Preseason has begun for Minnesota Stars FC as the club begins the defense of its 2011 North American Soccer League championship. The team began its invitational combine Tuesday as 52 prospective professionals from around the country and world converged on the National Sports Center in Blaine for a three-day showcase in front of the Stars coaching staff.

Combine participants are competing for spots in Stars FC’s preseason training camp, which opens Monday, March 5 when the team’s current players report to Minnesota to begin formal training sessions. In its two-year history, Stars FC has signed five players as a result of their performances at the team’s various combines.

“I feel like the combine is the precursor to our preseason, and it gives us a lot of energy about what we’re about to do, which is to identify players to try to compete this year,” said Stars FC head coach Manny Lagos. “The cool thing about this year is we’re defending a championship, and it’s going to be difficult and challenging. We have to get better, and one of the good ways we’ve found over the years to get better is to hold a good combine and give guys a chance to get in front of us.”

The club also announced its preseason exhibition schedule, which will primarily take it on the road as it looks to gain match fitness ahead of its April 7 opener against the Carolina RailHawks at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. The Stars preseason schedule is as follows:

• March 5: Signed and returning players required to report
• March 6: Training begins
• March 9: Stars FC at Chicago Fire in Bridgeview, Ill.
• March 16: Stars FC at Hastings College in Hastings, Neb.
• March 18: Stars FC at Creighton University and Stars FC at University of Nebraska at Omaha in Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.
• March 23: Intrasquad scrimmage, site to be announced
• April 2: Stars FC vs. FC Edmonton, site to be announced

All exhibition games are free and open to the public. The team will also hold twice daily training sessions at the National Sports Center beginning March 6. A complete training schedule will be posted on the club’s website, mnstarsfc.com with up-to-date times and media availability during training camp.

“As we kick off the defense of our 2012 North American Soccer League title, we wanted to build an event that showcases the Twin Cities as a soccer community,” said Stars FC CEO Djorn Buchholz. “We want to remove as many obstacles as possible preventing people from attending the game, and we appreciate Metro Transit’s cooperation and willingness to help our fans get to and from the Metrodome safely as part of their ticket purchase.”

”This is an exciting opportunity to introduce soccer fans to transit service,” said Bruce Howard, director of customer services and marketing for Metro Transit.

The April 7 Dome Opener marks the first of 14 home games for Minnesota Stars FC in 2012 and is the only game scheduled to take place outside NSC Stadium in Blaine, Minn. With 17,000 seats available in the lower bowl of the Metrodome, the game could mark the largest crowd in the short history of the reborn North American Soccer League. To purchase tickets, call (763) 792-7355 to speak to an account executive, or visit www.mnstarsfc.com to order online. General admission seats to the Dome Opener start at just $5 for all ages, with reserved seats available for $10 and on-field, pitchside seats available for just $20.

About Minnesota Stars FC

Professional soccer in the Twin Cities enters its 23rd consecutive season as Minnesota Stars FC—formerly the NSC Minnesota Stars—prepares to defend its 2011 North American Soccer League crown. Stars FC plays its home games at the 8,500 seat NSC Stadium on the campus of the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. Stars FC plays in the eight-team NASL, which also includes the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, FC Edmonton, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Puerto Rico Islanders, San Antonio Scorpions FC and Tampa Bay Rowdies. A club in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is slated to begin play in 2013.

Order Tickets to Support Your Club

“We’ve laid out the challenge of selling out the 17,000 lower bowl seats on April 7 against Carolina, and we want to provide incentives to clubs that help us achieve that,” said Stars FC CEO Djorn Buchholz. “The Metrodome hasn’t hosted a big-time soccer game since the Galaxy played the Thunder in 2007, and we think it’s time to get together as a soccer-loving community and put together the biggest crowd the North American Soccer League has seen since relaunching last year.”

Youth clubs interested in participating should call Stars FC director of media and public relations Alex Haueter at (763) 792-7347 to register or email alex@mnstarsfc.com. Stars FC has created special $5 general admission ticket in its online store, and each participating club will be included in a dropdown menu for ticket buyers to select which club they wish to support. For every ticket purchased in that club’s name, Stars FC will kick back $1 to the club.

