Sockers Ready to Open Another Training Camp

The Sockers begin defense of their championship today (9 a.m. at Folsom’s) when Coach Ron Newman opens training camp for his 12th indoor season with only eight players signed. Another, Thompson Usiyan, will fly in tonight.

The Sockers acquired Usiyan in a trade with St. Louis for disgruntled midfielder Branko Segota. Usiyan is expected to sign a contract upon his arrival.

“We’ve already discussed what we’re going to pay him and he has agreed,” Newman said.

Usiyan finished second on the Storm in scoring last season with 64 goals and 38 assists. He will join other signed players: goalie Victor Nogueira, last season’s Most Valuable Player; defender/midfielder Ben Collins, the championship series MVP; midfielder Paul Dougherty, who led the Sockers with 43 goals; defender Dave Banks, who won Rookie of the Year honors; as well as defensive runner Wes Wade, midfielder Tim Wittman, and defenders Kevin Crow and Alex Golovnia.

Also expected to sign soon is defender Arturo Velazco, who played with the Sockers two years ago and in the National Professional Soccer League last season.

Three key players from last year will be absent: Defensive runner Jacques Ladouceur, defender Glenn Carbonara and midfielder Jim Gabarra have been offered contracts by the Sockers but have not responded.

It is known Ladouceur wants a raise from last year and is refusing the Sockers’ offer.

“But we can’t do that for everybody,” Newman said. “No one seems to understand that we can’t give raises to everyone (with the salary cap reduction).”

Another player from last year, midfielder Michael Collins, was not offered a contract.

The Sockers are hoping to fill out their roster with at least three holdovers from last week’s free-agent tryout. Among those vying for contracts are:

Midfielders Daniel Bartolotta and Jose Antonio Gomez, both of whom were recruited from the Mexican First Division by the Sockers’ new ownership in that country; midfielder Ezekiel Doe, a former member of the Liberian national team; forward Kirk Ferguson, the Sockers’ fourth-round draft choice from UCLA; Scott Geraghty, who was spotted by Sockers’ assistant coach Eric Geyer at the 1990 national amateur championships in Atlanta; John Olu Molomo, a Nigerian; and Alex Khapsalis, a former teammate of Golovnia’s while both were with Soviet team Dynamo Kiev.

The morning practice is open to the public.