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Zack Pope, Kris Tyrpak, and Chuy Cortes are among the first players named to the 2013 Austin Aztex roster.
AUSTIN, Texas (February 13, 2013) — The Austin Aztex are proud to announce the first 11 players on the 2013 roster. Included among the returning players are team captain Zack Pope and local fan favorites Jesus “Chuy” Cortes and Kristopher Tyrpak.
Returning from the team’s 2012 inaugural season along with Pope, Cortes and Tyrpak are: Travis Golden, Leone Cruz, Justin Franz, and Josh Mikulewicz. New additions to the squad will include Damian Rosales (SMU), Oumar Djiba (Huston Tillotson), and Westlake High twin brothers Tucker and Walker Hume (Rollins College).
“We are pleased to be bringing back some of the most exciting players from last year,” Aztex Head Coach Paul Dalglish said. “It is a credit to the organization that the best players want to return. We found ourselves to be in a great position to recruit and find the best local players. I am sure that a lot of people in the stands will be excited to see these players on the field.”
Pope and Tyrpak were among the three Aztex players named to the PDL All-Southern Conference Team after the 2012 season. As a defender with professional playing experience, Pope added two assists for the Aztex in 15 games played. Tyrpak led the Austin Aztex in points scored in 2012, scoring 23 points from 10 goals and three assists. Cortes returns to the Austin Aztex as the third-highest scoring player from the 2012 squad, scoring 14 points from four goals and six assists.
Golden and Franz both play at Campbell University in North Carolina, where Golden was named to the Big South All-Conference first-team. Golden had a strong debut season for the Austin Aztex, manning the middle of the defense in 13 games played. Franz joins the PDL team after spending most of the 2012 season playing for the Austin Aztex Super 20 squad.
Cruz joined the Aztex late into the 2012 season and bolstered the defense. Cruz brings experience to the squad, having joined the Aztex after spending time in Major League Soccer with Real Salt Lake. Mikulewicz helped the Aztex get off to a strong start in 2012 as the starting goalkeeper, allowing only two goals in four appearances.
Making their debuts for the Aztex in 2013 are Rosales, Djiba, and the Hume brothers. All four players impressed the Aztex coaching staff during the Aztex Invitational Camp in January and were offered a spot on the team roster.
The Hume brothers, products from Westlake High, will add height to the team. The 19-year-old twin brothers stand 6-feet, 5-inches tall and are dangerous aerial targets on attacking plays. Tucker, a forward, and Walker, a defender, stood out during their freshman seasons at Rollins College in Florida.
Rosales, a midfielder from Southern Methodist University, will join the Aztex after being named to the 2012 Second-Team All-Conference USA team. Djiba stood out among the local players while playing at Huston-Tillotson University, where he was named the 2012 Red river Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
About the Austin Aztex
The Austin Aztex compete in the USL Premier Development League (PDL). The Aztex finished the 2012 season ranked in the final eight out of 73 teams with one of the highest-scoring teams in the league. The franchise is owned and operated by ATX SOCCER LLC, chaired by David Markley, a founder and minority owner of the previous Aztex franchise, and Rene Van De Zande, President and CEO of Emergo Group. For more information, visit www.austinaztex.com.
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