UPDATE: The start time for Saturday's tryout has been moved to 10:30 a.m. due to rain in the forecast for the early afternoon

After a third straight playoff appearance, the two-time defending Mid-Atlantic Division champion Ocean City Nor'easters have their eye on a USL League Two championship. To accomplish that, the club will host an open tryout in an effort to start building the roster for the 2024 season.

After the team hosted the first tryout on Dec. 23, the Nor'easters will host a second tryout session on Jan. 6 in Sicklerville, N.J. at Gloucester Township Park. It is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.

The cost to attend is $65.

"We are excited to announce our tryouts for the 2024 season," said Nor'easters general manager Giancarlo Granese Jr. "We are looking to build off of a very impressive 2023 season and making a deep run in the USL League Two playoffs and to bring a championship home to the city of Ocean City. To do that, we need talented players, and these tryouts are an excellent way for us to build our roster."

The Nor'easters will not only be seeking to fill the last few roster spots on the senior team, but the club is also continuing to build strong reserve teams. Ocean City's Reserve team and Under-23 team gives young players a chance to be exposed to a high level of play and a professionalized setting throughout the summer as they get valuable experience to take back with them to their college and high school teams.

The Nor'easters will play in their 27th season as a club (21st as a member of USL League Two) in 2024. Out of the more than 100 teams in North America, Ocean City has the third-best record in USL League Two since 2003, and the fifth-most wins in the history of the league. The Storm also play at one of the best home venues in the country, Carey Stadium. It is nicknamed "The Beach House" because it's located right off the boardwalk, next to the beach, and just a few hundred yards away from the Atlantic Ocean at America's Greatest Family Resort: Ocean City, N.J. The Nor'easters also perform well in front of their fans, owning the fourth-best home record of any team in the league since 2003.

After finishing the 2022 regular season undefeated (11-0-3), losing one game in 2023 (8-1-5) and winning back-to-back Mid-Atlantic Division titles, Ocean City is hoping to build on that and challenge for a league title in 2024.

"The goal is to win a championship this summer," said Nor'easters head coach Matt Perrella. "It's something that the club has been longing for since its inception, and we believe we are on track to be in that spotlight again. So players coming out need to be ready to compete at a highlight and showcase their talents in front of the staff."

The Nor'easters not only have a strong tradition of team accomplishments, but also with individual players. Since 2003, more than 100 Ocean City players have moved on to play the game professionally in more than 20 countries from around the world. There have been 35 players drafted by Major League Soccer teams, including 2019 USL League Two MVP Deri Corfe. Corfe became the third Nor'easters player to team history to win the league's MVP award. Ocean City is one of only two teams in league history to have three MVP winners. The accomplishments continued in 2022 as Felix Schafer won the USL League Two Golden Glove award as the league's top goalkeeper and Nick Pariano was named the Mid-Atlantic Division Player of the Year. In the 2023 MLS SuperDraft five Ocean City alums were selected: Joshua Bolma (New England Revolution, Round 1, 4th overall), Abdi Salim (Orlando City SC, Round 1, 17th overall), Luis Grassow (Orlando City SC, Round 2, 47th overall), MD Myers (New York City FC, Round 3, 66th overall), Andrew Privett (Charlotte FC, Round 3, 69th overall).

The Nor'easters will be led by head coach Matt Perrella, who enters the 2024 season in his second year in charge of the club. Perrella took over last year after serving as an assistant in two of the previous three seasons with the Nor'easters. Both seasons were under head coach Kevin Nuss, who was recently hired as an assistant coach with USL League One team Union Omaha. In his first season in 2023, the Nor'easters won another US Open Cup match and then fell one game short of a second straight undefeated regular season (8-1-5) and earned a third straight postseason appearance.

Players who are interested in trying out should fill out the online form HERE. For any additional questions, please contact the Ocean City Nor'easters team office at (609) 432-8371, or send an email to tryout@oceancityfc.com.

Check back to the Ocean City Nor'easters official website and social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) for updates.

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Founded in 1997, the Nor'easters joined USL League Two (then known as the Premier Development League) in 2003, and since then have seen more than 100 players move on to play the game professionally, including Tyler Miller of D.C. United, John McCarthy of LAFC, Simon Becher of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Brendan Hines-Ike of D.C. United and Tony Donatelli of the Baltimore Blast. You can see a comprehensive list of #OCN alums currently playing professionally here.