"Hall Pass" - The Official Ironmen Blog of Ryan Hall

Back in the Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Hello Ironmen fans, I hope everyone is doing well this week. Crazy game this past weekend. To recap the Ironmen pulled off an absolute must win beating the Milwaukee Wave 15-12 in overtime. In my opinion the score really doesn't represent the game all that well. I thought for the first three quarters we ran Milwaukee out of the Prudential Center. The fourth quarter was a different story. From the stands, it looked as though Milwaukee was playing with a certain desperation that wasn't present in the previous quarters. With that being said, we had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of reach but in any case Milwaukee was able to creep back into the game and tie it up. With two minutes and change we gave up a critical blue card. Milwaukee had a perfect chance to go ahead with less than two minutes in the game. Our power play defense team did a great job sliding and blocking shots killing off their power play and forcing the game into overtime. In overtime the Ironmen went back to business scoring in just 27 seconds. Lucio crushed a ball just out of the reach of a diving Vorberg.

So what does all this mean?? This was an absolute must win for us. Now we are only a 1/2 game behind Milwaukee and a game and a 1/2 behind Detroit with one game in hand on both teams. Not only do we have a game on both teams but three out of our last four games are at home. It will still be a tough challenge in the remaining four games but its comforting to know that we control our own destiny. This upcoming weekend is as big if not more than last weekend. We play Detroit Friday at home and then travel to play Milwaukee on Sunday. The team enjoyed the win on Sunday but are now back to business and refocused to take on Detroit. We look forward to seeing everyone Friday night at the Rock for a 7:30 kickoff....

On a side note, I know all of you have been following the Syracuse Orange in the NCAA tournament. They have won their first two games and are now in the sweet 16 against a tough Oklahoma sooner squad. So this is a VERY important weekend to say the least ha! Look forward to seeing everyone on Friday night!! Go Ironmen!

Geatest game ever!!!

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Last nights game between my alma mater Syracuse and the University of Connecticut was easily the greatest college basketball game in history. For those of you who didn't watch or have been living under a rock today let me just fill you in... This was the quarter final of the big east tournament in which #20 Syracuse faced off against their big east rival #4 Connecticut. Both teams are projected to make it into the NCAA tournament and in an earlier meeting this year UCONN won 63-49. Well that was not the case last night. The Orange pulled out an unbelievable and unforgettable victory winning 127-117 in the 6th overtime! That's right 6 overtimes. I have never seen anything like this before in any sport. The initial tip off was around 9:36 pm east coast time and by the final buzzer it was 1:22 am, 3 hours and 46 minutes long! Eight players (four from each team) had fouled out and in the final overtime Syracuse had a walk-on and another player on the court who had a combined playing time this year of 21 minutes. I am not taking anything away from Connecticut because both teams played their hearts out and left nothing on the court. I can't imagine how either team had any gas left in the tank but fortunately for us we were able to squeak out the win.

Now I am blogging about this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost I went to Syracuse so obviously I am a fan. On Wednesday night I dragged Tim O'Neil, his girlfriend Liza, and my roommate Evan McNeley to the Madison Square Garden for the second round games of the big east tournament. We bought some tickets off a guy on the street and watched as Syracuse knocked out Seton Hall. I had to do some convincing in order to get Timmy, Liza, and Evan to go with me. Tim went to St. Johns so he was interested in the tournament but not so interested in seeing Syracuse play. Evan went to Oregon State and I figured he would be interested to see what a real basketball team looks and plays like. In any event everyone was willing to go and we ended up having a great time. The crappy part is that we decided to go on Wednesday instead of Thursday and ended up missing arguably one the greatest college games ever....

I also want to point out all the "haters" out there. Throughout the entire game I was receiving numerous text messages from everyone and their mother. Those who know me know that I am proud of my alma mater and support them in every sport. Usually when one of their game is televised it gives former teammates and friends the chance to do a little trash talking especially if Syracuse is losing. Its all in good fun and I have no problem firing back about whatever teams (college or pro) they support but now its my turn :) Here is a list of those who were texting me.....