Stars FC will also be giving away an extended Club Night package to the youth club that sells the most tickets. The package—valued at up to $8,000—includes the opportunity to be the Club Night partner at the Metrodome and provide youth players for the player tunnel, player escorts, ball kids and a halftime game on the Metrodome field. In addition to the gameday opportunities, the grand prize package includes 500 open-ended general admission tickets to future Stars FC home games, which can be sold for up to $10 apiece, and a Stars FC Satellite Scrimmage, in which the club will play a scrimmage at the winning youth club’s field of choice. During the contest, Stars FC will track the leaders on the front page of their website, www.mnstarsfc.com.

Download: Informative Flier (PDF)

Download: Informational Flyer (PDF)

“We are excited to partner with the Minnesota Stars by building a relationship that will help each of us grow within the community. We both offer a unique entertainment experience and we hope to expose each of our guests to one another,” said Aaron Bedessem, director of marketing at Running Aces Harness Park.

Early registration for the tournament is available now by calling Stars FC director of operations Angie Blaker at (763) 792-7348. Participants can also register on the day of the tournament at the casino. The tournament entry fee is $65, which covers $50 toward the tournament pot and a $15 casino administrative fee and also includes two general admission tickets to Stars FC’s April 7 Dome Opener against the Carolina RailHawks at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Game tickets will be among many of the prizes on offer on the night. In addition to prizes for the top-three players, the tournament will feature Stars FC apparel, merchandise and game tickets as splash prizes and bounties on the Stars FC players participating. The tournament prizes are organized as follows:

• First place: $250 cash and four pitch-side seats to the April 7 Dome Opener
• Second place: $125 cash and two pitch-side seats to the Dome Opener
• Third place: $75 cash and a Stars FC T-shirt

“Having this poker tournament at Running Aces is a great way to keep our fans engaged in the offseason and reach out to potential new fans,” said Kevin Friedland, Stars FC director of business development. “We hope people will get some enjoyment out of playing poker against some of the Stars FC players while continuing to build the excitement towards the Dome Opener on April 7.”

The tournament will follow Poker Tournament Directors Association rules. A complete copy of the rules and prize pool percentage is available upon request from the Running Aces tournament desk. To reach the tournament desk, call (651) 924-4569.

The schedule shapes up well for the defending champion Stars FC, who play the vast majority of their home games on Saturdays or surrounding major tournaments at the National Sports Center in Blaine. Overall, the league made an effort to keep games on weekends in each of its eight markets as it looks to build on a successful first year. The league will also compete in the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the 99th edition of the national knock-out tournament.

“We’re extremely pleased with the schedule and the opportunity to play our home games on days that we know will be convenient for our fans and help to build an intimidating atmosphere at NSC Stadium,” Stars FC CEO Djorn Buchholz said. “We also appreciate the cooperation from the league and the National Sports Center to help make professional soccer games a highlight of this year’s NSC Spring Cup, All American Cup and Schwan’s USA Cup tournaments.”

Stars FC had already announced its home opener against the Carolina RailHawks on April 7 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. Tickets for that game are on sale now, starting at just $5 for general admission seats. Single-game tickets for the rest of team’s 2012 home games, which will be played at NSC Stadium, will be available by phone and online in early March.

Season tickets are available, which include tickets to the Dome Opener April 7 as well as 14 “flex” tickets to use in any combination at the Stars 13 home games at NSC Stadium. To order season or opener tickets, call (763) 792-7355 to speak to an account executive.

