OCEAN CITY, NJ (March 19, 2008) In a landmark agreement, the South Jersey Barons organization, fronted by their Premier Development League (PDL) club, the Ocean City Barons, have formed a partnership with Reading Football Club, of the English Premier League (EPL). As part of the agreement, which was organized through Reading’s “Football in the Community Trust” program, the “Royals” will send some of their coaches to lend their expertise and help run the Barons’ youth academy camp in August. Also, Reading FC will continue to host the Barons’ youth teams during Easter weekend, as they expose the young players to some of the top facilities at one of the elite youth development clubs in the EPL.

Both of the South Jersey Barons’ Under-15 boys teams will leave for Reading on Wednesday, March 19 and will train at the club for nine days, during which time they will play against other local select teams. The paramount matchup of the trip will be a game at Reading’s training ground on Saturday, March 22 where the Barons will take on the Royals’ Under-15 academy team.

After Saturday’s match, the players will have an opportunity to see an important English Premier League match at the famed Madejski Stadium when the Royals host Birmingham City later that day. There will be a ceremony at halftime of the game where the Barons and Royals will exchange shirts and publicly announce the new partnership.

While this is the third year in a row that the Barons have sent youth academy teams over to Reading, this will be the first visit under the new agreement.

“The Barons have been over to us touring with their teams on a number of occasions,” said Lee Herron, Reading’s Community Trust manager. “We have been very impressed with the quality and professionalism of the club and we felt that we needed to formalize the partnership.”

The trip is an annual homecoming for Ocean City Barons general manager, Neil Holloway. The Reading native is a product of the Royals’ youth academy, beginning his training at the age of nine. In addition to the soccer education he received, he also spent time cleaning boots of the senior players at the club and cleaning the stands at Elm Park, which pre-dates the club’s current Madejski Stadium. At the age of 18, he traveled to the United States to accept a full scholarship at Wheeling Jesuit University in the state of West Virginia.

“I’m extremely excited, and proud, that my hometown club is partnering with my club here in the U.S.,” said Holloway. “Reading Football Club has played a major role in my life. I’ve always been a loyal Royal, and continued to be since I left to pursue my soccer ambitions in the States.”

Reading Football Club was founded in 1871, but did not reach the Premiership until the 2006/07 season. Last year, in their first season in the top flight, led by American internationals Bobby Convey (William Penn Charter School / Philadelphia, PA) and Marcus Hahnemann (Seattle Pacific University / Seattle, WA), they finished in eighth place. One of the highlights for the Barons U-15 players on this trip will be on Wednesday, March 26 when they will get a tour of the Madejski Stadium and will take part in a training session at the club’s indoor facility. Later, they are scheduled to have a question and answer session with Convey and Hahnemann.

“We’re very pleased to establish a relationship with the South Jersey Barons,” said Herron. “Establishing a strong presence in the United States is an important part of Reading FC’s continued growth and working with a well-organized and progressive club like the Barons is very exciting for us. I am sure this will be a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“This partnership is just the starting point between the Barons and Reading FC,” added Holloway. “We have a great relationship with everyone at the club and we hope to evolve this into something much bigger in the years ahead.”

About the Ocean City Barons

The Ocean City Barons are a minor league soccer franchise based in Ocean City, New Jersey that competes in the Premier Development League (PDL) — the top men’s amateur league in North America. The PDL is considered the 4th level of soccer in the United States below Major League Soccer, and the United Soccer League’s First and Second Divisions. Players have the ability to compete in the PDL throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment to the Ocean City community.

Founded in 1997, the Barons are entering their 12th year of existence in 2008 and are one of the winningest PDL clubs in North America. Since joining the league in 2003, they are 52-16-16, the 5th best record among the more than 60 teams in the league. Since joining the PDL, 16 former Barons have moved on to play professional soccer, including Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus in Denmark) who recently became the first Baron to earn a cap with the senior U.S. National Team.

They continued their tradition of success on the field in 2007 when they qualified for the PDL playoffs and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, marking the third time in the last four years the club had achieved both in the same season. The highlight of the 2007 campaign came in the First Round of the Open Cup when they upset Crystal Palace Baltimore, a professional team from the United Soccer League’s Second Division, 1-0 on June 12 at Carey Stadium in Ocean City.

The Barons open the 2008 schedule on May 11th at home against the Newark Ironbound Express. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. For a full schedule, click here.

OCEAN CITY, NJ (May 8, 2008) – Ocean City High School head coach Mike Pellegrino will return to lead the Ocean City Barons Premier Development League (PDL) team for the second straight year. He will bring back 11 players from last year’s team that finished in second place in the Northeast Division with a 9-3-4 record.

Pellegrino, one of the most successful coaches in the state of New Jersey, transitioned his leadership from high school to the PDL last year and helped the team qualify for both the league playoffs and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. This marked the third time in the last four years that the Barons had qualified for both competitions in the same season.

