Ocean City Press Release - www.sjbarons.com/OceanCityBarons
Monday, May 5th
OCEAN CITY, NJ - The Ocean City Barons’ 2007 MVP, Ryan Heins (Temple / Medford, NJ) has signed his first outdoor professional contract with the Harrisburg City Islanders of the United Soccer Leagues’ Second Division (USL-2). The Temple University standout recently completed his first season of indoor soccer, playing for the Philadelphia Kixx, and will take his game outdoors to be a part of the defending USL-2 champions.
"I feel that my time with the Kixx has more than prepared me for the next level of outdoor," said Heins. "Not only has indoor helped with thinking quicker and acting quicker, but also with my touch."
After five seasons with the Ocean City Barons organization, Heins finished fifth on the all-time scoring list with 34 points (11 goals, 12 assists) and played the second most minutes of any Baron (4,682). Last season, he showed his versatility by helping a depleted Barons backline by moving from his traditional attacking midfield role to play as an outside defender. In his first year in the new position, he played well enough to be named the club’s most valuable player.
Prior to the 2007 Premier Development League (PDL) season, the Medford, NJ native was selected by the Philadelphia Kixx in the first round (5th overall) of the Major Indoor Soccer League College Draft. He later signed with the club and played 27 games in the 2007/08 season, scoring four goals and contributing two assists while playing with former Barons teammates Tony Donatelli (Temple / Glenside, PA), Chris Williams (Philadelphia Univ. / Phila, PA) and Steven Wacker (Temple / Phila, PA).
With the MISL season complete, Heins joins former Baron Brian Devlin (Penn State / Philadelphia, PA) with the City Islanders as they try to defend the first championship in the brief, four-year history of the club. In 2007, Harrisburg also qualified for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last year where they eliminated the Ocean City Barons in the second round, en route to a quarterfinal finish.
Heins made his debut for the City Islanders on Saturday, April 26 against the Cleveland City Stars. Unfortunately, lightning postponed the match at halftime, and the game resumed the following afternoon. Between the two days, he made his full debut, playing 90 minutes at left back. The rookie scored a goal in his first game when he pounded home a rebound after a missed Harrisburg penalty kick, but the play was called back because a Cleveland player invaded the penalty area before the kick was taken.
"The game itself wasn’t a big difference between college, PDL or indoor," said Heins. "The only real difference is that every player is very good. There are still weaknesses in every team, but they aren’t as defined as in college or the PDL."
About the Ocean City Barons
The Ocean City Barons are a minor league soccer franchise based in Ocean City, New Jersey that competes in the Premier Development League (PDL) -- the top men’s amateur league in North America. The PDL is considered the 4th level of soccer in the United States below Major League Soccer, and the United Soccer League’s First and Second Divisions. Players have the ability to compete in the PDL throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment to the Ocean City community.
Founded in 1997, the Barons are entering their 12th year of existence in 2008 and are one of the most successful PDL clubs in North America. Since joining the league in 2003, they are 52-16-16, the 5th best record among the more than 60 teams in the league. Since joining the PDL, 15 former Barons have moved on to play professional soccer, including Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus in Denmark) who recently became the first Baron to earn a cap with the senior U.S. National Team.
They continued their tradition of success on the field in 2007 when they qualified for the PDL playoffs and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, marking the third time in the last four years the club had achieved both in the same season. The highlight of the 2007 campaign came in the First Round of the Open Cup when they upset Crystal Palace Baltimore, a professional team from the United Soccer League’s Second Division, 1-0 on June 12 at Carey Stadium in Ocean City.
The Barons open the 2008 schedule on May 11th at home against the Newark Ironbound Express. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
