The Capital City Islanders have announced that the trio of preseason friendlies to be played at Bishop McDevitt’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium will be half price.  Use the promo code SCORE, and get discounted tickets: $5 for adults and $4 for kids 12 and under. 

The first match is against Onondaga FC this Saturday, March 14.  Onondaga FC, which, like the Islanders, is a semi-professional soccer development nonprofit organization. They’re based in Syracuse, New York, and will compete in the UPSL Division 1 this season, and long-term want to compete in the USL One in 2027.  So they’re a team with real ambition and thus a good early challenge for Islanders Head Coach Johnny Morris’ squad.

What’s not to like? The Islanders are back!

The two open tryouts brought in about 30-40 players from across the region, and about 15 were invited to the pre-season camp. 

How many make the UPSL Premier squad?  Tough to say.  The preseason matches will give the coaching staff—Johnny Morris and his assistant Chris Spinogatti—plenty to consider.

We took the division title and made the round of 16 in the National tournament, losing to the eventual champion. Keeping the team’s core players and adding more quality around the pitch and off the bench can only do the Islanders good. We want to defend the division title, but the team has bigger ambitions…

The Islander Insider video podcast is humming along with new content.  Episode 2 features an interview with Islanders owner and CEO Alex McGee. 

Bonus content: I did a quick explanation of how to conduct an on-camera interview, and in another video, a little daddy-daughter bonding time, as my daughter, Hannah, helped me rebuild my broadcast spotting board.  Additionally, I looked at where the Islanders fit in the USA soccer pyramid and how USA professional soccer compares to European soccer.

The podcast has been fun to make and delivers way, way more information than I can squeeze into this quick email.

The Islanders welcomed new sponsors and renewed others: Maximize Training Center, YG Productions, In the Net, and Crunch Fitness!

Previously, the team announced the following sponsors: Members 1st, Tucker & Co., Hersheypark, SquadUP, Chick-fil-A, and Zehring Physical Therapy.

We simply cannot sustain the team without the financial support of these businesses. Please patronize them and tell them the Islanders sent you!

If you are interested in sponsoring the team, this newsletter, or the video podcast, please email Daniel Ardron, Director of Corporate Partnership and Business Development: [email protected]

Let’s take a quick look ahead at the spring schedule and some matches I’ve circled on the calendar with a red Sharpie:

Home Opener, April 4: 

We’re up against SFC 1924, and back on City Island at Skyline Sports Complex to kick off our defense of the Northeast American (South) Premier Division.  Kick off is at 6 p.m.  

Hersheypark Night, May 2: 

We’ll face Cosmos’ B team, but the big deal is the Hersheypark passes!  The first 1500 youth, 12 and under, with a paid ticket get a complimentary Hersheypark pass thanks to the Islanders' partnership with Hershey Entertainment.  Get your tickets today!

The Islanders are a team built by many hands, and we need help.  Do you want a peek behind the curtain to see how a semi-pro soccer team operates?  Do you need National Honor Society volunteer hours?  Looking for an Eagle Scout project?  Retired and bored at home? We have a variety of internship and volunteer opportunities.  

My 4-year-old daughter helped me set up a display for my Islanders jersey just yesterday.  It looks pretty snazzy, and the blue-and-white checkerboard pattern is very distinctive.  Check out the club shop for this beauty and more!

As a programming note, I’ll be bringing you the Islander Insider Newsletter each week.  It’ll be chock-full of inside info from the team, interviews, stats, and more.