Jon Ball (former teammate)
Brian Farber (former teammate)
Aaron Susi (former teammate)
My brother (can you believe that?!?)
C.J. Marentette (high school friend)
Paul Nagy (former teammate)
John Archibald (Director of Communications with the Ironmen)
Antonio Sutton (former teammate)

Just thought I would get a little shot in while I could. Next up the Orange play West Virginia in the big east semi finals. The game is tonight at 9:30 and I don't know how Syracuse is going to be able to play after last nights game but we shall see! I am planning on attending the game, so if anyone wants to meet up at MSG let me know! Go Orange!!!!!

Big Time Win

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:23:00 +0000

I am sure many are aware of the result this past weekend. What a big time win for the guys to pull out a 10-8 overtime win in Detroit. If you didn't get to watch the game let me tell you that the team looked and played great. From start to finish they played hard, focused, and as a team. You can definitely tell there is a sense of urgency throughout the team. We dominated the game controlling the ball for much of the match. As in any game, there are still things we as a team can work on and this game was no exception. We had several power play opportunities in which we didn't capitalize and need to in order to put games away early. On the flip side, when Detroit went on the sixth attacker we need to be able to put the ball in the back of the open net when we get a chance and not allow Detroit to tie the game with a minute left in the match. Never the less, the team pulled out a much needed win that propelled us with in 2 1/2 games of first place.

This win has set up for another huge game this weekend as the team returns to Detroit for the second week in a row. We are building a confidence now winning 3 out of our last 4 games that could be very dangerous for other teams. The day this team starts clicking on all cylinders is the day the rest of the league should just call it a day and go home. If we can pull out another much needed win then we are only a game out of first place behind Milwaukee with all the momentum in the world.

There was a different buzz this week in practice. Unlike previous weeks, you can really tell that the team is feeling confident about our play yet we are not content. Players (other than myself) are healthy and growing more comfortable with one another everyday. It was also productive week of practice. We focused on the areas I mentioned earlier and also on our fitness. With a full week before our next match, coach decided it was a good time to work on some fitness early in the week and taper the training sessions from then on to allow us to recover.

On a side note, a familiar face was back in training this week. Tim O'Neil was here and training with us. For those of you who don't know him, Tim played some games last year in an Ironmen uniform. We actually go back several years where we played two years of outdoor in the A-league together for the Syracuse Salty Dogs. He is a great player and hopefully he cant make an instant impact on the team. Enjoy the upcoming weekend and look forward to talking with many of you soon!

Mario Kart Champion

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:40:00 +0000

At 27 years old there are plenty of things I should be doing with my free time but this past season has been a little different. For Christmas I received a Nintendo Wii from my parents and since then I have been a full addict. Living with two roommates and having competitive sport games makes it impossible not to play. With multiple players I had to get more controllers and with the purchase of Mario kart my social life as we know it was over. Along with the game I also purchased the steering wheels so there is no excuse when racing. If you didn't know any better you would think that we all hated one another the way we comepete on the wii but its all in good fun and makes for some hilarious moments.

For those of you who have never tried Mario kart or the wii for that matter I highly recommend it! The games themselves are cartoonish and aimed towards little kids but when playing with more than one person its a riot. We compete in bowling, tennis, golf, but the main competition is in Mario kart. I currently live with Sean David and Evan McNeley both of which if you were to ask them would say they are the best at m.k. and that is obviously a lie. That means yours truly is the undisputed Mario kart champion of the New Jersey Ironmen. They get so bitter when they can't win and I love it!!! I mean lets be honest, the only real competition is for second place between Sean and Evan. The truth hurts gentleman but facts are facts....

So this is basically what we do with our evenings and free time. If there is anyone that thinks they are up for the challenge our door is always open. Even if you aren't in the Newark area, we can play over the internet. I'll even let you pick the course! So let me know if your interested in playing and we can work something out. Until then enjoy the upcoming weekend and we have a HUGE game against Detroit on Saturday. Go Ironmen!

