BYU Men's Soccer Opens Season in the O.C.
Jarom Jordan
Media Relations Director
jarom.jordan@byu.edu
801-471-4469
BYU Men's Soccer
CLICK HERE for the game notes in PDF form.
PROVO, Utah (May 3, 2010) -- The BYU men's soccer team will begin the 2010 Premier Development League season this Saturday, May 8 on the road against the Orange County Blue Star. The game begins at 5 p.m. (PT) at Concordia University in Irvine, California.
"This is a huge game," said senior forward, Zach De Francis. "We have a lot to play for in the first game of the season. It will pretty much set the tempo for the entire year. On a personal note, I can't wait to start the season off strong. It would be huge for us to get a solid win on the road against one of the premier teams in our division. Preseason is preseason, which means this is the first real test for our current team."
BYU begins the season with the hopes of returning to the PDL playoffs for the first time since 2007. In 2009 the Cougars were one spot away from the playoffs in the southwest division but believe the return of a handful of veterans, returned missionaries, and freshman is a formula for success.
The Cougars will have to overcome some history to defeat, or even tie the Blue Star. BYU is 0-7-2 all-time against them but two of the last three meetings resulted in 2-2 finishes. Orange County won the first six meetings before the two ties and the last meeting on July 11, 2009 1-0 loss in Provo.
Orange County used to be one of the dominant teams in the division, winning the southwest division title in 2001, 2004, and 2005 before a last place finish in 2007 and eighth place finishes the last two years.
UP NEXT
Wednesday, May 12 the BYU will host the U-21 Mexican national team. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Stadium at South Field in Provo, Utah. The game will be broadcast live, worldwide on BYU Television. It will also be streamed online, for free at www.byu.tv. Tickets are $10 for reserved seating and $6 for general admission. Those can be purchased at Rancho Markets, Utah Community Credit Union, or www.byutickets.com.
"It will be a huge event," said BYU head coach, Chris Watkins. "Obviously it will be a great game for us. There's no question about their abilities and talents. They are all full professional players and have been for several years and are the very best of what Mexico has to offer. It's a great challenge, opportunity, and platform for our team to play on. Hopefully we bring out some of the local Latino population that want to come out and watch them play. Hopefully we will represent ourselves well and have a good night."
This is the first time a Mexican national team has played against the BYU men's team and it is the first international friendly for the Cougars since defeating the Fijian national team, 3-1 in 2007.
Other national teams to visit Provo are the USA (2005) and El Salvador (2009) senior men's national teams who used BYU's facilities to practice for games in Salt Lake City.
2010 SPRING SEASON REVIEW
BYU went 4-1-1 in spring pre-season play. The Cougars defeated the Mesa State Mavericks twice on March 20 in Grand Junction, Colorado in the team's first pre-season games. The Cougars won the first game 3-0 on goals from BJ Pugmire ('13), Zach DeFrancis ('16), and Brady Marshall ('56). In the second game the Cougars won 2-1. March 27 BYU tied the UNLV Rebels 0-0 in Las Vegas, Nevada and April 7, MLS Cup Champion, Real Salt Lake won 6-0 in a scrimmage in Lehi. BYU finished pre-season play by defeating Weber State 2-0 in Provo on April 24. In the fall, BYU went 1-1-1, defeating Utah State (2-0), tying Weber State (1-1), and losing to Real Salt Lake (4-1).
PREVIEWING THE COUGARS
Eight starters return this season, including goal keeper, Bryan Black, veteran defenders, KC Whitworth and Drew VanWagenen, midfielders Brent Jensen and Britt Osborne, as well as forwards Zach De Francis, Brady Marshall, and BJ Pugmire. The Cougars lost seven players to graduation, including All-PDL western conference honorable mention midfielder, Richie Bindrup. BYU welcomes back five returned missionaries and seven freshman will join the team out of high school in June after their graduations.
2009 REVIEW
BYU finished 7-5-4 overall, in fourth position in the southwest division and just one spot out of the playoffs. Despite some major injuries the Cougars defeated Southwest Division champion, Hollywood Hitmen, 1-0 and tied eventual PDL champ, Ventura County 2-2.
PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
After winning seven club national championships, Brigham Young University joined the Premier Development League in 2003. The Cougars reached the elite eight in 2006 and 2007. The PDL is the top U23 men’s league in North America and features 68 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 16 regular season matches for each team, eight home and eight away. The PDL provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. BYU is the first and only university to own a franchise in the PDL. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League has proven to be an important stepping stone for top professionals now playing around the world.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS ONLINE
Check out the Cougars on twitter at www.twitter.com/byusoccer or on the official website at www.byusoccer.com.
QUICK FACTS
Who: BYU Cougars vs. Orange County Blue Star
When: Saturday, May 8 at 5 p.m. PT
Where: Concordia University (Irvine, CA)
