The Loons have now made their way to Florida for training and their preseason friendly games. MNUFC departed Tuesday afternoon and have enjoyed their training sessions outdoors in the Sunshine State.
“It’s nice out, I haven’t felt the sun in a long time,” said midfielder Jacori Hayes. “It’s also nice to get on grass. The ball rolls over it differently, joints feel a little bit better running.”
Practicing on the grass has the Loons excited for the season to begin and one step closer to being able to practice outdoors instead of training on turf inside the dome. Being outdoors just hits different.
“It’s nice. I open the door of the car and you can just smell the nice fresh cut grass,” said midfielder Niko Hansen. “It’s nice to be out in the field and get our bearings on the fields with the grass again and be out here with the sunshine, too.”
For the team’s first training session, the Loons had a soccer tennis competition. Players were split into teams of three to four and competed for the champion title. Some teams performed well, while others struggled just a bit to obtain that crown.
“You know, I’m not going to talk bad about my team,” laughed Hansen. “I think the overall quality was core but we tried to get it together and help us out. We got a couple wins under our belt but it was a poor showing from us today, but it’s okay.”
The soccer tennis competition was a great way to get the Loons’ competitive drive running as they prepare for their preseason matches.
“Two wins, two losses. Could’ve done better but it’s all for banter,” said Hayes. “So, you know, don’t really put too much emphasis on it. We’ll start winning tomorrow, when it really counts.”
The Loons’ preseason friendly matches will begin this weekend while training continues in Florida.
- March 27 vs. Charleston Battery
- March 31 vs. Columbus Crew
- April 3 vs. FC Cincinnati
- April 9 vs. Orlando City SC
For the safety of staff, fans and players, all friendlies will be closed to the general public, and will not be streamed. Look for updates on the MNUFC social media channels following the games.