Roller coaster ride

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:36:00 +0000

What an interesting couple of weeks it has been, don't ya think? In the last two weeks we have lost, won, lost, won. Its like riding your favorite roller coaster at Disneyland. Now that I have been on injured reserve, I get to watch the games from a spectators point of view and I have to be honest, I think it is harder to be a spectator than it is to be a player. I find myself on the edge of my seat yelling at the other team's players, our players, and mostly the refs! I have realized that it is easy to be a sideline quarterback during games....

In the last week we have had three games in five days. We ended up going 2-1 with two victories over Chicago and the one loss at home to Detroit. The one loss to Detroit was a tough loss to say the least. We played very well in the first half but we gave Detroit some easy goals and having five blue cards doesn't hurt Detroit's cause either. The positive thing about the loss to Detroit was that we had a game the following day and could completely erase the previous days meltdown with a win over Chicago. The team knows there is little room for error left and team is using that as motivation down the home stretch.

We have a full week off until we play in Detroit. I am sure many of you are starting to become a little skeptic of us winning a championship but with Chicago beating Detroit the other night and if somehow Chicago can beat Milwaukee on Sunday then we are right back in it.

We have also signed some new promising talent along with some known veterans. Jerrod Laventure and Edison Bilbao are new to the indoor game but have had successful outdoor careers. Both are very hard working and good solid players. I don't think it will take long for them to make an impact on the team. Another player we brought in and is now my new roommate is Shaun David. I am sure many of you are familiar with Shaun considering he played here last year. I have played several years against Shaun and I am glad he decided to come to New Jersey because as a defender you get tired of chasing this guy all over the field. It seems as though he can run for days. Our next home game isn't until March 22nd but first up is Detroit in Detroit on the 28th. With a full week of preparation I think the guys are gonna surprise some people and win a much needed game. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and don't forget to watch Syracuse play Villanova on Sunday at 1pm from the carrier dome. Go Orange!!

Injured Reserve

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:41:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I took a minor shot to the side of my face while playing against Milwaukee. At the time my bell was rung but like many times before I didn't think too much of it and continued to play. Three weeks later I was still feeling some small side effects. I was having frequent headaches after practice and blinds spots in my vision. To be honest, I have a history of migraines so headaches and vision problems often come and go with me to no avail. Regardless, our athletic trainer insisted on me taking a "concussion impact" test. Now heading into this test I thought I had it in the bag. After all, I have had seven previous concussions and the tests are all usually the same. I attended practice after our loss against Chicago and once it ended I got in the car and followed our trainer up to his school (he's a head athletic trainer at a high school) take the test. The results were less than flattering...

So here we are with a decision. Do I continue to play and put my health in jeopardy or do I take so time off and allow my head to heal. After a long deliberation with both our athletic trainer and coach Namazi we decided it would be in my best interest to take some time off and go on injured reserve. By doing so I have to sit out for either 15 days or 3 games, whichever comes first. Fortunately for me we have three games in only 6 days. After this coming game on Thursday I will take the test again and be reevaluated. From there, we will determine whether or not I can return to the playing field.

So this is where frustration sets in. Any other injury usually requires therapy or some kind of rehabilitation. With concussion the only therapy required is rest. I can not do any physical activity whats-so-ever. I attend practice every day and literally just sit there like a lump of .... I can't even go to the gym to lift or ride the bike to keep my fitness up. For someone that is physically active to just stop cold is hard to say the least. During a time when our team needs to pick it up and go on a run for the championship, I am stuck on the sidelines feeling helpless.

It has been a week now since I took the impact test and I have to admit I have been headache free for almost the entire week. I am sure in hindsight this was the best decision for me but, its never easy to tell any competitor to just sit out and watch. I know our guys will do a great job in the upcoming games and hopefully I can contribute when I get back on the playing field.

Hard times

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:58:00 +0000

It's been a while since my last blog and for that I apologize. As many of you are aware things in Ironmen land have been rocky to say the least. I am sure everyone is familiar with Tim Tebow's post game interview after they lost to Ole Miss this year. This blog is going to be similar to that press conference. I want to some how express my thoughts on the struggles we have encountered over the past few weeks. These are not excuses and there is no way to erase the past. This is meant to be my personal thoughts from this point on and nothing else.
I get asked everywhere I go "how could a team with so much talent be losing?" and to be perfectly honest I don't know. There is not just one reason for why we are losing. Its a combination of things but one things for certain, we are winning and losing as a team. Its not any one persons fault...

