New England Soccer Today

Five New Trialists Join Revs

While four trialists with European experience joined the New England Revolution in Arizona, five Americans are joining the Revs in their return to Foxboro. Luke Kreamalmeyer, Blake Wagner, Patrick Otte, Gabe Mercier, and Brandin McClay are all currently on trial with the team according to the club’s latest preseason roster.

Théophile “Junior” N’Tame, Jeremiah White, David Foley, and Saër Sène are no longer training with the team. Additionally, MLS Supplemental Draft pick Kevin Garcia is no longer on the Revs preseason roster (due to a pre-planned return to Villanova) while Dawyne Smith, Alec Purdie and Mike Roach are all still seeking contracts.

Current trialists Luke Kreamalmeyer and Blake Wagner both have MLS experience. Otte, Mercier, and McClay all grew up in Massachusetts.

Kreamalmeyer, a 5-foot-9 right midfielder, was MVP of the 2005 MLS Combine before being taken in the MLS SuperDraft by Real Salt Lake in the second round. The Bradley University product made six appearances for Salt Lake as a rookie before being released. He has since bounced around USL Pro and NASL teams including the Portland Timbers, Rochester Rhinos, Carolina Railhawks, A.C. Saint Louis and last season the Montreal Impact (prior to them joining Major League Soccer). The 29-year-old has 25 goals and 29 assists in 158 games of American second division professional soccer.

Wagner, a 5-foot-10 left back/left midfielder, played for both Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps last season. Wagner made 9 appearances, all starts for the Whitecaps, but was released in late July. The 24-year-old then joined Real Salt Lake where he’d make two appearances, including one start. Wagner played the 2010 season with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the USSF Division 2 Professional League. The former US U-17 international was originally drafted by FC Dallas, 18th overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, but was not re-signed after the 2009 season despite making 40 appearances in four seasons with the club.

Otte, a 5-foot-8 midfielder, played last season with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The 20-year-old was part of England’s Middlesbrough F.C.’s youth academy from 2008-2010 and appeared in a few reserve games for the club. Otte was born in California to Welsh parents, but spent much of his life in Massachusetts and Connecticut where he played for various club teams. He took part in both U.S. U-18 National Team and Wales U-19 National Team camps.

Mercier, a 6-foot-0 defender, has played in reserve matches for the New England Revolution as a guest player. The 26-year-old who most recently played for the New Hampshire Phantoms of the USL Premier Development League, has also played for the Western Mass Pioneers, then of the USL Second Division. A Middleborough, Mass, native, Mercier played his college soccer at Southern New Hampshire University. Mercier trained with the Revolution on multiple occasions this past season and in 2010.

McClay, a 5-f00t-7 midfielder, played fifth division German soccer with SpVgg Weiden in the Oberliga Bayern from 2008-2010. The 21-year-old East Taunton, Mass. native played a year of college soccer with Southern Connecticut State and with the Cape Code Crusaders (former PDL team) before heading to Germany. It is unclear if McClay has played pro soccer since leaving SpVgg Weiden in February of 2010.

The Revs are currently training in Foxboro before heading to Tucson, Ariz., to play in the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup, on Monday, February 20, through Sunday, March 4.

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