Thursday, May 23, 2013
DAYTON, Ohio – The Dayton Dutch Lions are on something of a hot streak. The team is unbeaten in its last four competitions, including U.S. Open Cup matches, and has won five of eight total games to start 2013. The Dutch Lions hope to keep the positive results coming when the Antigua Barracuda come to town for a USL PRO league match this weekend.
Joel DeLass, midfielder and captain of the Dutch Lions, attributes the team’s maturity to the strong start to the season.
“All of the returning players now have at least a year under the belts, and the club did well to sign some players who also bring in a decent amount of professional experience. I think it really shows in how we've gotten results in games,” said DeLass. “Yes we are off to a good start, but it hasn't been easy. There have been a lot of close matches and fair amount of adversity to start the season, but our ability to mentally push through challenges and see out close games to get results has been far better than it's ever been in the past.”
The Antigua Barracuda have had to overcome some challenges of their own. The club is playing its entire league schedule on the road, and, entering this weekend, the Barracuda have yet to win a game. The Dutch Lions, though, will not be taking the visitors from the Caribbean lightly.
DeLass stated, “Antigua is fast, physical, and will be looking to disrupt our possession, so we need to be sharp when we're on the ball, finish our chances when we get them, and be organized in the back if we want to win.”
The match between the Dutch Lions and the Barracuda will take place at Beavercreek High School on Sunday, May 26 at 6:30 PM.