I have often heard the phrase "when it rains, it pours" and that couldn't be any more relevant than here and now. It seems as though when you are down every mistake, every problem, every touch, every decision is magnified to the tenth degree. During this point it's easy to blame the refs, players, coaches, even the subway sandwich guy for not putting the right amount of veggies on your sandwich. I have come to realize that this is when the true character of an athlete comes out. Do u as a player point fingers and blame everyone else or do you look within yourself? Do u make excuses or do you put your nose to the grindstone and fight your way out? Do you allow others to hold you down or do you do work when there is work to be done? I am in no way perfect nor have I played perfect during our last few losses but I assure you guys that work WILL be done and this train WILL get back on the right track...

So I urge the Ironmen faithful to continue to believe in us and not give up hope. Your support is what drives us everyday and is what motivates us to be the best that we can be. We are in no way out of the championship race. When the smoke has finally settled and its all said and done, we will raise that championship banner, I am sure if it. We will silence all those who said we are overrated and make all those doubted us stand accounted for. Most importantly we will hopefully make all of you fans proud. This weekend is a very crucial weekend and one where we need to make a stand. I have the utmost confidence in my coach and teammates that we will turn this ship around.

So that is my two minute rant. I am sure it sounds cheesy but this is my one blog to be serious and not joke around. Now that that's over, I will return to my previous self in the upcoming blogs. Stay tuned and keep those comments coming! I look forward to seeing everyone at our next home game.

Weekend woes...

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:18:00 +0000

What a terrible weekend... We were looking to come out of the previous weekend with two wins and a little space between us and the rest of the league, instead we dropped both games and are back in third place. To be perfectly honest, their hasn't been a game where I have felt we weren't the better team. There have been games though where other teams have executed the small details better than us which ultimately proved to be our demise. I think all we are missing is to just erase those small mental mistakes and I think you will see the Ironmen go on a long run.
I don't want to spend to much time on last weekends games (basically because it depresses me) but I would like to share with you our glorious travel schedule. I am not saying by any means this is the reason why we lost because it isn't. I'm sure other teams have similar travel schedules but this is what ours was like... Friday morning we woke up and had an early flight Milwaukee. We landed around noon and headed straight to the hotel. There was a few hours of downtime before meeting in the lobby to walk over to the arena (only a few blocks away) for practice. Let me just say that while the arena is only a few blocks away, when it's -6 out, those few blocks feel like a few miles. Anyway, after practice we were free to do whatever we wanted. The majority of the guys went out to dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant. Myself, Boney, and McNeley just walked down the local Applebees for a light meal. The rest of the night was spent relaxing and watching TV. So far so good right? Plenty of time to get the jet lag out of your legs and to start focusing on the game. Saturday morning approached and we had a light kick around at the stadium to break a sweat and get our legs moving. After practice we all grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the hotel where I took my usual game day nap. Saturday night was the game vs. Milwaukee (which again we won't talk about, we'll just skip to after). So after the game everyone was rather upset as you can imagine but there was little time to sit and sulk. We immediately had to jump on a bus and drive to Chicago where we were staying the night. That's right, Chicago. We play Saturday night in Milwaukee and Sunday in Detroit yet we are staying Saturday night in Chicago. We got into our room around 12:30 am but had to be back down in the lobby at 5am to catch our flight out of O'Hare to Detroit. A short hour flight and we were in Detroit. Due to the fact that we were flying home following the game Sunday we opted not to get rooms and instead got one large business suite. So now picture that it's roughly 9am and there are 17 of us spread out all over the floor, some in chairs, and Ray Martinez some how got the lone couch. A nice nap on the floor will prepare anyone for an upcoming game or a weeks worth of chiropractic work. Immediately following the game we flew back to Newark and that concluded our weekend of horror.
Again, I'm not saying the travel was the reason for why we lost both games because it wasn't. I just wanted to show everyone that life on the road isn't as glamorous as it may seem sometimes. We now have two weeks before our next match which is plenty of time to work on those areas that need it most. We are in no way panicking and are still very much in the hunt for that championship. I hope everyone enjoys the Superbowl and although my beloved redskins are not playing I will be rooting for which ever team allows me to win our team pool.

