By Blakely Stillman
Three BYU men?s soccer players have been invited to try out Saturday for Utah?s new Major League Soccer team, Real Salt Lake.
Hugh Van Wagenen, Gilbert Gaertner, and Jacob Cavanaugh are expected to showcase their talent this weekend in Provo.
BYU men?s soccer coach Chris Watkins said he is proud that of the 40 players invited to the tryout, three played for BYU.
?It feels good to have a program now that is recognized to be developing players that can do this,? he said. ?When we were a club, that wasn?t the case.?
Watkins said he believes his players will bring experience and maturity to the tryout. All three have served missions and are qualified to try out with the maximum age limit being 22.
In addition, all three have transferred from other programs. Van Wagenen and Gaertner came from George Mason University and Cavanaugh came from South Carolina University.
The players have been playing as much as possible in order to be physically prepared for the tryout. Mentally, it has also been a challenge.
?When you?ve got a big opportunity ahead of you, of course you are going to be nervous,? said Gaertner, an outside midfielder.
He also said receiving encouragement from those around him has helped him to stay positive.
?Everybody that puts their mind to it ? they can do it,? Gaertner said.
The positive thinking will be needed, since the odds are definitely against the BYU trio.
Real general manager Steve Pastorino said that ideally, one or two players might be selected from this tryout.
?The chances are fairly slim, but we?re not going to rule it out,? Pastorino said.
Van Wagenen, a defensive center midfielder, said he sees this as an opportunity to find out how he measures up.
?That?s the whole point?just to go and find out,? he said. ?There?s really nothing to lose. Why not go and give it a shot and see what happens??
Filling the remaining roster spots is not the only reason why Real Salt Lake will be coming to Provo Saturday. Pastorino said he sees this as a chance to get a general feel for the level of talent in the state and also as an opportunity to build solid relations with the soccer population in Provo.
He also said that future events featuring Real Salt Lake could be expected at BYU.
?We?ve been talking to Chris Watkins about some ways that we can support the program, and certainly the soccer community in Provo and on campus,? he said. ?That?s why we?re bringing an event that is this important to us down there.?
Pastorino said he expects the coaching staff to decide which players to keep during a brief process.
?I would expect that they will hear back from us immediately, by early next week at the latest,? Pastorino said.
Training camp will begin Feb. 1, while the first game is slated to begin April 2.