April 3, 2018
The Philadelphia Phoenix are thrilled to announce their roster for the 2018 AUDL season! Headed by player-coach Trey Katzenbach, the Phoenix bring to the field a core of returning players from their 2017 team supported by an influx of young talent from the Philadelphia area. In addition to their fresh roster of players, the Phoenix have added David Hampson and Nate Venditta to their coaching staff, who bring with them extensive coaching and playing resumes.
Returning players
Returning from last year’s Phoenix roster are leading scorers Sean Mott, Scott Xu, and Mike Arcata, along with defensive stalwarts Matt Esser, Eric Nardelli, and Ryan Brown. “We saw last year’s team make some great leaps for this franchise, and the players we brought back were all a huge part of that success,” says player-coach Katzenbach.
Familiar Faces
Nick Patel, Ethan Fortin, Ethan Peck, and Greg Strouse all return to the Phoenix after at least one season absent from the team. They are expected to be major contributors in 2018 as they have been in years past.
Young Talent
This year’s Phoenix squad features seven colleges players from four different universities, in the Philadelphia area. Compare that to just one college player on last year’s Phoenix roster and you’re looking at a significantly younger 2018 team.
“Throughout the tryout process we were simply looking for the most talented candidates. I think it's a testament to the competitiveness of our college scene that it produces so many capable players,” Katzenbach said of the trend.
The Phoenix look to expand on their 2017 season where they grabbed wins over all but one of their East Division opponents. The full team roster is listed below:
0 | Dustin Damiano
1 | Brandon Pastor
3 | Brandon Lamberty
5 | Brian Magerr
6 | Dmitry Suvorov
7 | Nick Patel
8 | Ethan Fortin
9 | Himalaya Mehta
10 | Matt Esser
11 | Scott Xu
13 | Greg Strouse
14 | Dustin Becker
15 | Jordan Ciccarone
17 | James Pollard
20 | Matt Lefebvre
22 | Mike Arcata
23 | Allan Michel
24 | Ethan Peck
25 | Trey Katzenbach
32 | Igor Smola
33 | Brice Dunn
34 | Miles Eckardt
45 | Nicholas DiGiorgio
48 | Ryan Weaver
77 | Ryan Brown
81 | Sean Mott
85 | Mike Campanella
87 | David Wenzel
96 | Casey Vaughn
99 | Eric Nardelli