Roanoke Star alumni hope to shine against DC United's U23s in soccer showcase
Saturday, June 15, 2013
For Will Hare, this summer offers something of a break from soccer.
The former Hidden Valley star and current University of Virginia defender turned down offers to play in summer leagues. He’ll stay in shape while working with UVa’s trainers in Charlottesville and maybe kick the ball around a few times with Cavaliers teammates in town. Other than that, he’ll just rest.
But when he heard about what’s happening back home on Sunday, Hare knew he had to pull out his cleats and get there.
“I was on board from the get-go,” Hare said. “I was really eager about it. It didn’t take any convincing.”
This weekend will serve as part reunion, part competition for Hare and other alumni of the Roanoke Star Soccer Club, who will face the D.C. United U23 team in an exhibition match at 5 p.m. Sunday at Dwight Bogle Stadium.
“I never thought I’d get another chance to play with a few of the guys that I played with in high school,” said Hare, who will be a redshirt sophomore at UVa this fall. “It’s a perfect opportunity to do that again.”
One of the old buddies he’ll get to suit up next to again is former Hidden Valley teammate Parker Walsh , who just stepped off a plane from Germany two weeks ago. The 21-year-old has finished his fourth season in the European nation — his first as part of Karlsruher’s senior team, which just earned a promotion to Germany’s second division (2. Bundesliga).
He didn’t need any convincing to sign up for this, either.
“I was interested right away,” Walsh said. “I haven’t played a game in Roanoke for the Roanoke Star since the spring of 2008. It’s been that long, and I jumped at the chance to play again.”
The D.C. United U23 team is the top developmental side for the Washington-based Major League Soccer club. Its roster includes several current and former college players such as Radford’s Jannik Eckenrode and Dario Redondo ; Virginia Tech goalkeeper Kyle Renfro ; and Georgetown’s Uche Onyeador , who set the VHSL career record with 127 goals at Potomac Falls High School.
The U23s are coached by United legend Jaime Moreno, who was the first player in MLS history to record 100 goals and 100 assists. He and his players will provide a two-hour clinic for ages 7-12 before the match.
D.C. United is trying to arrange several events like this on the outer rings of its regional footprint to enhance its brand. The Star was eager to be a part of it, executive director Danny Beamer said.
After quickly rounding up 20 of the club’s most notable alumni, the Star began training for the game about two weeks ago. The locals know it will be hard to match the chemistry of the U23s, who compete in the National Premier Soccer League.
“They’re going to be more game-savvy than our guys because they’re playing games right now,” Beamer said. “They’re going to be a little bit more together as a team, but we’ve got some very talented players.”
The Star brought in a few older players such as Roanoke College Hall of Famer Grayson Prillaman to provide guidance this week, but the majority of the team will be of similar age to the U23 side. The Star alums believe they can make a match of it.
“I was thinking about that earlier this morning, actually, how big of a deal it is to win this game,” Hare said. “You always want to win — and obviously it’s going to look great to the people who come out if we can — but my primary thing is for the game to be as competitive as possible, let it be a good game to watch for whoever’s watching.”
Beamer said the club had sold about 150 advance tickets as of Thursday afternoon. Walk-up tickets are available, as is on-site registration for the 2 p.m. clinic.
For Walsh, the day offers one last chance to represent a club that he joined at age 8 after moving to Roanoke.
“They’ve done a lot of stuff for me, gone out of their way,” Walsh said of the Star. “They’ve pushed me in any direction I wanted to go, if it was the college route, the professional route. Danny’s been there for me.
“They’ve got great coaches. They give you everything you need to go play college soccer or, in my case, be a young professional. The club’s done anything that anyone could ask for.”
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THE ROANOKE TIMES
