A Good Test...

After nearly a week of fall camp under our belt, we head down to face the University of Texas - Dallas tonight for our second test of the preseason. The boys are feeling pretty good and our legs, while still a little heavy, are recovering after the first week.

We did fact Ceder Valley on Thursday afternoon and after only a couple days of training, I felt very good with the result. Certainly we have a long way to go, but the boys showed very well in certain aspects. As we continue to make adjustments and learn the system of play, we will only get sharper. I'm sure we will see an even better team this evening.

Austin Newman has looked very good thus far in camp and I will continue to expect big things from him moving forward. In addition, Ryan Bielefeldt has made the move from up top to centerback fairly seamlessly and will be invaluable running the show from the back. Finally, Alex Dawson continues to impress and will lead the charge up top.

On another note, Newman, Bielefeldt, and John Martinez were elected captains the other night by their peers. Congrats to them.

Thanks for checking in and I still plan to get some training pics up early next week.

Mark

It begins...

The boys reported to fall camp on Monday August 20. Over the past couple of days things have progressed nicely and I am pleased with where we stand. Our freshman group has settled in well and the team as a whole is coming together and understanding the direction.

We open with our first scrimmage tomorrow against Cedar Valley Community College, out of Dallas. Although our time together has been brief, I expect our organization to be good although we are no doubt working some kinks out...and will continue to do so until we open on September 2.

We have so far had multiple sessions each day, with the weather being pretty cooperative. Although we train in the early morning and late evening, the "cold front" that we have experienced is making it extremely pleasant to be out. I believe it was the low 90's today, with a nice breeze. Could be much worse. I hope to have pictures of our training sessions by the end of the week.

Thanks for the support.

Coach Hudson

Preseason Approaches

Here we go...

I'm extremely excited about this blog and I hope that each of you will find it entertaining and useful. I really feel it will give everyone an added element and insight into the 2007 season. It is my hope to be able and give access to aspects of the program that many don't see. It should be a great way to keep up with us as we go through the season. Now, the good stuff...

The boys report in less than a week and I know they are anxious to get things going. We will have two weeks before we open the season with the University of Dallas. I'm looking forward to getting on the field and getting my hands dirty.

A couple of notes...

I am extremely pleased to announce two assistants that have agreed to come on board this fall. Each come with a terrific background and experiences that will be extremely beneficial to both myself and the team. Byran Hantak comes to us from his position as an assistant with the University of Dallas, where he spent the past two seasons. Prior to that Bryan lived in St. Louis where he spent time with Fontbonnne University as well as running his own club. Bryan began his collegiate career with Saint Louis University (where he roomed with Brian McBride, by the way) and finished at Fontbonne where he was recently voted into the Hall of Fame. Following a stint as a professional, Bryan joined the coaching ranks.

Ray Burse, Jr. is currently a goalkeeper with FC Dallas where he recently made his debut and has since gone on to post a 4-0 record as a starter. Ray was drafted by Dallas out of The Ohio State University where he was an All-Big Ten performer and a member of the U-20 National Team Pool. He is an extremely talented player and has come on board to assist with the team and, of course, train the goalkeepers. In my attempt to begin posting video, I have (hopefully) attached a video of Ray in his debut against Chivas Guadalajara. (Definite handball by the way that led to the goal). Sorry Ray, only video I could find...

You can read more about Bryan and Ray in the "Coaching Staff" link on the AC Men's Soccer web page.

Finally, please pass the blog on to others that may be interested. Thanks for your support of AC Soccer.

Enjoy,

AC Men's Coach, Mark Hudson