The Barons will open the 2008 campaign on Sunday, May 11 at Carey Stadium against the Newark Ironbound Express, an expansion team from North Jersey. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

“I think we have put together a nice squad this year,” said Coach Pellegrino. “I would like to see us reach the finals and improve upon our overall record [from last year].”

Sharing the coaching duties with Pellegrino is Barons general manager Neil Holloway. Holloway was the club’s player/coach during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. His coaching record during those two seasons was 18-7-7.

Last year’s assistant coach, and former Barons player, John Thompson will be shifting his focus to the club’s youth academy this year.

“The 2008 season promises to be another great summer,” said Holloway. “We assembled arguably the most talented group of players in years. We have worked very hard with the city of Ocean City to make sure every game is a unique event and fun, family entertainment for everyone.”

This year’s team is one of the youngest in club history with an average age of 20 years old. The roster also includes seven players who have experience playing for the Barons’ youth academy.

FORWARDS

Pellegrino and Holloway will have much of their offensive firepower back for next year with the return of Byron Carmichael (Marshall / Lumberton, NJ), Jeremy Ortiz (LaSalle / Mt. Laurel, NJ) and Kyle Evans (Lehigh / Seaville, NJ). Those three players accounted for 21 of the Barons’ 33 goals last year. Carmichael enters the year with 35 goals in his four seasons with the club, and needs only to find the back of the net twice to become Ocean City’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Ortiz, the team’s 2006 MVP, has contributed eight goals and a pair of assists in each of the last two seasons on the boardwalk. Last year, the LaSalle graduate was drafted #3 overall by the New Jersey Ironmen in the Major Indoor Soccer League’s (MISL) College Draft.

Evans, a graduate of Ocean City High School and a former New Jersey State Player of the Year, is returning for his second full season with the Barons. In his sophomore year at Lehigh University, he led the Patriot League in scoring and was named to the All-Conference and All-Region (Mid-Atlantic) teams. With the large number of forwards on the roster, Evans, like last season, will likely see a lot of time as an attacking midfielder.

The biggest addition to the strike force will be Lee Squires (Lees-McRae / Sheffield, ENG). In his freshman season at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, he was named an NCAA Division II All-American after scoring 24 goals in 24 matches and leading the Bobcats to the most successful season in program history and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Following in the footsteps of his Lafayette College teammate, and former Baron, Scott Hawkins, BJ Glenn (Lafayette / Phila, PA) will look to contribute to the Ocean City offense in 2008. Prior to last season, Glenn was named one of the “100 Freshmen To Keep An Eye On In 2007” by College Soccer News and later finished second on the team in scoring behind Hawkins. Steve Miller (Colgate / Ivyland, PA) also had an impressive freshman year, finishing second on the Colgate team in scoring. Miller also was named the soccer team’s Freshman of the Year, and was also awarded the co-Rookie of the Year award by the Colgate athletic department for all sports.

MIDFIELDERS

The midfield will be young this year with midfielders Billy Pinto (Hofstra / Audobon, NJ), Drew Von Bargen (Monmouth / Medford, NJ), Brad Franks (Elon Univ. / Medford, NJ), Mike Mousaw (Philadelphia Univ. / Marmora, NJ) and Stephen Macurdy (Lafayette / Rancocas, NJ) returning to the team. Pinto appeared in 14 of the 16 league games last year, while Von Bargen (seven games played) and Franks (four games played) saw much of their playing time late in the season. Franks made a strong impression, dishing out two assists while playing in four of the last five league games. He also earned a spot in the Barons’ starting 11 for the playoff game against the Cape Cod Crusaders. Mousaw played in three games last year and scored his first PDL goal on July 20 at the Reading Rage. Macurdy made three appearances with the Barons last year, as well as 10 games played in his freshman year at Lafayette College.

Ryan Finley (Rancocas Valley HS / USA U-17 / Lumberton, NJ) joins the Barons after returning from an 18-month stay at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Finley starred for the Barons’ U-15 Super-Y League team, and then moved on to Bradenton where he played for the United States Under-17 National Team. Having just turned 17, he will be the youngest field player in Barons’ history, while bringing a tremendous amount of experience at a very young age.

Other newcomers to the roster include Joe Ilett (Eckerd College / Maldon, ENG), Ryan Richter (LaSalle / Southampton, PA) and Nick Sih (Duke / Horsham, PA). Ilett heads north to Ocean City from St. Petersburg, Florida’s Eckerd College where he was the Division II school’s co-leading scorer (five goals, eight assists in 20 matches). Richter is the third LaSalle product on the roster and led the Explorers in scoring as a freshman and was named to the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie Team. Sih was a high school All-American, and was very highly recruited. The FC Delco product eventually signed to play at Southeastern Conference power Duke University. As a freshman, he received minimal playing time, but Coach John Rennie has high hopes for the Horsham native.

