It’s been a busy week for the Wilmington side ahead of its 20th anniversary season. The club continues to make last minute roster moves following its final preseason match and has announced a new partnership with Coastal Christian High School.
The agreement will grant the Hammerheads access to Coastal Christian’s soccer facilities for training. The natural surface will allow Wilmington to get away from practicing on the synthetic turf at Legion Stadium, particularly ahead of road matches as a majority of USL clubs have grass on their home pitch.
In return, the Centurion soccer program will receive top level instruction from Hammerheads coaches and players. There will also be a Coastal Christian night at the Hammerheads’ home game on August 20th.
“Coastal Christian High School is a school that challenges its students to perform with strength and honor in athletics, as well as academics,” said Coastal Christian Athletic Director Mike Scheffel. “Coastal’s commitment to excellent facilities and desire to continually improve their athletic programs has resulted in an exciting partnership with the Wilmington Hammerheads.”
Wilmington Hammerheads FC also recently signed 21-year-old New Jersey native Mael Corboz. The University of Maryland graduate is joining the Wilmington club after competing under U.S. soccer legend Tab Ramos during his youth career. Ramos is currently U.S. Soccer’s Technical Director, as well as Cedar Stars Academy’s (CSA) Technical Director in New Jersey. CSA is part of the Hammerheads family owned by George Altirs.
The 2016 USL Kickoff Weekend opens the new season this Friday and Saturday with a host of major story lines across the league’s landscape. A 13-game slate will see five expansion teams in action for the first time as the league’s continued growth brings new cities and fans to the largest professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.
With 29 teams spanning 19 American states and three Canadian provinces, the USL saw outstanding competition on the field in 2015. That was no more evident than in the USL playoffs, where five of the 11 games needed at least overtime to produce a result.
Wilmington Hammerheads FC heads to the Sunshine State for its season opener on Saturday, March 26 against Orlando City B.
