa enjoyed what he saw, “Try-outs were a success for us once again. This past weekend, we were able to identify and bring in some great young talents that are definitely going to help us moving forward. It’s great to see how much local talent we are connecting with here at Academica. A bulk of the players who came out this past weekend were new faces and I believe that is something that we can be proud of. I’m excited to get going and to work with everybody as we prepare for our upcoming NPSL season.”
Head Coach Sergio Sousa addresses players after a session.
These tryouts were held to determine who would represent the Black and Gold heading into the 2020 NPSL season, scheduled to kickoff at the end of February. Academica would compete in the notoriously tough Golden Gate Conference where it made playoffs and advanced to the Western Region Semi-Final, falling to FC Arizona 3-2 after extra-time.
Academica’s 2020 schedule is set to release on Jan 20th with season tickets already available through the team’s online store at AcademicaSC.com.