Thursday, April 24, 2008

With two consecutive losing seasons and missed postseasons, the glory years of back-to-back finals and a championship in 2003 have nearly washed away for the Hammerheads. Most of the club’s decline over the past few years can be attributed to the success of its players in moving onto careers in the USL First Division, leaving the side to rebuild.

Last year, the Hammerheads did not earn their first win until nearly the halfway point of the campaign, downing Cincinnati 2-0 in their eighth contest of the season after a 0-4-3 start. The victory spurred a positive run of 2-1-3 over the course of the middle third of the season, but down the stretch four more losses secured their seventh-place finish in the table

The 2008 Season

With most of the club’s top players having already departed prior to last year, the team has been in a rebuilding phase and will be looking to some of the players who led the team last year to improve in 2008. Two of the teams leading scorers, Jamie Holmes and Brian Cvilikas, are back for another season at Legion Stadium and Landy Mattison, Nathan Northup, Andrew Smith return after seeing significant time last year. George Corrie, an All-League selection in 2006, is still with the club and a former 2002 All-Leaguer and a member of the 2003 championship squad Johnie Keen returns after a three-year absence.

The club has brought in a handful of professional players to help boost the experience in the squad, adding USL-1 Carolina RailHawks backup goalkeeper John O’Hara and former Real Salt Lake player Jeffrey Rowland. Former Richmond Kicker regular Trey Alexander and Cincinnati King Ashleigh Townsend, who played 19 games last year, join from their USL-2 rivals. Another professional addition is former Atlanta Silverback and Charleston Battery midfielder Josh Smith.

Younger players coming aboard, who have experience in the PDL include Matt Avelino (Brooklyn/Fort Wayne), Derek Garrambone (Palm Beach/Central Florida) and Eric Loyd (Cocoa).

The First Five

The good news for Wilmington is that they open the season on the road April 26 against a largely unchanged Bermuda, whom they swept for two of their four victories on the season last year. The schedule, based on last year’s table, toughens significantly thereafter with a home match against Charlotte (4th) on May 3, a road game against Crystal Palace Baltimore (5th) on May 10 and a home game against the defending champion Harrisburg City Islanders (3rd) May 17. They then face the expansion Real Maryland Monarchs on the road May 24.