New Wings Board Bus To Austin

NEW WINGS BOARD BUS TO AUSTIN READY TO WIN SEASON OPENER

Fifteen new Wichita Wings are on the bus and heading to Texas for their first games of the season, Dec. 14 and 15 against the Austin Power.

Bryan Perez, a former Wing returning to the team for its 40th anniversary season, said the players were comfortable and settled in for the nine-hour drive.

The mood? 

Relaxed as the confident new squad prepares for their first real test as a team.

"Some are reading books, watching movies, sleeping," said Perez, who added the team had a stop scheduled for dinner at Olive Garden.

Carb loading? "Yup," Perez confirmed, laughing.

Joining Perez on the trip to Austin are:

#1 GK. Aaron Parrott (Wichita, KS) - Parrott made his way into the team by way of open tryouts. Parrott has impressed the coaching staff and will see action this weekend with Steven Hamersky still on loan to the Kansas City Comets.

#2 D. Kieran Laking (England) - Laking originally came to Wichita to play for the Newman University Jets. After graduating he made Wichita his home and played in two outdoor seasons for FC Wichita of the NPSL. Laking's playing style indoor is already being compared to former Wings left footer Steve Pittman. 

#3 D. Alex Moseley (Wichita, KS) - A trade with the Colorado Inferno recently brought Alex Moseley home to Wichita. Moseley played for the Wings in 2011 & 2012 before playing in the MISL & MASL for the Cedar Rapids Rampage, the Colorado Blizzard and the Colorado Inferno.

#4 M. Matt Sherrod (Wichita, KS) - Matt Sherrod made his way to the training team after being selected in open tryout. Sherrod has caught the attention of head coach Roger Downing. Sherrod is said to be dependable with a very high work rate. 

#6 M. Leonardo Catarina (Brazil) - Leo Catarina grew up in Brazil with a strong futsal background. That composure on the ball is allowing the Wings to convert him from a defender to a midfielder. Catarina has been finding the back of the net in training and should be a fun player to watch for Wings fans.       

#9 M. Bryan Perez (Costa Rica) - Perez brings a wealth of experience on the pitch. He captained the Kansas City Comets last season and has also played in both the MISL for the Wichita Wings, Syracuse Silver Knights, and Milwaukee Wave. 

#12 M. Wilmer Canales (Honduras) -  Canales is new to indoor but displays the technical background commonly found in futsal. He is expected to emerge as a goal scorer for the Wings this season. 

#14 D. Brent Hobson (Wichita, KS) - Brent Hobson brings enough leadership everyday in training to have been named the Wings 2019-2020 captain. A leadership role is fitting for Hobson as he also coaches the Friends University women's team who coincidentally are coming off their first appearance in the NAIA national tournament.

#15 M. Alex Rizzo (Sacramento, California) - Alex Rizzo came to the Wings by open  tryouts and has quickly earned a place in the 20 man roster with a good technical foundation and physical play. 

#16 D. Kevin Ten Eyck (Wichita, KS) - In 2011 Kevin Ten Eyck was named the MISL Rookie of the Year  when he began his indoor career playing for the Wings. This season Kevin is on the preseason MASL watch list for All-Conference MASL performers.   

#17 M. David Lucio (Wichita, KS) - David Lucio is an MASL rookie that has the potential to impact the stats sheet. Lucio graduated fro Northwest HS before attending Fort Hays State University for college. 

#18 D. Daniel Sack (Wichita, KS) - Sack is a veteran defender who first played indoor in 2013 for the Wichita B52's of the PASL. Most recently Sack contributed to the success of the Wichita Selection for two seasons.

#20 GK. Mark Saxby (Kansas City, KS) - Saxby has been the Kansas City Comets #1 goalkeeper for the last 16 months. He is coming off a suspension from the MASL which carried over from last season and has Wings goalkeeper Steven Hamersky playing in his stead. Saxby and Hamersky will return to their normal surroundings next week. Meanwhile Saxby is available for the Wings in Austin.

#21 F. Preston Mboob (Wichita, KS) - Mboob had been physically dominant every time he stepped on the field at center back  for FC Wichita or Rockhurst University. Although his primary position was as a defender, the Wings see him a a target man and a goalscorer in the MASL this season.  

#25 F. Jared Robbins (California) - Jared Robbins has two years of indoor under his belt in the PASL while playing for the Wichita Selection. He has played indoor in his down time from FC Wichita where he has become a regular starter at CB for the reds over the last two seasons. Jared is versatile enough to play as a forward or defender for the Wings. 

Are you making the trip? Tickets are available through austinpowerfc.com and kids under 14 are free for the games at the Travis County Exposition Center. The game will broadcast live. 

Visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets to the Wings first home game of the 40th anniversary season on Dec. 28.