ALEXANDRIA TRAVEL - DICK'S SPORTING GOODS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS TEAM PREVIEW
(September 24, 2008)
Location: Alexandria, Va.
Head Coach: Bill Russ
Established: 2007
Colors: Black & white
Qualified: Finalist, Dick’s Sporting Goods Atlantic Cup
by CJ Lane
High school rivalries are epic: players stepping on the field wearing their school colors with pride, like a country’s flag on the way to battle, all for school bragging rights. It’s that emotion that Alexandria Travel head coach Bill Russ was worried about when he first started coaching a team made up of players from surrounding schools.
“I thought it would be a problem, but it turned out to be better [than expected],” says Russ.
For some club teams, that’s not the case.
“You look at teams from all over and they just don’t click,” says junior defenseman Killian Gallagher (Robert E. Lee High School). “We all click, and it’s really exciting.”
At the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions, Alexandria Travel will face the best teams North America has to offer, something that isn’t new to them.
“We have played the Iroquois [Nationals] U-19, and are looking forward to the opportunity to step on the field with a team from Canada,” says Russ.
Senior midfielder Jamie Sugiyama (Saint Stevens and Saint Agnes High School) anxiously awaits the possibility of again facing international competition.
“Playing the Canadian teams will be a good experience for us.”
With every passing day, the players’ excitement builds.
“There’s going to be lots of adrenalin going into it,” says senior midfielder Brett Kitchen (2nd team all-district). “We have had happy talk about it on Facebook.”
Florida may be the first time, but may not be the last that many of Alexandria Travel’s players square off against the competition.
“Most of the team is seniors, and are going to play in college,” says Kitchen. “So, we’ll get to see guys [in Florida] that we will play against in college.”
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