Charleston Battery News Release - www.charlestonbattery.com

Friday, February 29, 2008

CHARLESTON, SC -- The Charleston Battery preseason kicks off Monday at the Battery training facility, Daniel Island as the team begins preparation for the start of it’s 16th season. The players start with physicals on Monday, then Tuesday run the dreaded "Beep test," a multi-stage fitness test that helps estimate each player’s VO2 max.

Training will start in earnest on Wednesday with two-a-days; the Battery's first scheduled match is a scrimmage versus the College of Charleston at Patriots Point on March 12.

2008 Preseason features three games against Major League Soccer opposition during the Carolina Challenge Cup; the tournament takes place at Blackbaud Stadium March 15, 19 & 22, and features MLS’s New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, the San Jose Earthquakes and the USL1 Charleston Battery.

In addition to a rigorous training schedule selected players will also be visiting Ashley River Elementary school, in West Ashley on March 3 to participating in Read Across America. Read Across America is a project run by the National Education Association that's designed to inspire students toward becoming life-long readers, and promote the benefits of building strong reading skills from an early age. It's held each March in honor of Theodore Geisel's (better known as Dr. Seuss) birthday.

The preseason squad will also include the addition of a “guest player” as ESPN.com’s U.S. Soccer Editor, Jen Chang, joins the Charleston Battery to report on the inner-workings of a professional soccer team. Chang will train with the team daily starting Monday, March 16 and will cover various elements of life in the USL from a player’s perspective. An ESPN.com camera crew will be filming Chang in training and scrimmages with the results available at ESPN.com and ESPNsoccernet.

2008 Charleston Battery Pre-Season Schedule

March 12 - College of Charleston - 4:00 - Patriots Point
March 15 - New York Red Bulls (MLS) - 8:15 - Blackbaud Stadium
March 19 - San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) - 8:15 PM - Blackbaud Stadium
March 22 - Toronto FC (MLS) - 6:00 - Blackbaud Stadium
March 29 - Duke University - 1:00 - Blackbaud Stadium
April 2 - Charlotte Eagles (USL2) - TBD - Blackbaud Stadium
April 5 - Wilmington Hammerheads (USL2) - 2:00 - Blackbaud Stadium

Apart from the Carolina Challenge Cup matches (March 15, 19, 22) all home pre-season exhibitions are free admission.

Carolina Challenge Cup
Tickets for the 2008 edition of the Carolina Challenge Cup are on sale now; fans can purchase tickets for each doubleheader or for the six match series. Tickets for single doubleheaders (includes two games) are priced at $25 Club / Box & $15 bleacher. Series tickets (includes all six games) are also available for $50 Club / Box and $35 Bleacher. The tournament takes place at Blackbaud Stadium March 15, 19 & 22, and features Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, the San Jose Earthquakes and the USL1 Charleston Battery.

2008 Season Tickets
The Charleston Battery will kick off its 16th season of pro soccer in March 2008; season ticket packages are on sale now starting at $120; to purchase tickets or for more information please call (843) 971-GOAL or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.