Q/A....

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:13:00 +0000

I would like to thank everyone that has contacted me either through the blog or email with comments and questions. I appreciate all the feedback both positive and negative that I received and hopefully with the feedback I can continue to make this a more insightful and entertaining blog. With that being said, I wanted to take a moment to answer some of the questions I have recently received...

JLT wrote: "Hally, You mention about your pregame meal at Subway... Do you or other players have any pregame rituals or other things you do prior to a game?" I have been on some teams where players have taken pregame rituals to an extreme but I am actually surprised to not see anything too far out of the ordinary prior to the games this year. As for myself, I always put my left socks and shoes on before my right (I have no idea why or when this started). I also like to get to the game earlier then when we are scheduled to arrive. I like to arrive early, unpack my bag, take a shower, do some stretching, and take my time getting ready without the feeling of being rushed. Some guys like to get a massage or have a coffee but like I said earlier, I haven't really noticed anyone having a certain ritual that would catch your eye but I will be sure to keep a look out and post it if I find one.

Jean Pierre wrote: "How can I watch you and the Ironmen training? when,where and what time?" Our practices are open to the public and anyone is more than welcome to come and watch. We practice at Turf City in Wayne, NJ right off of Route 23. I believe it is the same facility the team practiced in last year. We generally practice from 10am-12am with players showing up anywhere from 9-9:30. Days that we practice tend to vary depending on when our games are but for the most part we practice everyday with the day after a game off given for rest and recovery.

Thanks again to everyone, if there are any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to send them on over both positive and negative. We look forward to bringing back two big wins, one on Saturday over Milwaukee and then one on Sunday over Detroit!! OK, gotta jump on the plane to Milwaukee, Have a great weekend!

Tough Loss

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:07:00 +0000

Another bump in the road as we fell to 3-3 this past Friday night losing to Milwaukee 8-6. This loss was by far the hardest of the three losses to swallow. The team played very well but came up just a bit short..
The trip started off on Friday morning where we had to be at the Newark airport by 8:45 for a 10 flight. We had a direct flight from Newark to Milwaukee and the team seemed to be in good spirits as we were waiting around the terminal for boarding. We touched down in Milwaukee around 11:20 central time and most of us figured out real quick what sub-zero temperatures mean. If I recall correctly when we landed it was -3degrees out, sunny but unbelievably cold. We got to the hotel, checked in, and were on our on till 5 where we had to meet in the lobby and head over to the stadium.
When we are on the road trip I usually room with fellow defender Evan McNeley. We got our key from coach Namazi headed up to the sixth floor. We opened the door and literally felt like we stepped into the Caribbean in the middle of July. Of all the rooms in the hotel this place gave us the one with the broken thermostat and the temperature stuck on 97 degrees!!! We quickly opened one of the windows which allowed the frozen tundra air to come in and now we were sitting in a room which was blasting Bahama heat at us from one side and allowing -3 wind come in from the other. I called the front desk and they said they would send someone right up to fix it (which means in hotel terms the next few hours). We eventually got the thermostat fixed and were able to take a short nap before going to subway and getting my usual pregame meal.
The game itself was a good one from a spectators point of view. Not many goals were scored but the game itself was very fast with a lot of physical play. Milwaukee came out flying. They were high pressuring all over the field. We weathered their initial storm and heading into half time up 4-2. The second half was more of the same with Milwaukee high pressuring all over the field and we did a good job of just remaining calm and staying one step ahead by moving the ball quickly. Both the teams had plenty of chances but unfortunately for us, Milwaukee was able to capitalize on one more opportunity then we were and we ended up losing 8-6
After the game everyone was obviously very upset thinking that we just let one slip right through our fingers, and we did. The majority of us just headed back to the hotel where we met in the hotel bar and had a late dinner and a few drinks. The next morning we were up and in the lobby at 8 to head back to the airport. We got back to Newark around 12:30 and the recovery period for many of us began...