2012 Stars FC schedule
Home games in bold
All home games kick off at 7:30 p.m. and are played at NSC Stadium unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, April 7: Carolina RailHawks (Metrodome)
Saturday, April 14: at Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Sunday, April 22: at FC Edmonton
Saturday, April 28: at Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, May 5: Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, May 12: Carolina RailHawks
Saturday, May 19: at Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Saturday, May 26: at Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, June 2: at San Antonio Scorpions FC
Saturday, June 9: at Carolina RailHawks
Saturday, June 16: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, June 23: Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Saturday, June 30: at Tampa Bay Rowdies
Wednesday, July 4: Puerto Rico Islanders (postgame fireworks)
Saturday, July 7: Atlanta Silverbacks
Thursday, July 12: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Wednesday, July 18: Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Saturday, July 21: at Carolina RailHawks
Saturday, July 28: at Puerto Rico Islanders
Saturday, August 4: at FC Edmonton
Saturday, August 11: San Antonio Scorpions FC
Saturday, August 18: at Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, August 25: FC Edmonton
Saturday, Sept. 1: San Antonio Scorpions FC
Saturday, Sept. 8: FC Edmonton
Tuesday, Sept. 11: Puerto Rico Islanders
Saturday, Sept. 15: at Puerto Rico Islanders
Sunday, Sept. 23: at San Antonio Scorpions FC

The FieldTurf Coach of the Year Awards recognize a coach’s dedication and hard work both on and off the field. The coaches that have been and will be selected for this award all exemplify outstanding leadership skills and enjoy well-deserved success. Special attention is given to coaches who are able to significantly improve their team’s effort, performance, and overall record from previous years along with coaches who enjoy success with young and inexperienced teams.

The FieldTurf Team of the Year Awards acknowledge teams at all levels of sport that show a passion for the game along with dedication to team play. The teams that will be selected for this award will be teams that have enjoyed success and/or made considerable improvements from previous years within their respective leagues.

This year’s winners are:

NASL (Division II) Coach of the Year – Manny Lagos, NSC Minnesota

The Lagos-led NSC Minnesota made the most of its sixth-place seeding into the playoffs by running the table and capturing its second 2nd division league title. Minnesota defeated the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3-1 on aggregate in the final.

MLS Coach of the Year – Peter Vermes, Sporting KC

The wait to enter Major League Soccer’s newest stadium was worth it for Vermes. Sporting KC played its first 10 games on the road (winning only once) before christening their new $200 million, state-of-the-art stadium. Once in the new digs, Vermes led Sporting KC on a tear, earning points in 21 of the season’s final 24 games and finishing atop the Eastern Conference. While Sporting KC bowed out to finalist Houston in the semifinals of the playoffs, this former US National Team captain has the Sporting fans and players believing greats things are on the horizon.

WPS Coach of the Year – Aaran Lines, Western New York Flash

Lines won his second consecutive FT coach of the year award after leading the Flash to back to back Championships. Last year he led the undefeated Buffalo Flash to the W-League championship and this year he finished the season 14-2-3 as Regular Season Champions and WPS Champions.

USL (Division III) Coach of the Year – Adrian Heath, Orlando City

Heath shaped the league’s most stingiest defense, one that surrendered just 16 goals in 24 games, en route to it first ever USL Division III championship by defeating the Harrisburg City Islanders 3-2 in a penalty kick shootout. Orlando City posted a 15-3-6 record giving Heath the best record in the 12-team league.

USL W-League Coach of the Year – Chris Adams, Atlanta Silverbacks

The Atlanta Silverbacks trounced the Ottawa Fury 6-1 in the final to capture its first W-League title in team history. Adams’ capped off the season seeing his team surrender just seven goals in 12 games.

NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Men’s Soccer) – Jeremy Gunn, UNC Charlotte

Jeremy Gunn led UNC Charlotte to its first final four appearance only to see his side lose in the final to in-state rival UNC 1-0. Gunn’s team captured the hearts of students by breaking its season attendance record. The student government even approve a $9,000 expense to bus students to the final in Hoover, Ala.

NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Women’s Soccer) – Robbie Church, Duke

Church led Duke to the ACC regular-season championship and the final of the NCAA Division I Tournament with a starting lineup comprised entirely of underclassmen, Church led the Blue Devils to an overall record of 22-4-1. The 22 wins were a school record.

MLS Team of the Year – LA Galaxy

The Galaxy, led by international stars David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, pieced together one of the most successful seasons in MLS history by winning the double – the regular season championship and the MLS Cup. The team’s 19 wins, 67 points and 28 goals allowed rank among the best ever for a club in a single season.

