PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Timbers U-23s today announced the team’s roster ahead of its 2016 Premier Development League (PDL) season. The Timbers U-23s open their campaign with three consecutive home games, including the season opener on Saturday, May 7, and two Providence Health & Fitness Days at Providence Park on Friday, May 20 and Tuesday, May 24.
Head coach Jim Rilatt and his staff will lead a group of 11 returning players and 21 new additions. Returning to the side is goalkeeper Collin Partee; defenders Niko De Vera, Ben White, Noah Gaines; and midfielders Ivan Alvarado, Reid Baez, Geoffrey Dee, Edson Martinez, Sam Werner, Foster Langsdorf; and forward Anthony Macchione.
The Timbers U-23s feature nine former Timbers Academy players on their 2016 roster, including Baez, De Vera, Langsdorf, Macchione, Martinez, Partee, Werner, White, as well as defender Peter Prescott. In 2015, the U-23s (6-2-4, 22pts) finished second in the PDL Northwest Division before falling to Seattle Sounders FC U-23s 4-1 in the Divisional Qualification Playoff round. Defender Dennis Castillo was awarded PDL Defensive Player of the Year, while earning all-league team honors with midfielder Todd Wharton.
The Timbers U-23s – a Timbers-affiliated amateur team that continues the development of homegrown talent as a development platform for the club’s first team and USL side, T2 – play a 14-game regular-season schedule against Northwest Division opponents in 2016, splitting their 2016 home schedule between Providence Park and other venues throughout the greater-Portland area. The Timbers U-23s roster consists of former Timbers Academy players and standout collegiate players.
This weekend, the Timbers U-23s will play their 2016 season opener against Lane United FC on Saturday, May 7, at Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific). Prior to the match, the 2016 Oregon State Cup, presented by the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC, concludes with U-13 through U-18 boys and girls finals at Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District; the kickoff times for the 12 championship games span from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Pacific). Next week, Portland will play a first-round 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against La Maquina on Wednesday, May 11, at Providence Park; kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (Pacific).
Tickets for the Providence Health & Fitness Days at Providence Park are $7 and will be available for purchase online atwww.timbers.com or through the stadium box office. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 15 or more; contact the Timbers ticket office at (503) 553-5555 or ticketsales@timbers.com for additional information.
TIMBERS U-23s ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (2): Andrew Konstantino (Saint Mary’s College), Collin Partee (Timbers Academy, Utah Valley University)
DEFENDERS (9): Dakota Barnathan (Virginia Commonwealth University), Niko De Vera (Timbers Academy, University of Akron), Phil Fives (Indiana University), Kaelon Fox (University of Kentucky), Noah Gaines (UC Irvine), Walker Hume (University of North Carolina), Peter Prescott (Timbers Academy, Creighton University), Colton Storm (University of North Carolina), Ben White (Timbers Academy, Gonzaga University)
MIDFIELDERS (14): Ivan Alvarado (Lipscomb University), Reid Baez (Timbers Academy, University of Portland), Samuel Brown (Harvard University), Josue Chavez (Lipscomb University), Geoffrey Dee (University of Louisville), Jackson Jellah (University of Portland), Daniel Johnson (University of Louisville), Foster Langsdorf (Timbers Academy, Stanford University), Edson Martinez (Timbers Academy, Georgetown University), Andrew Murphy (University of North Carolina), Eduardo Sanchez (University of Portland), Devonte Small (Oregon State), Mamadou Thiaw (University of Louisville), Sam Werner (Timbers Academy, Stanford University)
FORWARDS (7): Kyle Coffee (University of Washington), Jorge Herranz (Virginia Commonwealth University), Tucker Hume (University of North Carolina), Jordan Jones (Oregon State), Anthony Macchione (Timbers Academy, University of Akron), Jaime Miralles (Oregon State), Timothy Mueller (Oregon State)