What a Weekend!!

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Wow, from worst to first in only three days! What a great weekend to be an Ironmen. We knew going into the weekend that if we could pull out two wins at home that we had the possibility to be sitting in first place. Friday nights game was our third against Chicago and the team was fairly comfortable with the match up. The team came out a little slow in the first half. Not sure why but I think we took Chicago a little for granted. Being down 8-6 at halftime really tested where we all were as a team. Fortunately for us we came out flying in the second half scoring 5 points in the third and 12 points in the fourth.
Saturday was more of a recovery day than anything. I was a little sore and definitely tired from Friday nights game. My parents drove into town for the weekend and I knew I wasn't going to be able to just leave them at the hotel all day. We decided to take the train into the city and do some walking around. It is possible that we picked the coldest day ever to do some sight seeing. While at lunch in a small Irish pub it started snowing like there was no tomorrow. Rather than toughing it out through the snow, probably catching pneumonia, my parents and I decided to see a movie in times square. We saw Gran Turino and I would highly recommend seeing it. After the movie we headed back to Newark where I dropped them back off at the hotel and was in bed and asleep by 9 (I was exhausted!!!)
Sundays game was huge to say the least. We knew Milwaukee lost the night before to Detroit and if we could pull out a win we would find ourselves at the top of the table. This time we came out on fire, dominating the game from the start. We had the majority of the possession but could only manage to put 4 points up on the board in the first half. Milwaukee did a great job sitting in front of their goal and waiting to counter. We responded with keeping possession of the ball which enabled us to makes substitutions while keeping Milwaukee's team on the field. It was only a matter of time before they got tired and that opened up shots for us. I alone had three shots point blank but of course I missed them all which is why I play defense and should probably stay there...
So now we are sitting in first place and we are looking to stay there. Another big game coming up this Friday again against Milwaukee and hopefully we can start to put some distance between us and the rest of the field. Have a great week everyone....

Victory!!

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:16:00 +0000

Well it took three games but we finally got the monkey off our back and picked up a much needed first win. I am sure everyone is wondering why it took three games to do so but indoor is sometimes a funny game and the best team doesn't always win. The trip to Chicago was short and sweet. We flew into Chicago's O'hare on Saturday morning which gave us a lot of time to relax and get focused. Saturday afternoon we had a light training session at the local Bally's gym. We were only there for maybe and hour and a half but it was enough time break a sweat and get our legs moving since we had just been on a plane. After the Gym, a bunch of us went to a local sports bar called the Fox & Hound to grab some dinner and watch the NFL Playoffs... I still think the Redskins should be in the playoffs but that's neither here nor there.... That night things were pretty low key. Coach had set an early curfew to ensure everyone had the proper rest and minds were focused on the game. Sunday morning came fast. I personally think its hard to get ready for an afternoon game. Usually our games are scheduled for 7-7:30 kickoffs and you start to get into a routine of a morning kick around, grabbing some lunch, mid day short nap, and then game time but with a 1:00 kickoff you basically have time to get up, eat, and then off to the stadium.
This game you could really see how we are starting to put all the pieces together. Great overall effort from everyone on the team. There were still some mistakes here and there but unlike previous games, we were able to cover one another and not let Chicago capitalize. After the game we had to rush to the airport and grab a flight at 6:40 back to Newark. We touched down around 9:15 and I was on the couch watching Sportscenter by 10. Whoever was doing our scheduling of games sure didn't take into consideration the NFL playoffs!!! We play Chicago once again on Friday and we look to take a 2-1 head to head lead this week. Hope to see everyone there!

Outside of soccer...

