The Blitzers fold increased by three this week as head coach Brendan Murphy earned the commitments of three players, two of whom have played for FC Buffalo in the past. The additions come two days before a pivotal invitation-only tryout at Sahlen’s Sports Park, though Murphy said interested players who missed the first event can contact him (murphy@fcbuffalo.org).
Fan-favorites Chris and Ryan Walter are back to patrol the field for FC Buffalo, while Murphy also added extremely dangerous Rochester native and UAlbany star Anthony Rozzano.
“All three of these signings are indicative of the type of player we are looking for,” Murphy said. “This Thursday will really help to nail down the bulk of our roster. We have a few more offers out there to some key guys and we’ve been working on some exciting prospects in the background. There might be one or two surprises for the fans.”
The fans know the Walters for their hard-tackling, relentless play and Murphy sees a lot of the same.
“Chris is a great pick up for us,” Murphy said of Chris Walter, who scored twice with two assists for the Hawks this season. “I saw him play at Hartwick this year and what I saw at the tryout confirmed what I already thought: He is a beast. Not only is he one of the more aggressive and intense players we will have on the team, he can ping a diagonal ball out of the back on a rope, he has great timing on his tackles and he makes very intelligent runs off the ball.”
“Ryan is a very cerebral player who brings a ton of passion for the game. He is a great communicator and a brilliant distributor of the ball. Covers a lot of ground in the midfield or the back. I think Ryan will continue to provide a lot of quality for the club this year.”
Murphy said the team is also incredibly fortunate to bring in Rozzano. The freshman from Webster, N.Y. scored twice and added four assists for the Great Danes after being an NSCAA All-American at Webster-Schroeder.
“Anthony Rozzano is a big signing,” Murphy said. “He is a dynamic midfield player who is very creative in his movements off the ball and his decision making with the ball. I saw him play for Albany this year and he was the most active player on the field the entire game: a true footballer who understands the game at a different level.”
“This has really been a fun process and I appreciate all of the support from the local college coaches. They have been incredibly helpful in getting their best players interested in the club and I have definitely enjoyed talking with them.”
Email: wolf@fcbuffalo.org