All aboard!

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – After enduring an unending series of severe snowstorms, New Englanders can take some measure of solace with the knowledge that the likes of Shalrie Joseph and Matt Reis will be returning to the snow-battered region next week, as the Revolution announced their preseason roster today.

The list of 27 players – three short of the 30-man regular season roster maximum this year – includes a number of familiar faces who will be returning with the team for the start of preseason training on Monday, not to mention a few who enter the preseason without a contract. In fact, no fewer than nine players – including four of whom sported the navy blue jersey last season – will enter the preseason on a trial basis.

Zak Boggs, Jason Griffiths, Roberto “Betu” Linck, and Tim Murray will be back in Foxborough next week, but without the certainty of a contract in hand. All four, who joined the club at various points last season, will compete for an agreement before First Kick comes around in March.

The remaining invitees – Steven Perry, Ryan Kinne, Alan Koger, Fernando Cabadas and Andrew Sousa -are unsigned selections from this year’s SuperDraft and Supplemental Draft.

It is not uncommon for second-year players, as well as well as players taken after the second round of the SuperDraft, to go into camp unsigned.

Many of last year’s rookie class signed standard one-year deals that contained a club option after the season. In the cases of Boggs, Griffiths, Linck, and Murray, the Revolution have not picked up their options, but have allowed them to return on a trial basis.

As far as Perry and his fellow unsigned draftees go, many clubs use the preseason as an extended tryout for later-round picks before committing them to a contract.

One such pick – midfielder Hunter Christiansen, who was taken in the first round (sixth overall) of the Supplemental Draft – has elected to finish is studies at the University of Tulsa and will likely begin his trial sometime in May.

Meanwhile, Home Grown 15-year-old midfielder Diego Fagundez will remain and train with the Revolution U-16s at the start of the preseason.

Here is the complete preseason roster:

Goalkeepers (3): Tim Murray*, Matt Reis, Bobby Shuttleworth

Defenders (6): Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Ryan Cochrane, Didier Domi, A.J. Soares, Seth Sinovic

Midfielders (12): Fernando Cabadas*, Jason Griffiths*, Shalrie Joseph, Ryan Kinne*, Roberto Linck*, Kenny Mansally, Stephen McCarthy, Sainey Nyassi, Marko Perovic, Andrew Sousa*, Pat Phelan, Chris Tierney

Forwards (6): Zak Boggs*, Kheli Dube, Alan Koger*, Steven Perry*, Zack Schilawski, Ilija Stolica

* non-rostered/non-contracted player