PORTLAND
, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers U-23s today announced their roster for their inaugural season in the Premier Development League. The Timbers U-23s open the 2009 PDL season Saturday when they play host to the Victoria Highlanders.
The Timbers U-23s’ inaugural roster features 22 players and is comprised of local standouts as well as current and former college players with ties to the Portland area.
On Saturday, the Timbers U-23s face the Highlanders at Tualatin Hills Recreation Center in Beaverton, Ore., at 7 p.m. Tickets, priced at $10, are available through the reception office at PGE Park and will also be available at the door.
The team’s roster includes several current collegiate players from the University of Portland, Oregon State University and University of Washington. Among the Timbers U-23s’ collegiate players, five are from UP, including goalkeeper
Austin Guerrero
, midfielder
Collen Warner
and forward
Frankie Lopez
; both Warner and Lopez earned All-West Coast Conference first-team honors last season.
The roster also features several players who recently completed their college careers, including midfielders
Tracy Hasson
(Oregon State) and
Jordan Crasilneck
(Vermont), defender
Daniel Leach
(Oregon State) and former Concordia All-America goalkeeper
Garrett Staples
.
While the PDL is designed as a training ground for elite players under the age of 23, PDL teams are allowed to have up to eight over-age players on their roster. The Timbers U-23s’ over-age players include former Timbers first-team defenders
Josh Brown
(2006) and
Ryan Youngblood
(2003).
The coaching staff for the Timbers U-23s consists of first-team assistant coaches
Jim Rilatt
and
Amos Magee
, first-team defender
David Hayes
and local coach
Aaron Grubb
.
Click here for a complete Timbers U-23s roster.
