Montreal will play 6 exhibition games, one against Syracuse.

[François]

from the Montreal Impact:


IMPACT KICKS OFF TRAINING CAMP
Montreal squad will play six exhibition games, one against Syracuse

MONTREAL, March 31, 2002 — The Montreal Impact kicked off its training camp, Monday, as roughly 30 players were on hand at the Soccerplexe Catalogna in Lachine under the supervision of head coach Bob Lilley.

Lilley, who is starting his second season at the helm of the Impact, will be aiming to build on the team’s success last year, as the club finished first in the Northeast Division, tied with the Rochester Raging Rhinos.

"We’re always trying to improve," said Lilley. "We have many returning players from last year, so we will look to continue to refine our system, which is geared towards playing fast-paced soccer, outworking our opponents and dominating both ends of the field. We’ll also be looking to acclimate the new players to the team.

"We have high hopes for the new players coming in. We expect them to make the team even better. It’ll be very competitive for spots," added Lilley.

EXHIBITION MATCHES
The Montreal squad, which will kick off its A-League season Saturday, April 26 in Charleston, against the Battery, will play six exhibition games over the next five weeks. The Impact will play a shortened double-header on April 5, against Quebec Elite Soccer League (LSEQ) club Panellinios (3:00 p.m.) and the Lake St. Louis Lakers (4:00 p.m.) at the Soccerplexe Catalogna in Lachine. The team will then hit the road for a game against St. Lawrence University on April 9 (2 p.m.).

Soccer fans will also get an exclusive glimpse of Montreal’s new Northeast Division rival, the Syracuse Salty Dogs, as the new A-League franchise will be in town Sunday, April 20 at 6 p.m. at the Soccerplexe Catalogna. Admission is free, on a first come, first serve basis.

Lilley’s squad will also host the CPSL’s Ottawa Wizards on April 14 at 7 p.m. and the Quebec Elite League All-Stars on May 4 at 4 p.m., both times at Soccerplexe Catalogna.

"Last year, going into our first game, players were still adjusting to each other and myself. But this year, we’ll be more explosive on opening day," says Lilley. "We’re further along than last year. The players have a better understanding of the system, and we’re confident the new players coming in will fit in nicely."

Although training camp officially started Monday, several Impact players have been training on an informal basis since February, one to two times a week.

"We figured that with so many guys in town, it made sense to get an early start," says assistant coach and midfielder Nick DeSantis. "It was a chance to get a feeling for the ball again, to work on our fitness."

"It shows what a high level of commitment everyone has," says Lilley. "The guys didn’t want to wait until camp to start kicking a ball around, and that’s positive."

The Montreal Impact’s exhibition schedule
DATE TIME OPPONENT PLACE
April 5 3:00 p.m. Panellinios (LSEQ) Soccerplexe Catalogna
April 5 4:00 p.m. Lake St. Louis Lakers (LSEQ) Soccerplexe Catalogna
April 9 2:00 p.m. St. Lawrence University St. Lawrence University
April 14 7:00 p.m. Ottawa Wizards (CPSL) Soccerplexe Catalogna
April 20 6:00 p.m. Syracuse Salty Dogs (A-League) Soccerplexe Catalogna
May 4 4:00 p.m. Quebec Elite League All-Stars Soccerplexe Catalogna

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SOURCE: bcomm

INFO: Stéphane Banfi tel. 514-328-3668 (ext. 27) or 910-4779

EVERYTHING ON THE IMPACT AT www.montrealimpact.com

[Invité]

I was hoping to go to the Wizards-Impact game on April 14th, but it is on a Monday night. As much as I like the Impact, the Wizards will always be my first choice team.

After I realized I couldn't go to the Wizards-Impact game, I looked into the game against St Lawrence University (only two hours away), but again it is mid-week. Bah!

The game against the Wizards will be interesting, but I have no idea who will play for the Wizards on the 14th. I don't even know if they will have Mponda and Yobe (both Malawi internationals).

[Sigma]

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