Two veteran players will return to the club to help anchor the midfield unit. Adam Williamson (Lehigh / Ocean City, NJ) returns to the Barons after playing two years in the professional ranks for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer and the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Second Division. Williamson, an Ocean City High School graduate, last played for the Barons in 2005. Leon Brown (Wheeling Jesuit / Siparia, Trinidad), a college teammate of Neil Holloway at Wheeling Jesuit University, was part of the Barons’ historic undefeated season in 2004. He returned last year to play in three regular season games, as well as scoring the lone goal for Ocean City in their U.S. Open Cup match against the USL Second Division’s  Harrisburg City Islanders.

DEFENDERS

The backline, which lacked depth in 2007, will only return two players from last season. One of the returning players will be Joe Banks (Drexel / Sicklerville, NJ) who will play in his fifth season and will look to provide leadership. Banks, who graduated from Drexel University, enters 2008 ranked fifth on the Barons all-time list in minutes played with 3,590.

Jim Davis (LaSalle / Pittsgrove, NJ) was one of Ocean City’s best defenders last year, and a finalist for the club’s MVP award, will come back for his second season. Davis entered last year as a natural attacking player, but transitioned smoothly to a starting role as a defender and was the only player on the roster to play every minute of every game in 2007. With his versatility, it’s largely unknown what role the LaSalle player will play this year for the Men in Red.

The remaining four defenders on the roster are all new to Ocean City, but have strong resumes. Mackenson Altidore (Temple / Abaco, Bahamas) as earned eight caps with the Bahamas National Team, a country that is in the process of trying to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. John Fletcher (Eckerd College / Uxbridge, ENG), and Dale Parker (Lees-McRae College / Worksop, ENG) are college teammates of Joe Ilett and Lee Squires, respectively. Fletcher anchored the backline for Eckerd College, but also contributed to the attack, finishing fourth on the team in scoring with three goals and three assists. Parker was an NCAA Division II All-Region selection, helping the Bobcats defense earn 10 clean sheets, and averaging 0.67 goals allowed per game. Connor Gorman (West Virginia / Phila, PA) will be a freshman at West Virginia University this Fall after earning all-state honors at William Penn Charter High.

GOALKEEPERS

Zach Zamek (Franklin & Marshall / Hillsborough, NJ), Tunde Ogunbiyi (New Hampshire / Gwynedd, PA) and Barons youth academy product Nick Talarico (Wesley College / Little Egg Harbor) will battle for the starting goalkeeper job in 2008. Ogunbiyi is a member of the Nigerian Olympic team and will be competing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. Zamek made 19 starts for Franklin & Marshall last year as a freshman, and only allowed 13 goals (0.72 goals against average). He led the Diplomats to a 15-4 record in games he started, and the team qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament.

Talarico spent his freshman year at Wesley College where he earned the starting job last Fall. Talarico already has some PDL experience under his belt. In 2005, as a 15-year old, he was thrust into the starting job due to an injury to starting goalkeeper Ryan Carr. Talarico kept a clean sheet in his PDL debut against the Brooklyn Knights in the final regular season game of 2005, and was the starter in Ocean City’s loss in the conference semifinals against the Richmond Kickers Future the following week.

One South Jersey Barons Youth Academy player has been handed the opportunity of a life time, an opportunity not handed out with out to just anyone, but to players at the top level of youth soccer. Through his play at the Super Y-League ODP camp back in January Glenroy Chapman has earned the opportunity to live and train alongside the Youth Academy players of the famous English Premier Leauge Club West Ham United. Glenroy has been a member of the South Jersey Barons Youth Academy since 2002 and is in his 5th season with the club. He is a student at the St Augustines Prep and plays for the Barons U17 Black team.

Junior will be joined by 11 other players on the trip to England all of whom impressed at this years ODP camps. This group of players represent the best of the best in the SYL program and will hope to impress the coaches of the world famous Academy. West Ham Academy has produced a long list of famous England Internationals over the years. The most recent an d notable players to graduate the Academey are Rio Fe rdinand (Man UTD and England), Joe Cole (Chelsea and England), Glenn Johnson (Portsmouth and England) Michael Carrick (Man UTD and England) Antoine Ferdinand (West Ham and England), and Frank Lampard (Chelsea and England). Glenroy will spend the week boarding at the West Ham Academy House with the West Ham Academy Players gaining the full experience of live as an Academy player at a Premier League club.

The selected players will begin training with West Ham United on Friday, March 28. Ten field players and two goalkeepers will travel to London for the intense training and experience. During their ten day venture, players will train within their corresponding West Ham Academy age group and attend English Premier League matches. The twelve players were selected by the Super Y-League’s national scouting system at the ODP National Camps. US Soccer National Team and Staff Coaches also provide feedback on who was to be recommened.

The West Ham Academy is a new initiative by the USL in 2008, this venture furthers their ongoing mission to develop an international platform for foreign clubs to connect with the North American game and provide the best opportunities for USL players with professional aspirations. The selected players will begin training with West Ham United on Friday, March 28. Ten field players and two goalkeepers will travel to London for the intense training and experience. During their ten day venture, players will train within their corresponding West Ham Academy age group and attend English Premier League matches.