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:33:00 +0000

As I am sure many of you are aware, the majority of us are not from the Newark area. Come to think of it none of us are from the Newark area.... With that being said, the team has done a great job helping us find places to live. Our house in particular has seven of us living in it. That's right seven! It is a three level house with the top two floors acting as three bedroom apartments and the bottom level is a studio apartment. Needles to say there is always something to do or someone up to something. There is never a dull moment especially when the pranks begin. So far with the season just starting the pranks between roommates and especially floors has been rather subtle but I am sure as the season progresses there will be some good pranks that I will gladly share with everyone (as long as its not one done to me) haha. For example (I will leave names out of it), some players have tried to go to practice only to find all of their shoes have been taped and tied together. Another more recent prank saw the removal of all the kitchen cabinet knobs from one of the apartments. Its amusing to see how angry people get when the can't get to their food....
One other thing I wanted to mention is the driving situation in New Jersey. I might go on a little rant here and I hope it doesn't offend anyone. This is meant to be in good fun but I do have a couple of questions/concerns. I have been very fortunate to live in cities all over the country and New Jersey is the most confusing state by far. Why is it that the fast lane seems to be the slow lane and the slow lane is the fast lane??? Also, how come you can't make any left turns?? Every time I want to make a left turn there is either a major sign telling me "No left turns" or I have to find the next round-about U-turn to get to the other side of the road. Does anyone else ever ask themselves these questions or is it just me??? Just thought I would ask.
I hope everyone has a great holiday and I look forward to seeing you at the game!!!

Preseason 2008

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:36:00 +0000

As we come closer to the season opener on Sunday, I wanted to take a look at the past two weeks which was the Ironmen's preseason. Things look great so far in the Ironmen camp. I was fortunate enough to play with a team in Cleveland during the 04-05 season that lost in the finals but was loaded from top to bottom with some of the best talent and legends of the game (i.e. Hector Marinaro, Zoran Karic, and Otto Orf). There is no doubt in my mind that this team has equal to if not more talent than the one in Cleveland. It is not a question of if we will win but how many we will win......
Our preseason started on December 1st and for the first week the team went through two-a-days. We would spend the morning sessions on tactics and skills while the afternoons were focused more on fitness. I have to admit, no matter how many times you go through two-a-days, they never get easier. My legs were sore for the majority of last week. On Saturday we had a scrimmage and I think most of the guys were excited to get out and play against some fresh competition. The game went well as expected. We played five quarters with a running clock. It gave us the opportunity to get used to one another during the flow of a game and also allowed coach Namazi to see some of the newer guys in a game-like situations. This past week was toned down a little a focused primarily on the upcoming game against Chicago. It also gave us the time to get our legs back so that we will be fresh going into the game. Although it has been a hectic two weeks it has also been a productive two weeks. I had to balance the schedule of two practices a day while moving into our new apartment and trying to get use to the Newark area. Now that things have settled, I think I speak for everyone when i say "Bring on Chicago!!!" Look forward to seeing you at the game! Tune in for the next blog when I discuss apartment wars and New Jersey traffic.

noreply@blogger.com (NJ Ironmen Defender Ryan Hall) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:20:00 +0000

Hi to all the Ironmen fans out there!!! I first want to take a min to thank you for taking the time to read this blog. This is the first for me and hopefully I can give you a little insight on what we go through on a daily basis as well as what its like to be a professional soccer player. My name is Ryan Hall and I am entering my 6th season as a professional indoor soccer player and 9th season overall as a professional. I attended and graduated from Syracuse University in 2003. After college I played for the Syracuse Salty Dogs of the A-league for the summers of 03' and 04'. During those winters I played in the MISL for the Cleveland Force and coach Namazi. Unfortunately, both the Salty Dogs and Force ended up folding after the 2004-05 seasons. From there I spent 2005 with the Rochester Rhinos of the A-league. I then moved to Califonira and spent the last three winters (05-06, 06-07, 07-08) with the California Cougars in the old MISL.
This is my first year with the Ironmen and I am very excited to be reunited with coach Namazi and the potential that this team posses. As many of you know the Ironmen made the playoffs last year in only their first year of existence. This year we are looking to go all the way and bring the first ever Xtreme Soccer League championship to Newark! I just wanted to take this first blog to introduce myself to everyone and I look forward to future blogs and all the insight and behind the scenes of the 2008-2009 Ironmen season. Ill be back later on this week to update on how our preseason is going...... Season opener December 14th vs. Chicago at the Rock!!!! Don't miss it!