JERROD LAVENTURE NAMED PDL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ironmen Defender Contributed on Seven Goals in 24 Hours in PDL Action

Newark, N.J. (Wednesday, May 13, 2009) - Spending the outdoor season as a forward with the Newark Ironbound Express of the USL Premier Development League, New Jersey Ironmen defender Jerrod Laventure has been making quite an impact in his second campaign with the Express.  Laventure tallied 12 points on five goals and two assists in a pair of wins for Newark over the past weekend, leading to the Haitian playmaker being honored as the PDL Player of the Week.
 
"Jerrod has an amazing ability to find holes in the defense," said Oral Bullen, a teammate of Laventure with both the Ironmen and the Express. "When you have someone up top that you know you can count on each and every game, it sends a wave of confidence throughout the entire team."
 
Laventure started the weekend by setting up a goal for teammate Teddy Niziolek in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Rangers on Saturday night, and he then proceeded to rally off a hat trick in a span of 21 minutes before the game had even broke for intermission.  He picked up right where he left off on Sunday, tallying a pair of goals and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the New Hampshire Phantoms at Lubetkin Field.  The Haitian striker now has 12 points on the young season, twice as much as any other player in the PDL.
 
Laventure took his game indoors for the first time this past season with the Ironmen, recording eight blocks in 10 contests.  During the 2008 PDL season, he was second on the Express with 20 points on nine goals and a pair of assists in 13 games, which led to a nod to the PDL All-Eastern Conference Team.  He played a pivotal role in the Express reaching the Eastern Conference playoffs in their inaugural season last summer.

While playing college soccer at Seton Hall University, Laventure tallied 40 points in four seasons with the Pirates. He knocked in 14 goals and assisted on an additional 12 scores. Following his senior year, he was named to the All-Big East First Team after registering eight goals and six assists. After that last season in South Orange, Laventure signed a developmental contract with the New York Red Bulls in 2006, making his debut that year against FC Dallas on July 8. He made an immediate impression in the MLS by notching an assist in his first appearance. He then won the MLS Goal of the Week when he scored his first career professional goal on a 30-yard chip over Columbus Crew goalkeeper Noah Palmer. Laventure has also earned two caps with the Haitian National Team. 
 
For more information regarding the Newark Ironbound Express, visit the team website at www.newarkironboundexpress.com.

On tap for this summer, the 2009 Ironmen soccer camp program will kick off in late June and run through the end of August, and the Ironmen have a special website created for their camp programs, located at www.njironmen.com/camps.  The camp website offers information and the summer schedule, as well as the convenience of completing the entire registration process online.  All campers this summer will receive an Ironmen ball, t-shirt and two tickets to our 2009 home opener this fall, and as a special incentive, all campers that register prior to May 15th will receive an immediate $10 discount off the $149 camp rate.  Camps are open to all types of skill levels and players age 4-16.  Any clubs or townships that are interested in hosting a camp still have the opportunity to do so, and they can call the Ironmen camp hotline at 973-757-6323 to discuss the details further.
 
Training is also available for travel clubs this summer with commitments of at least 10 campers.  The cost for each camper is $129, and each training session will be conducted for two hours a day over a period of five concurrent days.  The age of campers can range from 8-16, and each participant will receive an Ironmen camp t-shirt.  Teams must provide the field, water and balls for the training sessions, and the Ironmen will always have at least one professional player on location for every day of the camp.  Coaches that would like to schedule a travel camp can call 973-757-6323 today for additional information.