WPS Team of the Year – Western New York Flash

En route to the double, the Flash scored the league’s most goals (40) and surrendered the least (18). They were led by some of the world’s most dominant players including Brazil’s Marta, Canada’s Christine Sinclair and USA’s Alex Morgan..

NCAA Team of the Year – Stanford University

The third time was a charm for the Cardinal. Stanford capped an unbeaten campaign with a 1-0 victory over Duke to capture its first NCAA Division I title. The previous two seasons Stanford posted unbeaten seasons going into the final but lost both times. With a 95-4-4 record in the past four seasons they are the most dominant team – men’s or women’s — in college soccer.

Wire reports contributed to this story. For full press release, click here.

Grande Sports World will host the combine with Stars FC coaches in attendance to conduct the tryout. The cost of entry is $300. To apply, players must submit their résumé or CV to Freddy Juarez, fjuarez@grandesports.com, to get the registration process starting. The out-of-state combine will give Stars FC coaches further opportunities to evaluate talent that is unable to travel to Minnesota for a tryout.

Download: Informational Flier

“This is a big first for the club, and we’re excited for the chance to work with Grande Sports World to get a chance to find players in the Southwest and Southern California areas,” said Stars FC head coach Manny Lagos.

Grande Sports World boasts nine soccer fields on its 40 acre campus, which also features 58,000 square feet of indoor space for fitness and conditioning, meetings, physical therapy and rehabilitation as well as an adjacent hotel and golf course. The facility is home of RSL-AZ, the youth academy of Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. It has also hosted important youth tournaments and has served as the preseason training home of 14 of MLS’s 19 clubs and several MLS and North American Soccer League combines.

“Everything’s there for teams—fields, hotel, meeting space—to have successful camps and combines,” said Tim Alai, general manager of Grande Sports World. “This is the best environment to test players in multiple capacities and see players Stars FC wouldn’t see otherwise from the Southwest, Southern California and even the Pacific Northwest.”

Stars FC’s Arizona combine will wrap up a two-month period of tryouts for the team. The club drew 25 local players to a one-day combine in January. The club will also hold an invitational combine February 20-23 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. Participants interested in attending the February combine in Minnesota should email tryouts@mnstarsfc.com.

Dark Clouds member Kevin Joseph designed the logo for the team in a six-month process that started last summer. The new logo made the star element of the original logo more prominent while increasing the prominence of the word “Minnesota” and adding the name Stars, which was an unofficial nickname when the National Sports Center launched NSC Minnesota in 2010. Joseph’s design also includes the Minnesota state motto and a subtle soccer ball element.

The logo launch highlighted the evening’s State of the Stars festivities, which also included presentations from CEO Djorn Buchholz and head coach and director of soccer operations Manny Lagos. Buchholz addressed the team’s off-field goals for 2012 and shared information about the club’s April 7 home opener at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. Lagos talked about the team’s on-field ambitions and the importance of avoiding complacency as the defending champions. Lagos said five players from the club’s January 6 local combine have been invited to continue training with the team as it prepares for preseason. He also announced plans for the club to hold a combine in Arizona at the beginning of March in order to scout players based in the southwest United States.

“We’re eager to get our 2012 season underway, and that doesn’t need to wait until the first training camp or game,” Buchholz said. “We want to take an opportunity to get in front of our fans and start this year with some excitement about the team and the opportunity we have to defend the Soccer Bowl.”

Head coach Lagos will start the night by addressing the team’s on-field plan for defending the North American Soccer League title in 2012. Monday’s event will come on the heels of the Stars local combine on Friday, January 6, and will precede the team’s invitational combine and a trip to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention. Team CEO Buchholz will follow Lagos’ talk with a presentation about the team’s off-field endeavors, including the ongoing search for sponsorships and a new owner.

The highlight of the night will be the unveiling of an updated team logo. Kevin Joseph, a longtime fan and member of the Dark Clouds supporters’ group, designed the new logo in collaboration with the Stars front office.

After unveiling the new logo, a selection of new Stars merchandise will be available for sale, along with tickets to the team’s season opener, an April 7 showdown with the Carolina RailHawks at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. General admission tickets for the game will be available for only $5, with reserved seats available for $10 and pitch-side seats just $20.