Fredericksburg Hotspur News Release -- www.fasasoccer.org
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The Fredericksburg Hotspur are pleased to announce the return of Ryan Taylor, Nik Conklin, and Ryan Sappington to their 2012 roster. All three players were crucial members of the 2011 inaugural season, and Coach Grover Gibson said he felt it was important to bring these players back to the team this season.
"Each of these players is ready to take on the challenge of putting together a solid team for the 2012 campaign," said Gibson. "We have a lot of new faces this year, and these three will provide stability as they're familiar with the environment here and will help the other players acclimate quickly."
Conklin, from Long Island University and who served as the team's captain for 2011, is excited about the upcoming season, as is Sappington, whose season was cut short last year by an injury.
"I'm feeling great and ready to get started," said Sappington, who just finished a four-year collegiate career at Bucknell. "The coach has put together a really good team and we have the foundations of a great program and I am happy to be a part of it."
Taylor, who plays at Radford University and was the goalkeeper for the 2011 Hotspur squad, had countless spectacular saves for the team, and mirrored Sappington's feelings about the upcoming season.
"I'm really happy that Coach Gibson asked me to play for the team this season," he said. "I think we have the makings of a really good squad and hope we can make a run at something special this year. The club is really moving in the right direction."
The team's first game is this Sunday, May 13th, on the road against the in-state rival Northern Virginia Royals. The first home game for the Hotspur will be Saturday, May 19th, at 5:30 at the University of Mary Washington Stadium, against another state rival, the Virginia Beach Piranhas. The game is the second half of a doubleheader with the W-League's Fredericksburg Impact, starting at 2 p.m. The game is free to all who attend.