Impact Soccer

The Virginia Beach Mariners announce the return of eleven players from the 2003 season including nine starters. Among the returnees is forward Dante Washington who finished last season ranked third in the A-League in points with 37 and ranked second in goals with 18 in 26 games. Joining Washington is midfielder Pato Aguilera who ranked sixth in the League in points with 29 and ninth in goals with 10. He also ranked third in assists with 9. Both Washington and Aguilera were named First Team All A-League.

Also among last season's starters who will be joining the 2004 team is Roy Lassiter, Major League Soccer's all-time leading scorer. Lassiter finished 2003 ranked 19th in the League in points with 20.

Joining Washington and Lassiter up top will be forward Jakob Fenger who scored 11 points in 2003, with 5 goals and 1 assist. He was tied for the league-lead in games played with 28. Midfielder Hamisi Amani-Dove will also return after playing in 27 matches last year and scoring 9 points (2 goals and 5 assists), as well as midfielder Jeff Bilyk who missed the last seven games of the 2003 season with a broken leg suffered against Charleston on August 12. Midfielder Daniel Alvarez who scored one goal and 2 assists will also return, as well as midfielder/forward, Gary Williams.

The Mariners' defense, tauted as one of the League's best, remains mostly intact with the return of Russell Hutchison, Steve Danbusky and sweeper Richard Mahoney.. Danbusky tied with teammate Jakob Fenger in games played with 28. Hutchison, who was named to the A-League Team of the Week twice in a three-period last season, ranked third in the League among defenders in points with ten scoring four goals and two assists. One of those goals qualified the Mariners for the U.S. Open Cup.

"It is nice to have continuity," said Mariners' head coach Shawn McDonald. "This should help us be very competitive from the start."

The Mariners open their 2004 season on April 30 in Richmond and open their home season the following night, May 1, against Richmond at the Sportsplex at 7:30 p.m. Both matches will double as Open Cup qualifiers.




2004 Virginia Beach Mariners

(as of February 16, 2004)
Player Position
Roland (Pato) Aguilera Midfielder
Daniel Alvarez Midfielder
Hamisi Amani-Dove Forward
Jeff Bilyk Midfielder
Steve Danbusky Defender
Jakob Fenger Forward
Russell Hutchison Defender
Roy Lassiter Forward
Richard Mahoney Defender
Dante Washington Forward
Gary Williams Midfielder

good for them, bad for us.

Dante Washington is one of the few players that is known by the other team fans. But, he certainly doesn't scare the Impact defense, and certainly not our keeper, mister Sutton.

But damn, wouldn't be good to have this striker with the impact? washington, budalic, sebrango in a 3-4-3?

It would certainly make a difference with the 5-5-0 from our friend Lilley!

we'll have to take a look at Virgina Beach' attack this summer..

The Virginia Beach Mariners announced today that will be hosting a preseason exhibition match with Major League Soccer's Dallas Burn on Friday, March 19 at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Mariners who finished their 2003 A-League campaign with a record of 14-9-5, going 10-3-2 at the Sportsplex, will be led by forward Dante Washington who ranked second in the League last season in goals scored with 18 in 26 games. He also ranked third in the League in points with 37. Joining Washington is midfielder Pato Aguilera who ranked sixth in the League in points with 29 and ninth in goals with 10. He also ranked third in assists with 9. Both Washington and Aguilera were named First Team All A-League. Washington played for Dallas from midseason 1996 through 1999 scoring 24 goals and 15 assists and in 1997 he led Dallas in points with 30. Mariner midfielder Hamisi Amani-Dove also played for Dallas in 2002 appearing in six games.

Major League Soccer veteran Steve Jolley, a local standout from Kempsville High School and the College of William and Mary, currently plays for Dallas, having been acquired from the New York/New Jersey Metrostars in the off-season. A 1997 graduate of the College of William and Mary, he finished 3rd in school history with 37 assists. Matt Behnke, from Williamsburg is also on the Burn's roster. He graduated from Princeton in 2001, and was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection that same year. Also playing for Dallas are U.S. National Team veterans forward Jason Kreis and defender Cory Gibbs.